Part-Time Senior Strategic Advisor – Consultancy Development

About Ektimisi

Ektimisi is a regional research and development consulting firm operating across the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe. Ektimisi delivers high-quality consultancy services for non-profit and civil society organizations, donors, research bodies, and academic centers, including research and assessments, evaluations, third-party monitoring, capacity building, economic empowerment and livelihoods, gender equality programming, MHPSS, governance, social cohesion, digital data solutions and construction.

Position Summary

Ektimisi seeks to engage a Part-Time Senior Strategic Advisor to provide senior-level advisory input on organisational structure and consultancy development. The advisor will bring extensive experience from established consulting environments and provide strategic guidance to support Ektimisi’s institutional strengthening, market positioning, and sustainable growth.

Scope of Engagement

This is a part-time advisory engagement of approximately 2 days per month, initially for 12 months (renewable by mutual agreement). The role is primarily remote, with periodic scheduled sessions and ad hoc consultation as needed.

Key Responsibilities

The Senior Strategic Advisor will:

• Provide feasibility and strategic viability insights for proposed new business lines, initiatives, and service expansions, including clear go/no-go considerations and risk implications.
• Participate in selected interviews and high-level meetings, as needed, to support recruitment decisions, partnership discussions, and strategic engagements.
• Strengthen Ektimisi’s visibility and external positioning by advising on market messaging, differentiation, and credibility-building opportunities within the consultancy ecosystem.
• Expand Ektimisi’s access to new donors and organisations through active networking and introductions, leveraging existing professional networks to generate concrete business opportunities and new consultancy leads.
• Support the revision and strengthening of Ektimisi’s portfolio and business model, including service packaging, value proposition refinement, pricing logic, and growth pathways aligned with market demand.
• Provide strategic guidance to support Ektimisi’s growth planning, including practical advice on business structuring considerations such as jurisdictions for registration, banking solutions, and operational ease-of-doing-business factors.
• Provide senior-level problem-solving support on critical issues requiring experienced judgment, including rapid analysis of challenges and pragmatic solution options.

Required Profile

Essential qualifications and experience:

• Minimum 15 years of senior experience within established international consultancies, advisory organisations, donor environments, or equivalent.
• Demonstrated track record in consultancy business development and organisational growth, including service portfolio optimisation, market positioning, and strategic expansion planning.
• Strong familiarity with donor-funded consultancy markets (e.g., UN agencies, EU-funded programmes, INGOs, bilateral donors), including partnership/consortium models and tender dynamics.
• Proven ability to produce practical feasibility and go/no-go insights for new initiatives or business lines, including risk assessment and commercially sound recommendations.
• Evidence of an active professional network with the capacity to generate tangible leads, introductions, and opportunities relevant to Ektimisi’s services.
• Ability to contribute to external visibility and positioning, including strengthening organisational messaging, credibility, and outreach to priority stakeholders.
• Demonstrated senior-level problem-solving capability in high-stakes or time-sensitive situations, translating experience into clear options and recommended decisions.
• Strong communication skills in English (Arabic is an advantage), with the ability to engage credibly with senior counterparts and represent Ektimisi when required.

Highly desirable:

• Experience working in or with organisations operating in MENA and/or Eastern Europe, including fragile or humanitarian-development contexts.
• Background spanning evaluation, research, TPM, institutional development, governance, or economic recovery/livelihoods consultancies.
• Practical exposure to business structuring considerations relevant to consulting firms (e.g., jurisdictions for registration, banking solutions, cross-border contracting, ease-of-doing-business factors).
• Recognised standing within the international consultancy ecosystem (e.g., prior leadership role, advisory board experience, or long-term engagement with major donors and implementing organisations).

Working Modality and Remuneration

The engagement will be structured around a monthly schedule equivalent to 2 working days, with flexibility in how days are utilised (e.g., one longer session plus follow-ups). Remuneration will be agreed based on seniority and scope, typically through a monthly retainer aligned with the engagement level.

About Ektimisi

Ektimisi is a regional research and development consulting firm operating across the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe. Ektimisi delivers high-quality consultancy services for non-profit and civil society organizations, donors, research bodies, and academic centers, including research and assessments, evaluations, third-party monitoring, capacity building, economic empowerment and livelihoods, gender equality programming, MHPSS, governance, social cohesion, digital data solutions and construction.

Position Summary

Ektimisi seeks to engage a Part-Time Senior Strategic Advisor to provide senior-level advisory input on organisational structure and consultancy development. The advisor will bring extensive experience from established consulting environments and provide strategic guidance to support Ektimisi’s institutional strengthening, market positioning, and sustainable growth.

Scope of Engagement

This is a part-time advisory engagement of approximately 2 days per month, initially for 12 months (renewable by mutual agreement). The role is primarily remote, with periodic scheduled sessions and ad hoc consultation as needed.

Key Responsibilities

The Senior Strategic Advisor will:

• Provide feasibility and strategic viability insights for proposed new business lines, initiatives, and service expansions, including clear go/no-go considerations and risk implications.
• Participate in selected interviews and high-level meetings, as needed, to support recruitment decisions, partnership discussions, and strategic engagements.
• Strengthen Ektimisi’s visibility and external positioning by advising on market messaging, differentiation, and credibility-building opportunities within the consultancy ecosystem.
• Expand Ektimisi’s access to new donors and organisations through active networking and introductions, leveraging existing professional networks to generate concrete business opportunities and new consultancy leads.
• Support the revision and strengthening of Ektimisi’s portfolio and business model, including service packaging, value proposition refinement, pricing logic, and growth pathways aligned with market demand.
• Provide strategic guidance to support Ektimisi’s growth planning, including practical advice on business structuring considerations such as jurisdictions for registration, banking solutions, and operational ease-of-doing-business factors.
• Provide senior-level problem-solving support on critical issues requiring experienced judgment, including rapid analysis of challenges and pragmatic solution options.

Required Profile

Essential qualifications and experience:

• Minimum 15 years of senior experience within established international consultancies, advisory organisations, donor environments, or equivalent.
• Demonstrated track record in consultancy business development and organisational growth, including service portfolio optimisation, market positioning, and strategic expansion planning.
• Strong familiarity with donor-funded consultancy markets (e.g., UN agencies, EU-funded programmes, INGOs, bilateral donors), including partnership/consortium models and tender dynamics.
• Proven ability to produce practical feasibility and go/no-go insights for new initiatives or business lines, including risk assessment and commercially sound recommendations.
• Evidence of an active professional network with the capacity to generate tangible leads, introductions, and opportunities relevant to Ektimisi’s services.
• Ability to contribute to external visibility and positioning, including strengthening organisational messaging, credibility, and outreach to priority stakeholders.
• Demonstrated senior-level problem-solving capability in high-stakes or time-sensitive situations, translating experience into clear options and recommended decisions.
• Strong communication skills in English (Arabic is an advantage), with the ability to engage credibly with senior counterparts and represent Ektimisi when required.

Highly desirable:

• Experience working in or with organisations operating in MENA and/or Eastern Europe, including fragile or humanitarian-development contexts.
• Background spanning evaluation, research, TPM, institutional development, governance, or economic recovery/livelihoods consultancies.
• Practical exposure to business structuring considerations relevant to consulting firms (e.g., jurisdictions for registration, banking solutions, cross-border contracting, ease-of-doing-business factors).
• Recognised standing within the international consultancy ecosystem (e.g., prior leadership role, advisory board experience, or long-term engagement with major donors and implementing organisations).

Working Modality and Remuneration

The engagement will be structured around a monthly schedule equivalent to 2 working days, with flexibility in how days are utilised (e.g., one longer session plus follow-ups). Remuneration will be agreed based on seniority and scope, typically through a monthly retainer aligned with the engagement level.