Research Consultant – Strategy & Innovation at Selistar Management Services

Our Client is looking for a sharp, analytical, and self-driven Research Consultant to support our strategy and innovation advisory work through rigorous literature reviews, evidence synthesis, and knowledge product development. The ideal candidate is a curious thinker with a strong foundation in academic or policy research, and experience distilling complex concepts into insights that inform strategy design and innovation in African and global contexts.

Responsibilities

• Lead literature reviews across domains such as public sector innovation, private sector transformation, and systems change.
• Synthesize findings from academic publications, grey literature, donor reports, and think tank outputs into strategic insights.
• Support research design for strategy and innovation projects (e.g., theory of change, frameworks, landscape scans).
• Collaborate with strategy teams to co-develop slide decks, concept notes, and reports
• Contribute to knowledge products (e.g., white papers, toolkits, or blogs) that reflect thought leadership.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Business, Public Policy, Development Studies, Economics, or related field.
• 3–5 years of experience in research focused on strategy, innovation, or organizational development.
• Strong grounding in qualitative research methods, with the ability to independently conduct desk-based literature reviews.
• Excellent writing and synthesis skills—able to “translate” research into insights for practitioners and decision-makers.
• Experience working in or researching African markets and innovation ecosystems is a plus.
• Experience with citation management tools (e.g., Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote).
• Familiarity with strategy frameworks like systems thinking, design thinking, or adaptive strategy.
• Experience with donor-funded programs, impact evaluations, or strategic advisory work.