Analyst, Strategic Advisory and Field Research

Role Overview

We are seeking an Analyst based in Nairobi to support strategic advisory work across the Middle East and Africa. The role is suited to a sharp, intellectually curious researcher who can combine rigorous analytical work with field-based inquiry, client engagement, and high-quality written outputs.

The ideal candidate will have a background in investigative journalism, intelligence analysis, political risk, security research, corporate investigations, or a comparable analytical field. They should be comfortable moving between desk-based research, interviews, field visits, stakeholder mapping, and direct client-facing work. This is a hands-on role for someone who can operate independently and discreetly, ask precise questions, assess complex political and commercial dynamics, and produce clear, actionable analysis for senior decision-makers.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct strategic, political, security, commercial, and stakeholder analysis across priority markets in Africa and the Middle East.
• Design and execute field-based research plans, including interviews, site visits, local source development, and structured information gathering.
• Meet with clients, partners, government stakeholders, private-sector actors, and civil society contacts across the region.
• Produce concise analytical products, including client briefings, risk assessments, country and sector notes, due diligence reports, stakeholder maps, and field research summaries.
• Support strategic advisory engagements by identifying key risks, opportunities, decision-makers, incentives, and local operating dynamics.
• Conduct open-source research, media monitoring, corporate and political mapping, and background research on individuals, entities, sectors, and jurisdictions.
• Translate complex, incomplete, or sensitive information into practical insights for clients and internal teams.
• Contribute to proposal development, client presentations, scopes of work, and research methodologies.
• Maintain high standards of source protection, confidentiality, discretion, and analytical integrity.
• Travel regularly across the Middle East and Africa for research, meetings, and project delivery.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Based in Nairobi or willing to relocate to Nairobi.
• Strong analytical background, ideally gained through investigative journalism, intelligence analysis, political risk, security analysis, corporate investigations, due diligence, international development, or strategic consulting.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct field research, interviews, and source-based inquiry in complex operating environments.
• Excellent written English, with the ability to produce clear, concise, evidence-based analysis under tight deadlines.
• Strong interpersonal skills and confidence engaging senior clients, government officials, local stakeholders, and private-sector counterparts.
• Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and operate with discretion in sensitive contexts.
• Strong understanding of regional political, security, commercial, or development dynamics in Africa, the Middle East, or both.
• Experience working in and willingness and ability to travel frequently to austere environments, sometimes at short notice.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience as an investigative journalist or field reporter covering politics, security, corruption, conflict, illicit networks, business, energy, critical minerals, or governance.
• Experience working in East Africa, the Horn of Africa, the Gulf, North Africa, or other relevant Middle East and Africa markets.
• Familiarity with OSINT tools, corporate records, sanctions databases, litigation records, procurement data, media archives, and social media research.
• Experience producing client-ready briefings, intelligence notes, due diligence reports, or advisory memos.
• Existing regional networks among journalists, analysts, civil society, private sector actors, researchers, or government-adjacent stakeholders.
• Strong language skills relevant to the region, including Arabic, French, Portuguese, Swahili, Amharic, Somali, or other regional languages.
• Prior work with consulting firms, media organizations, think tanks, NGOs, development organizations, security firms, or government contractors.

Candidate Profile

The successful candidate will be

• Curious, persistent, and comfortable following leads beyond the obvious answer.
• A strong writer who can distinguish fact, inference, judgment, and uncertainty.
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity and making sense of fragmented information.
• Professional and credible in front of clients and senior stakeholders.
• Field-oriented, practical, and culturally aware.
• Discreet, ethical, and careful with sensitive information.
• Able to balance analytical depth with commercial usefulness.

Example Work Products

• Country or sector risk briefs.
• Stakeholder and influence maps.
• Political economy assessments.
• Market-entry or operating-environment analysis.
• Investigative research memos.
• Field interview summaries.
• Client briefing notes.
• Due diligence and background research reports.
• Strategic advisory inputs for senior client engagements.

Application Materials

Candidates should submit

• CV or resume.
• Short cover note explaining relevant regional, analytical, field research, or investigative experience.
• One or two writing samples, preferably analytical, investigative, or client-facing.

Equal Opportunity Statement

We welcome candidates from diverse professional backgrounds and assess applicants based on relevant skills, judgment, integrity, and ability to deliver high-quality analytical work in complex environments.