MEST Incubator Program at Meltwater

Location: Accra - Ghana and Lagos
Duration: 3 Month and 1 year Posts
Start Date: January 2018, March 2018 and April 2018

Software Startups in Africa

• MEST is looking for incubator fellows for 3 month and 1 year assignments supporting software startups in Accra, Ghana or Lagos, Nigeria.
• At MEST, we are always looking for incredible talent. We have positions available both at the training program and the incubator based on the candidate’s interest and strengths.

The Why

• Established in Ghana in 2008, MEST offers aspiring African entrepreneurs a fully sponsored twelve month, intensive full-time program.
• Sourced from top graduates in Ghana, Nigeria & Kenya, 30+ of these Entrepreneurs-In-Training (EITs) are selected each year and receive comprehensive training across the spectrum of skills required to build successful tech businesses, including computer programming, software development, product management, finance, marketing, sales and leadership best practices.
• After completion of the program, the EITs have the opportunity to pitch a concept. Winning teams receive a seed round from the MEST incubator to pursue their idea.

Here’s What You’ll be Working On
Incubator Sales Fellow:

• Work closely with 3 to 5 assigned portfolio companies to scope and prioritize projects, understand user needs, and translate them into effective sales methodologies.
• Coach these companies on sales methods and how to do what­ when?
• Work together with these companies to create an overall sales pipelines for these companies and reduce inefficiencies in the sales cycle.
• Understand customer success and translate into effective product/service
• Feedback.
• On an incubator level, create a sales/customer framework which will
• Grow.
• Liaise between company and incubator management.This will include
• Make sure that reports and KPIs are reported accurately and on time

Incubator Tech Fellow:

• Work hands­ on with incubator companies which may require additional technical support. This may involve driving development activities and training team members.
• Offer technical advice to incubator companies,which may include recommendations regarding frameworks and libraries, suggestions on how to solve a particular problem or simply helping out to debug an issue.
• Designing optimal interfaces with principles of user experience.
• Recommend and implement good software engineering practices,which may
• include setting up version control, automated build systems, IDE's, bug tracking and suggesting code conventions.
• Assist teams in creating technical road maps and prioritizing tasks.
• Assist with technical hiring and developer recruitment.
• Resolve support requests and handle system administration tasks for the computer network in the incubator.
• Teach occasional classes and conduct workshops related to various technologies.

Incubator Fellow (Lead):

• Work closely with 3 to 5 assigned portfolio companies to scope and prioritize projects, understand user needs, and translate them into requirements. This is a hands-­on role where you’ll be expected to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty.
• Lead analysis of core metrics and KPIs including user engagement and retention.
• Advise the team in other areas of business growth as needed (eg.user acquisition, recruitment) and connect them to resources that help them achieve their goals.
• Liaise between company and incubator management.This will include making sure that reports and KPIs are reported accurately and on time.

The Role
At the Incubator Program, both in Accra and Lagos, we are looking for candidates who are:

• Experienced: You have at least 2-4 years experience in an operational role at technology startups, or a consulting background. You can quantify your success in helping teams build and sell products people love.
• Entrepreneurial: You have strong user acquisition instincts and can help a team market what they’ve built. You’re a born hustler who thrives in uncertain environments, with the grit to do whatever it takes to make an early stage team successful.
• Articulate: You’re able to communicate clearly and convincingly with different stakeholders, including portfolio founders, MEST management, potential hires, and investors.
• Candidates who have tech/investment backgrounds have an added bonus!

Skills & Requirements

• Agile software development and project management
• Understands modern web development with regard to frameworks, design and servers.
• Understand analysis of core metrics and KPIs including user engagement and retention to help companies grow.
• Advise the team in other areas of business growth as needed (eg. user acquisition, recruitment) and connect them to resources that help them achieve their goals.
• Being able to coach these companies on sales methods and how to do what - when?
• Work together with these companies to create an overall sales pipelines for these companies and reduce inefficiencies in the sales cycle.
• Understand customer success and translate into effective product/service feedback.

Nice to have:
While not strictly required, we’d be particularly excited if you:

• Have an enviable rolodex of warm relationships at numerous companies
• Are familiar with or have a very active interest in how technology entrepreneurship is evolving in Africa or other fast moving emerging markets.
• Have a background in product management, digital marketing or sales
• Have experience in the following spaces: consumer mobile apps, ecommerce platforms, agriculture

We are Offering

• A monthly stipend of $1000.
• 2 round-trip economy class tickets each year to and from your home country.
• Private room in large corporate housing with other staff members within walking distance to campus,
• 3 meals a day at our on-site, campus cafeteria.
• Local clinic and global emergency health insurance coverage.
• Additionally, you’ll have the opportunity to develop personal relationships with the large pipeline of business leaders from all over the world who visit MEST for knowledge-sharing and networking.
• Former guests include executives from Uber, Spotify, Google, and senior members of governments from all over the world.
• You’ll have direct access to all guests and deepen your personal and professional network while gaining international work experience with a truly global team of colleagues.