Political Risk Analyst

Control Risks is a specialist risk consultancy that helps to create secure, compliant and resilient organisations in an age of ever-changing risk. Working across disciplines, technologies and geographies, everything we do is based on our belief that taking risks is essential to our clients’ success. We go beyond problem-solving and give our clients the insight and intelligence they need to realise opportunities and grow. From the boardroom to the remotest location, we have developed an unparalleled ability to bring order to chaos and reassurance to anxiety.

This role involves contributing to Control Risks’ analysis on East Africa for a range of subscription products and bespoke consulting tasks, with a particular focus on the Great Lakes region (Congo (DRC), Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi), as well as other East African countries including Kenya and Tanzania. Responsibilities include writing analysis for our main country risk monitoring platform, Seerist, responding to queries from clients and delivering bespoke consulting engagements. Our analysts are country specialists with backgrounds in the political risk industry, business, academia, journalism, government and/or international organisations. Our analysis is delivered to clients through subscription products and in bespoke consulting engagements that showcase our expertise. We commonly advise clients on topics such as threats to stability, election outcomes, levels of corruption, sustainability and humanitarian issues, policymaking and regulatory dynamics in certain sectors.

The successful candidate will have a strong interest in and understanding of political dynamics in the Great Lakes and East African regions, or a sub-set of countries in the region. This role will require the successful candidate to be based in Nairobi and regularly attend the office there, though Control Risks encourages hybrid and flexible working arrangements. It will also involve close collaboration with other East Africa-based colleagues, as well as with the rest of our Africa analysis team based across six offices in Europe and Africa.

Tasks and Responsibilities

Writing analysis

• Provide regular and high-quality coverage of relevant developments affecting the business environment in the Great Lakes and East African region for clients subscribing to Seerist, Control Risks’ online subscription service. This will include writing succinct updates on trends and developments across the region in domestic politics, government policy, regulation, humanitarian, operational and security issues.
• Depending on team capacity and client requirements, this will also periodically require writing analysis and responding to requests on other East African countries.
• Collaborate with colleagues in other geographical regions on analysis of crosscutting pan-African or global issues and trends where required (geopolitics, sustainability, technology, etc.).
  

Consulting and client engagement

• Undertake research for bespoke projects on the Great Lakes and East African region under the direction of senior analysts.
• Assist in writing proposals for bespoke consulting work on the region, in consultation with analysts and consultants.
• Contribute to the development of compelling client deliverables and propose innovative ways to present facts and analysis to clients and assist in preparing the presentation of research in formats including PowerPoint.
• Support and contribute to the delivery of consulting engagements for the wider Africa region as required.
  

Demonstrating expertise

• Maintain a high level of regional and country expertise on the Great Lakes and East Africa region through research, attendance at relevant seminars and research trips.
• Create and maintain country-, regional and sector-specific databases as required.
• Lead team discussions about political and business risk issues in the Great Lakes and wider East Africa region and topical developments in the region.
• Work closely with other analysts covering East Africa. This will include challenging and accepting feedback on own analysis, and ensuring coherence with other analysts.
• Develop and effectively manage government, academic, journalistic and business contacts in the region and share knowledge about sources with other members of the desk. Use source information astutely and conduct in-person research as and when required, respecting client confidentiality.
  

Marketing and business development

• Contribute to company-wide promotional publications, press releases and sales initiatives.
• Provide research to support team responses to media queries in the region.

• Knowledge and understanding of key political, regulatory, sector and operational risks for business in Great Lakes countries (particularly Congo (DRC) and Uganda but also Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya and Tanzania).
• Professional experience in consulting, political and security risk analysis, emerging market analysis, market intelligence, public policy, academia, or government, with a primary focus on East Africa (whether focused primarily on the Great Lakes countries or the East Africa region as a whole).
• Practical experience of living, working or travelling in Congo (DRC), Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi.
• Proven ability to write and verbally communicate with authority and clarity, particularly for commercial and / or non-expert audiences.

Preferred:

• Previous professional experience of political risk analysis on the region and familiarity with business-focused research.
• Network of professional contacts in the East Africa region (public and private sector, policy and academia, journalism, government, etc.)
• Previous professional experience covering the mining, energy or international development sectors.
• Additional language capabilities are a plus (French, Swahili).

Competencies Essential:

• Ability to independently identify, research and interpret significant political, regulatory or security events and developments.
• Ability to write clearly, concisely and authoritatively to tight deadlines.
• Excellent interpersonal and collaborative skills.
• Eagerness to seize opportunities, resolve problems and deliver work of the highest quality.
• Ability to adapt well to changing demands.
• Strong Microsoft Office and presentation skills

Preferred:

• Good public speaking and presentation skills.
• Experience with handling datasets, conducting quantitative data analysis and producing data visualization's.

Control Risks offers a competitively positioned compensation and benefits package that is transparent and summarized in the full job offer.

We operate a discretionary global bonus scheme that incentivizes, and rewards individuals based on company and individual performance.

Control Risks supports hybrid working arrangements, wherever possible, and emphasise the value of in-person time together - in the office and without clients while continuing to support flexible and remote working.

As an equal opportunities employer, we encourage suitably qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply and join us and are fully committed to equal treatment, free of discrimination, of all candidates throughout our recruitment process.