Senior Consultant: Economic Development
Durban based | Hybrid (Work from Home + Office + Client Sites)
What's the role?
As a Senior Consultant in BMA’s Industrial Development team, you will help shape the future of manufacturing in Africa.
You will work across:
- Macro – national industrial policy
- Meso – sector strategy and industry platforms
- Micro – firm-level competitiveness
At the heart of this role is cluster development: bringing together business, government, academia and development partners to solve shared challenges, unlock collective opportunities and build globally competitive industries.
You will translate strategy into measurable economic impact, working closely with public and private sector leaders to advance South Africa's reindustrialisation agenda through effective public-private collaboration.
Your work will span sectors including automotive, chemicals, clothing and textiles, furniture, leather, agriculture and advanced manufacturing, applying structured problem-solving, economic and financial analysis, applied research and international best practice.
You’ll join a high-performance team united by purpose: driving growth, competitiveness, and sustainability in South Africa’s industrial economy.
What will you be doing?
- Design and implement industrial cluster programmes that strengthen sector competitiveness and value chain collaboration
- Diagnose complex industrial and economic challenges using rigorous analysis
- Conduct applied research to inform industrial policy, cluster strategies and investment decisions
- Facilitate workshops and strategic engagements that align diverse stakeholders around shared priorities
- Build trusted relationships across industry, government, academia and development institutions
- Translate complex analysis into clear, practical and compelling recommendations
- Manage multi-stakeholder projects that deliver measurable economic and developmental impact
- Develop tools, programmes and interventions that strengthen localisation, innovation, sustainability and competitiveness
- Solve complex, real-world industrial challenges in dynamic and fast-paced environments
What do we do?
We build dignity and opportunity through sustainable, production-led economies, positioning Africa as a globally competitive manufacturing hub.
We partner with:
- Leading firms on value chain and business transformation
- Government on smart industrial policy
- Industrial clusters on innovative, sector-wide development
Our work spans research, policy, strategy, execution, manufacturing performance improvement, skills development, sustainability, decarbonisation and SME growth.
Who are you?
You are purpose-driven and motivated by manufacturing-led employment creation.
You:
- Believe in the power of collaboration and industrial clusters to solve complex economic challenges
- Think systemically, but stay grounded in operational reality
- Solve complex problems using data and structured thinking
- Prefer delivery over theory
- Are organised, disciplined and proactive
- Communicate with clarity and commercial insight
- Produce high-quality, polished work
- Engage confidently - from factory floor to boardroom
- Are intellectually curious and committed to continuous learning
- Value collaboration and shared success
Requirements
Essential:
- Master’s degree in a rigorous, analytical discipline (e.g. Economics, Development Economics, Engineering, Geography, Industrial Psychology, Commerce) from a leading university
- 3+ years’ relevant experience (consulting advantageous)
- Strong Excel and PowerPoint capability
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Beneficial:
- Experience within manufacturing sectors
What we offer:
- Private sector drive, social impact – We combine commercial discipline with meaningful industrial development.
- Flexible working – Home, office and client-site balance to support deep work and collaboration.
- Performance-based growth – Discretionary awards and accelerated progression for strong performers.
- Collaborative culture – Structured induction, company-wide alignment rhythms and a genuinely energising team environment.
To apply:
Click on the Apply button to access our screening platform. You will:
- Answer a few screening questions
- Complete three 10-minute assessments
- Upload your CV
- Submit a short (2-minute) video
Total time: approximately 40 minutes
We look forward to reviewing your application.