Incubation Program Manager (Female) at Ventures Platform

Job Description

• Ventures Platform Foundation (VPF) in conjunction with the Digital Development Unit of the World Bank with support from the Rockefeller Foundation has launched a Click-On Kaduna Digital Entrepreneurship Program in Kaduna State, Nigeria.
• The initiative aims to help increase employment for disadvantaged youth and women in Kaduna by catalyzing the use of information and communication technology (ICT) for the creation of economic opportunities.
• The ICT sector in Kaduna State is nascent yet vibrant with strong support from the Government. A core component of the Kaduna State Development Plan (KSDP) 2016-2020 is to position Kaduna as a destination for business investment to create jobs, especially among young people. ICT related industries such as mobile and web application development and computer assembly are considered one of the seven areas with significant potential for driving regional economic growth and job creation. Fostering social and economic inclusion of women is also considered crucial for achieving these objectives.
• In partnership with the World Bank and the Kaduna State Government, Ventures Platform Foundation (VPF) will implement a digital entrepreneurship program that will provide training and mentorship to technology startup teams in Kaduna on cutting-edge digital entrepreneurship skills and lean startup methodologies.
• It will also aim to help build a foundation for a vibrant tech community in Kaduna. Emphasis will be placed on supporting female-led startups and teams that include female team members.
• The VPF Team is looking to hire a Female Incubation Program Manager who, will be responsible for managing the operations, planning and development of startups under the program. This position requires a person who is a team player with leadership qualities, excellent marketing skills, a professional and positive attitude, highly organized, and dependable.
• The Click-On Kaduna Digital Entrepreneurship Program will run for 6 months and will train 180 participants, 30% of whom are women.

Description of Responsibilities
Our ideal candidate will support the VPF team in implementing a women’s only digital entrepreneurship training program. Specific responsibilities include:

• Conducting a series of awareness and outreach sessions in Kaduna State on topics of digital entrepreneurship;
• Advising Kaduna-based partners on how to implement similar training programs;
• Coordinating the day-to-day logistics for the women’s only incubation program;
• Developing and managing learning modules and curricula with an emphasis on topics related to launching technology-led startups;
• Managing relationships between program participants and coaches, mentors, stakeholders, and investors;
• Liaising with investors, tech enthusiasts, and other stakeholders including forging partnerships with other organizations for the provision of services for participants;
• Executing activities associated with an incubation program including: selection of program participants, implementing the learning modules, mentorship matchmaking, and organizing a Demo Day;
• Establishing a network of mentors and managing their interactions with program participants; and
• Building and maintaining a strong rapport between the business community, government, and the program.

Work Schedule:

• The anticipated duration of the contract is 7 months, starting September 24th, 2018.
• The candidate will work for VPF on a full-time basis and be based in Kaduna with availability to travel outside Kaduna.
• The candidate will work out of the VPF designated office in Kaduna State.
• Regular office hours are 8am to 5.00pm from Monday to Fridays.
• The candidate is responsible for using his/her own laptop.
• VPF will reimburse the candidate for out-of-pocket expenses associated with official travel outside Kaduna, by paying an amount equivalent to the daily subsistence allowance that would be paid to staff members undertaking similar travel for official purposes.

Payment Schedule:

• Payments by VPF are delivery-based (milestones achieved). Any deliverable not meeting the required indicators/specification will have to be reworked and resubmitted at no additional cost to VPF.
• The proposed payment schedule for this assignment is monthly payment upon submission of progress reports on completed tasks, outlined against planned outputs. Based on the report and satisfactory performance, payments will be certified by the supervisor.

Supervision:
The candidate will work under supervision of the VPF Team who will have frequent interactions with the candidate at various stages to provide briefings on:

• Program status;
• Agree on the modalities and clarify the deliverables;
• Provide feedback and comments on program expectations; and
• Track the progress made by the candidate.
• The supervisor will evaluate the consultant’s work and certify delivery of work.

Qualification
Education:

• At least a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (masters in a related field is desirable).

Experience:

• At least 5-7 years of experience in providing mentorship and training to startups and entrepreneurs;
• Experience in the design, implementation, and evaluation of social development programmes, including employment, gender, and entrepreneurship frameworks; and
• Experience interacting and collaborating with Government institutions, private sector, and NGOs.

Language:

• Excellent spoken and written English required. Fluency in Hausa is desirable.

Skills & Requirements
Corporate Competencies:

• Experience with mentoring, and training digital startups;
• Expertise in designing women’s entrepreneurship programming;
• Expertise on business incubation and acceleration methodologies;
• Knowledge and expertise of the technology ecosystem in Nigeria;
• Familiarity with Northern Nigerian culture and experience with the Kaduna ecosystem is desired;
• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the VPF values and ethical standards.
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of VPF.
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality, age sensitivity, and adaptability;
• Treats all people fairly without favoritism;
• Fulfills all obligations to gender sensitivity with a zero tolerance for sexual harassment;

Functional Competencies:

• Strong leadership, written and oral communication, and interpersonal skills;
• Excellent organizational skills;
• Ability to perform under pressure and in a politically sensitive environment;
• Comfortable presenting to large groups;
• Motivated and able to work independently _and _collaboratively in a team environment and with external partners;
• Expertise in implementing gender sensitive and socially inclusive programs.
• Ability to assess the effectiveness and sustainability of programme structure and implementation modalities; and
• Demonstrated analytical capacity including data collection and analysis, and synthesizing information into clear, concise reports;

Note

• Please include at least 2 references in your Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Application is open to the public except applicants under the following category:
  • Government officials;
  • Candidates linked to the project design; and
  • Relatives of participating entities.
• Female candidates are greatly encouraged to apply