At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the creation of an intelligence platform integrating HUMINT and OSINT for strategic insights.
- Company: Dynamic firm focused on African political and economic intelligence.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, growth opportunities, and a diverse team environment.
- Other info: Join a mission-driven team dedicated to ethical practices and impactful work.
- Why this job: Shape critical insights that drive executive decision-making in a unique role.
- Qualifications: 10+ years in corporate intelligence with strong analytical and leadership skills.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
Contract: Full-time; two years fixed term, renewable
Remuneration: Competitive, based on experience and competence
Location: London, UK
About the role
As the Intelligence Systems Lead, you will create an intelligence platform that integrates our HUMINT network as a critical source of primary insights, complementing our existing data and open-source intelligence (OSINT) capabilities. You will play a pivotal role in shaping our understanding of complex stakeholder relationships, political dynamics, and emerging trends, providing our clients with a unique competitive advantage. This position requires a unique blend of strategic thinking, operational expertise, strong interpersonal skills, and a deep understanding of the African context. You will be responsible for integrating our HUMINT network insights with our existing and expanding OSINT system, creating a unified and powerful intelligence platform that is optimised for executive decision-making. This will include developing our internal capability and overseeing the delivery of the highest quality insights and analysis to clients.
Key responsibilities
- Design and implement a robust intelligence platform across key African countries combining our growing HUMINT, OSINT and data capabilities.
- Establish clear protocols for source and knowledge management in the intelligence platform, ensuring ethical and legal compliance.
- Manage and empower the existing insights team to contribute to these activities proactively and in a coordinated and accountable manner.
- Ensure compliance with all relevant legal and ethical standards, including data privacy regulations and human rights principles.
- Develop and deliver training programs for team members on knowledge management, integrity, security protocols, and ethical considerations.
HUMINT/OSINT integration
- Develop and implement strategies for integrating HUMINT and OSINT data to create a holistic intelligence picture.
- Identify opportunities to leverage OSINT to validate and enrich HUMINT, and vice versa.
- Work with the engineering team to ensure seamless data flow and analysis across both HUMINT and OSINT sources.
- Hold accountability for the quality of all data created, used, or managed by the consulting team.
- Identify and investigate data quality issues, working to resolve them promptly and effectively.
- Develop and implement data cleansing and correction procedures, as needed.
- Proactively identify potential data quality risks and develop mitigation strategies.
- Document data quality issues, resolutions, and processes.
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date documentation of data sources, definitions, and processes relevant to your team.
- Ensure that metadata is properly captured and maintained for all key data assets.
- Contribute to the development and maintenance of the firm's data catalogue.
What we are looking for
Experience
- Minimum 10 years of professional experience in corporate intelligence, forensics, or strategic analysis, with a deep understanding of African political, economic, and stakeholder dynamics.
- Proven track record acting as a "bridge" or Product Owner between intelligence analysts and technical teams (Data Engineers / Data Scientists) to build, refine, or optimise internal analytical platforms.
- Experience designing information workflows, specifically turning unstructured text (e.g., HUMINT field reports, OSINT articles, transcripts) into structured, queryable data models.
- Demonstrated experience leading data-quality initiatives, including designing protocols for manual data cleaning, data annotation, and establishing "ground truth" benchmarks for analytical systems.
Technical skills
- Deep conceptual understanding of how to build data taxonomies, ontologies, and entity-relationship maps so that messy human data can be systematically ingested by a pipeline.
- Strong theoretical grasp of Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Text Mining.
- While programming (Python/SQL) is not required, you must speak the language of Data Scientists fluently enough to guide pipeline logic and define extraction rules.
- Ability to direct and train an intelligence team on how to clean, tag, and format data manually before it feeds into the ingestion pipeline, ensuring data integrity at the source.
- Experience defining user requirements, mapping analyst workflows, and conducting User Acceptance Testing (UAT) to ensure that the data team’s outputs are presented in an intuitive, actionable interface for executive decision-making.
Other experience
- Deep familiarity with the political and business cultures of at least two major African sub-regions (e.g., West Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa).
- Native or professional fluency in English is required; French, Portuguese, Arabic, or major languages local to key geographies (e.g., Swahili, Hausa) are highly desirable.
- A flawless track record of operating within ethical and legal boundaries in challenging environments.
What we offer
- Competitive remuneration.
- Immediate opportunities for growth.
- Collaboration with a diverse and experienced team of colleagues.
- We are dedicated to building an inclusive, diverse and authentic workplace.
Intelligence Systems Lead employer: Africa Practice
As an employer, we pride ourselves on fostering a collaborative and inclusive work culture that values diversity and encourages professional growth. Located in the vibrant city of London, our team benefits from immediate opportunities for advancement while working alongside experienced colleagues dedicated to delivering high-quality insights. Join us to play a pivotal role in shaping intelligence solutions that provide our clients with a competitive edge in understanding complex dynamics across Africa.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Intelligence Systems Lead
✨Dive Into Corporate Strategy Communities
Get yourself involved in online communities or forums focused on corporate strategy. Places like LinkedIn groups or specific Slack channels can hook you up with industry insights, trends, and many potential job leads. Don't hesitate to share your thoughts or ask questions; it’ll boost your visibility!
✨Attend Industry Conferences and Events
Keep an eye out for corporate strategy conferences or networking events in your area (or online!). These gatherings are gold mines for meeting hiring managers and making impactful connections. Plus, having a few good conversations can lead to job referrals at companies like Africa Practice!
✨Showcase Your Strategy Skills
Create content that showcases your knowledge of corporate strategy—think reports, blogs, or even video discussions. Sharing these on platforms like LinkedIn or Medium can demonstrate your expertise and make you stand out to employers looking for fresh talent.
✨Apply Directly Through Our Website
Don’t forget to apply for the Intelligence Systems Lead position at Africa Practice via our website! This shows your genuine interest, and who knows, you might just land that interview in a matter of days. Keep your application focused on how you can add value to their strategy team.
We think you need these skills to ace Intelligence Systems Lead
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Us Your Strategic Thinking:When crafting your CV and cover letter, highlight your strategic analysis skills. Focus on past experiences where you've effectively assessed market trends or made impactful recommendations. Evidence-based achievements, like improving processes or contributing to significant projects, will help us see your potential for driving corporate strategy at Africa Practice.
Tailor Your Narrative:Don’t just send us a generic application! Personalise your cover letter by connecting your experiences and aspirations to Africa Practice’s mission and goals. We love seeing candidates who genuinely understand what we do; share how your vision aligns with ours and what you can bring to the table.
Highlight Relevant Academic Credentials:In your CV, make sure to showcase your academic background, especially if you have qualifications in business, economics, or analytics. We appreciate candidates who can back up their skills with relevant degrees or certifications, so don’t be shy about flaunting those achievements!
Utilise Professional Language:While we want you to be yourself, remember that corporate strategy roles demand a level of professionalism in communication. Use clear and concise language in your application materials, ensuring that your ideas come across as well-structured and sophisticated. It’s all about making a great impression right from the written application stage!
How to prepare for a job interview at Africa Practice
✨Master the Numbers
Corporate strategy often involves data analysis and financial forecasting. Brush up on your quantitative skills, and be prepared to handle case studies or numerical problems during the interview. We might get questions about how to approach market trends or assess the performance of a hypothetical company — so practice these scenarios!
✨Know Your Frameworks
Familiarity with strategic frameworks like SWOT, PESTLE, or Porter’s Five Forces can set you apart. We should be ready to discuss how we’d apply these tools to real-world business situations — maybe even relating them to Africa Practice. This shows we’re not just theory-happy but can articulate our practical application.
✨Engage in Strategic Conversations
In a full-time role like this, it’s crucial to show that we're engaged and informed about current trends in the industry. Keep up with major news and prepare to discuss how recent developments could impact strategic decisions at Africa Practice. This will demonstrate our passion and proactive approach to the field.
✨Showcase Relevant Experience
Whether through internships or projects, we should highlight any experience that relates to corporate strategy. Have specific examples ready to talk about how we’ve contributed to strategic growth or improvements. It's about showcasing our unique journey and how it will bring value to Africa Practice.
