MBA Associate 2026 - Corporate Development (Operations & Strategy)

MBA Associate 2026 
CrossBoundary Advisory 
 
About CrossBoundary Advisory

CrossBoundary Advisory, part of CrossBoundary Group, is a leading investment advisor focused on unlocking private capital in underserved markets. We have advised on US$12+ billion of closed transactions across agriculture, health, education, manufacturing, ICT, infrastructure, and clean power. Our clients include governments, development finance institutions, foundations, private equity firms, corporates, and research institutions. With 180+ professionals in 20+ offices across Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East & North Africa, Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe, and Latin America & the Caribbean, we combine local presence with global expertise to structure bankable transactions and scalable programs. Learn more at www.crossboundary.com/advisory  

Who We Are  

The CrossBoundary team is a unique group made up of people who are genuinely excited by the opportunity to make a difference in some of the most challenging yet exciting markets in the world. Team members come from diverse backgrounds but share a number of qualities: curiosity, humility, integrity, a drive for excellence, and a bias for action.   

What You’ll do  

CrossBoundary’s Corporate Development team is hiring an MBA associate based in Washington DC. The Corporate Development team supports CrossBoundary Advisory’s internal strategic growth, which includes workstreams in operational efficiency, knowledge management, global business development, and program management. Experience in management consulting, international development, corporate strategy, or data/ knowledge management is preferred. 
As an MBA Associate in the Operations and Strategy workstream, you will own projects which will include designing, developing and presenting in-depth and thoughtful analysis, new processes, and trainings, for senior leadership. In the past, these projects have included launching new functionalities in our CRM, analyzing our pricing, creating deliverable templates, creating a project management toolkit and conducting desk research on the international development industry funding activity and indicators. These projects will aim to grow the business and improve the efficiency of our project execution in our markets. The Operations and Strategy side of the Corporate Development team does not do transactions nor any other client-facing strategy work, our audience is primarily internal senior leadership.  

You will be expected to conduct internal and external quantitative and qualitative analysis resulting in synthesized recommendations, new insights, and trainings in MS PowerPoint and Excel. The candidate is expected to be very comfortable conducting data analysis in Excel and in creating well-formatted PowerPoint slide decks. As part of the role, you will be expected to work alongside other team members to deeply understand our business model and our industry, analyze data to make data-driven decisions, and create concise training and template materials.  

MBA Associate positions begin in early June and continue until early August, with some flexibility. This is a 12-week commitment, and in-person office time is mandatory 3-4 times a week. 

Primary Responsibilities 

• Leading internal strategic projects by: 
  • Analyzing data and creating visualizations to show trends and insights, such as CrossBoundary’s opportunity sourcing trends, pricing strategy, and funding intelligence  
  • Providing training to senior leaders and team members on topics including proposal best practices, leveraging new tools, etc.  
  • Analyzing inefficiencies in current systems and proposing solutions; then leading new process right from senior leadership buy-in to final launch, such as a new model for better incentivizing collaboration on new contracts; or creating a more efficient staffing entry system 
• Assist in data strategy and knowledge management maintenance by: 
  • Co-ordinating with internal experts to find relevant materials and sources 
  • Creating how-to guides for relevant topics such as engaging with specific clients & their policies, using tools, and navigating other internal operational updates   
  • Working with IT team to leverage AI capabilities 

• 4+ years in top tier banking, consulting, private equity, or similar 
• Current MBA or MA candidate 
• Self-starter who is passionate about creating lasting change in underserved markets 
• Excellent analytical ability and discipline; ability to think clearly, structure problems logically, and then design and implement solutions that focus on the core issues 
• Ability to build strong relationships with partners and colleagues in challenging environments 
• Exceptional presentation skills and ability to communicate clearly and effectively with diverse audiences 
• Demonstrated leadership skills; preferably in fast-moving and entrepreneurial environments 
• Deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities businesses face in frontier markets, as well as the macro-economic trends that impact them 
• Willing to take on new types of work, even without prior experience or direct supervision 
• Comfortable with ambiguity; able to operate effectively in a changing context 
• Humble 

Think you have what it takes but not sure you check every box? Research shows that while men apply to roles when they meet an average of 60% of the criteria, women often only apply when they meet every requirement. If you're passionate about what we're building, we want to hear from you!  
Equal Opportunity Employer  

CrossBoundary is an equal opportunity employer. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request to [email protected]

Application Process:

• Please submit only one application. In your application, you will have the opportunity to indicate your top 2nd and 3rd region or team preferences.   
• Applicants who are shortlisted for interviews will be notified by mid-January 2026.