Call for Talent- National Consultant-Shock Responsive Social Protection (SRSP)

The Poverty and Social Protection team at Oxford Policy Management is seeking a National Consultant for Shock Responsive Social Protection (SRSP) on a fixed-term basis, contingent on the successful outcome of a bid for an upcoming project. The project is expected to last 9 months approximately.

The position would be located in Malaysia.

We are an international development consultancy working to improve lives through sustainable policy change in low- and middle-income countries. Our vision is for fair public policy that benefits both people and the planet.

Through our global network of offices, we work in partnership with national stakeholders and decision makers to research, design, implement, and evaluate impactful public policy. We draw on our local and international sector experts to provide the very best evidence-based support. We deliver projects with expert knowledge and experience and can be relied upon for excellence in all aspects of project delivery. We work collaboratively, with ambition, to help deliver impactful public policy that will bring about lasting change.

The National Consultant will support the assessment and strengthening of Malaysia’s social protection system toward a more adaptive and shock-responsive framework, aligned with the forthcoming National Social Protection Policy (NSPP), the MADANI vision, and the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The consultant will contribute to addressing fragmentation, improving coordination, and enhancing the system’s capacity to respond to covariate shocks including climate, economic, and health crises.

• onduct analysis of Malaysia’s social protection system, identifying gaps in coverage, adequacy, and coordination.
• Assess the system’s capacity for shock-responsive social protection (SRSP), including scalability and adaptability to shocks (climate, economic, and health).
• Provide technical inputs to strengthen integration of SRSP into the National Social Protection Policy (NSPP) and its Action Plan.
• Support data analysis and evidence generation to inform policy recommendations.
• Engage with stakeholders through consultations, interviews, and field visits to validate findings.
• Contribute to policy recommendations to improve system integration, inclusion, and sustainability.
• Prepare concise technical reports, briefs, and inputs for project deliverables.
• Collaborate with the project team, providing local context and coordination support.

• Advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in economics, public policy, social policy, international development, or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years of relevant experience in social protection research, analysis, or programme design, preferably in Malaysia.
• Demonstrated experience in data analysis and evidence-based policy development.
• Knowledge of shock-responsive social protection, Disaster Risk Management, or Climate Change Adaptation is an asset.
• Experience in stakeholder engagement, including conducting consultations, interviews, and fieldwork.
• Strong understanding of Malaysia’s social protection landscape and institutional context.
• Excellent communication skills, with fluency in Bahasa Malaysia and English (written and spoken).

Whether you join us in a corporate position, as a project delivery colleague, or as an independent contractor driving programme management - at OPM you will find a company that places equal value on excellence and integrity. As a leading international development consulting firm, we strive to enable and empower everyone who works with us to do their best work in an environment that welcomes ambition, creativity and passion for positive change.

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion

We strongly believe in a fairer distribution of power between all stakeholders, and we commit to reflecting this in our organisational structures and in the design and delivery of our projects. We proactively work to evolve ourselves and our stakeholders to shape inclusive and fair programming, implementation, and policies. Our recruitment and procurement processes reflect our ambition to make the international development sector more diverse and inclusive.

If you share our vision for fair public policy that benefits both people and planet, we would love to hear from you. Please submit your application through our careers’ site by the closing date .  We review and interview applicants on a rolling basis and encourage you to apply by way of CV via our careers site at the earliest.