Senior Consultant (Latin America) | Responsible Supply Chains

Kumi is creating an exciting role for a Senior Consultant based in Lima or other locations in Latin America. 

Kumi is a specialist management consultancy focused on responsible supply chains across truly diverse industries, ranging from mining through to luxury fashion; from automotive through to agriculture. We are commercially focused but mission-driven, motivated by the belief that responsible businesses are among the most important drivers of poverty alleviation and sustainable social and economic development. Our technical excellence and approach to quality is second to none. It’s why Kumi has been commissioned to shape government policies and industry frameworks, and it’s why globally leading companies retain us as their trusted advisors.

The successful candidate will be highly motivated by Kumi’s mission and wish to develop into (or already are) a leading voice in the industry. You will have the opportunity to play a pivotal role in the growth and development of the business, developing your career as Kumi grows. You will be part of creating a business with a mission; your ideas will be sought and valued, and you will have the opportunity to see them shape the services that are provided to clients or how the business operates. As a global business with existing offices in London and Berlin, we offer a stimulating and enriching environment to grow your career. Working with highly experienced colleagues, you will be given opportunities and responsibilities that enable you to develop professionally in a way that is simply not possible in larger firms.

We aim to be the employer of choice in our field, with competitive remuneration including a substantial bonus potential, an attractive benefits package and a genuine commitment to supporting people to work in the way that enables them to perform at their best and achieve a healthy work-life balance. We believe in flexible working: the quality of the work you deliver is far more important than the hours you work or, indeed, where you work.

The role

This is a unique opportunity for a sustainability professional to join an innovative, entrepreneurial consultancy on an exciting journey of growth. As a Senior Consultant, you will have a key role in both client-facing consulting and in supporting the broader growth of Kumi’s business.   

• You will use your consulting skills and subject matter expertise to advise clients in Kumi’s areas of specialism.  As your experience and capabilities grow, you will take increasing responsibility for managing and developing client relationships and for delivering consultancy projects, establishing yourself as a trusted advisor to Kumi’s clients and partners through your outstanding project execution.
• You will cultivate a deep understanding of the sectors in which Kumi works, developing knowledge and expertise around the challenges and opportunities associated with responsible business practices and environmental and social sustainability.  Initially your work may be across any or all of the sectors Kumi works in, but as your career develops, you will develop as a subject matter expert in areas of Kumi’s specialism and be recognised by clients and colleagues as a thought leader.
• You will manage (parts of) projects as appropriate to your experience. As a project manager, you will be committed to coaching and supporting the career development of junior colleagues, helping them to fulfil their potential. You will provide an initial layer of quality assurance and technical review for consulting projects, ensuring client deliverables are always of the highest quality.
• You will be given responsibility for developing communications, social media and website content to help build Kumi’s brand and voice in the market and online.  You will represent Kumi at business events such as conferences.
• You will support Kumi’s senior management and other staff with broader business management tasks and activities as required.

Desired experience and qualifications

The successful candidate will be someone who recognises Kumi’s values as aligning with their own, is motivated by the work we do at Kumi and whose personal goals align with what we are seeking to achieve as a business. You will be particularly motivated by the career development opportunities that are available in a small, entrepreneurial team.

The successful candidate will have some or all of the following experiences and qualifications: 

• Have a deep understanding of the business drivers for, and application of, responsible sourcing standards1 in supply chains.  Specific experience with human rights risk assessments and impact assessments would be advantageous.
• Be familiar with key social and environmental issues relevant to commodity supply chains. 
• Be able to translate key human rights and responsible business principles into practical recommendations and advice for clients.
• Ideally have experience in a consulting or corporate environment.  Knowledge of (and ideally experience of working in) mining and metals supply chains would be a major advantage, but the potential and desire to learn is even more important.
• Demonstrate a breadth and maturity of professional and life experiences including in an international environment, with complex and multiple stakeholders and “on the ground” (i.e. away from the office).
• Be enthusiastic about travelling globally, including to challenging environments.
• Demonstrate excellent client-facing skills such as active listening, empathy and oral and written communication.
• Be an energetic self-starter who strives to find the right balance between independence and working closely with colleagues.
• Be highly organised, able to prioritise effectively and enjoy working under pressure in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.  A positive, attitude, alongside a willingness to embrace a diversity of tasks and responsibilities is essential.
• Be committed to quality and with excellent attention to detail – you will be someone who takes pride in their work and enjoys coaching colleagues to meet your high standards.
• Be educated to post-graduate level in a relevant field, or the ability to demonstrate an equivalent level of subject-matter knowledge and critical research and analysis.
• Have around five years’ professional experience in corporate sustainability and/or international development.
• Have a high level of computer literacy in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel and PowerPoint) and a proven ability to use Excel to analyse and summarise complex data.
• Be fluent in English and Spanish. Fluency in French and/or Portuguese is not essential but would be a major advantage.

How to apply

This role is envisaged as a full-time, permanent position. However, for an exceptional candidate there may be scope to negotiate this. We seek to be an inclusive employer and welcome applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds, including those who may have had time away from work for any reason (returners).

 If you are interested in being considered for a role at Kumi, please send your CV and a cover letter (both in English) to recruitment@kumi.consulting with the email subject heading “Senior Consultant application, Latin America”.

Your cover letter is a critical part of your application and will be a key factor in our initial shortlisting of candidates. Please include the following information in your cover letter:  

• Why you are applying for this role at Kumi, highlighting what it is about Kumi specifically that interests you.  
• What you believe to be the key attributes and expertise (based on your experience, qualifications, and general approach to your work) that you would bring to Kumi, should you be appointed. 
• A concise description (max. 300 words) of what you see as key factors that drive businesses to adopt responsible sourcing practices in their supply chains.   
• Confirmation of your preferred working location and that you are eligible to live and work there.  Kumi does not ordinarily support a visa application.   

Please keep your cover letter to no more than two sides and submit both your CV and cover letter with the filenames in the format: “[forename] [surname] – CV” and “[forename] [surname] – cover letter”.