Associate Director – Communities Team

City, Belfast
RSM
As one of the world’s largest networks of audit, tax and consulting firms, RSM delivers big ideas and premium service to help middle-market businesses thrive. We are a fast-growing firm with big ambitions – we have a clear goal to become the premium adviser to the middle market, globally. This vision touches everything we do, motivating and inspiring us to become better every day. If you are looking for a firm where you can build a future and make an impact, then RSM is the place for you.

Do you want to help ‘make a difference’? Do you want to help the public sector make policies, evaluate programmes, and work out how to make changes for the better?

RSM’s Strategy Economics and Policy (SEP) Team are a 70-strong team of economists, evaluation experts, and social researchers working mainly for public sector clients. We research, evaluate, analyse, and make recommendations to help improve the effectiveness of public policy and practice. Recent and ongoing projects include:

• Evaluation of the Fast-Track Digital Workforce Fund, focused on addressing digital skill gaps
• Evaluation of a Covid-19 emergency funding support package for the voluntary and community sector and other Covid-19 support packages to industry
• An evaluation of a education-themed training and development programme using mixed methods research and analytics
• Various research linked to the area of loneliness including the link between volunteering and a reduction in the prevalence of loneliness
• Evaluations of a series of placed-based Funding programmes delivered by VCSE sector delivery partners
• Evaluation of various cyber security training and business support programmes

To further support our ambitious growth plans, we are seeking to recruit an Associate Director with expertise in one or more of the following areas: Digital / Technology, Skills, Innovation, the Charity / VCSE Sector and Housing. Specifically, we are interested in candidates with direct experience of leading evaluation assignments with UK Central or Local Government departments.

Candidates will have excellent project management skills and experience of designing and leading research assignments from inception through to dissemination. Candidates will also be proficient with a range of ‘Magenta Book’ methodologies, with a particular emphasis on designing and delivering evaluations utilising experimental or quasi-experimental methods and therefore have strong quantitative skills. Preference will also be given to candidates with experience of delivering Value for Money (VfM) studies / assessments.

The successful candidate will have excellent spoken and written communication, including experience of presenting complex ideas clearly and concisely to senior client teams, and high attention to detail. You will also have experience of leading the production of high-quality tender responses and developing client relationships to support business development activity.

Responsibilities

• Maintain RSM’s high level of service and values, taking responsibility for ensuring timely delivery of client work plans, and other additional duties that may be required. This will include having commercial acumen to deliver work on time, to quality and cost.
• Take ownership of personal objectives, a career development plan and individual performance targets to achieve as part of this role, which will be subject to periodic review and feedback.
• Work with RSM colleagues to devise and implement a business development plan, making best use of RSM Marketing and Business Development resources, to raise awareness of RSM’s services.
• Lead the development of high-quality proposals in line with tender specifications, producing tender submissions in a timely and robust manner.
• Work to build client relationships and achieve client testimonials for the delivery of high-quality work.
• Work with colleagues to identify opportunities for growth and development of the SEP team and will support the implementation of agreed initiatives.
• Mentor and coach junior staff as required, seeking to support the team and learning ethos that currently exists.

Experience and Qualifications

• A strong academic record with numerical proficiency.
• Significant experience of winning and delivering economic and policy consulting assignments, with a specific focus on research and evaluation projects.
• Demonstrable working knowledge of HM Treasury ‘Magenta Book’ (essential) and ‘Green Book’ (desirable).
• Proficiency in using statistical analysis packages, e.g., SPSS, STATA, Python etc. (desirable) and high proficiency using MS Excel (essential).
• Excellent spoken and written communication, including experience of presenting complex ideas clearly and concisely to senior client teams.
• Demonstrable experience of the delivery of high-quality reports, including to a published standard.
• Excellent project management skills, including project planning and budget management.
• Ability to meet deadlines in a client / quality focused environment.
• High proficiency in MS Office and PowerPoint.

Diversity and Inclusion at RSM
At RSM, we want to create a strong sense of belonging so that people of all identities, backgrounds, and cultures feel they can bring their true self to work. Our clients come from all walks of life. We aim to achieve that same diversity of background, experience and perspective in our own teams, so that we can genuinely understand our client’s needs. Diverse teams bring a broader range of ideas and insights to work. That’s why we’re working together to ensure our firm’s principles and processes support a firm culture that embraces difference and strengthens inclusion.
At RSM we work hard to create an environment where our people can make a difference – to themselves, their career, their teams, and to the success of our firm and clients. We support all our people to work flexibly, to manage their family and other responsibilities alongside their work commitments; we believe this is key to achieving an inspiring and fulfilling working environment.