Entrepreneurship Development Manager

Role Overview

The Entrepreneurship Development Manager will be instrumental in nurturing and expanding the entrepreneurial ecosystem within the country market. This dynamic role offers a unique opportunity to drive both operational excellence and strategic vision as a core member of a City Team. The Manager will report directly to the City General Manager for day-to-day operational leadership and program implementation, while also maintaining a strategic reporting line to the Entrepreneurship Director to ensure alignment with our global entrepreneurial efforts, in particular with our flagship ALX Ventures program. In this capacity, the Manager will integrate practices and perspectives from both city-specific and global contexts to advance our collective mission.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary champion for entrepreneurship within the country market, innovating and executing strategies to foster entrepreneurial initiatives within the ALX community
• Host monthly in-person fireside chats with local entrepreneurs and investors to bolster community engagement
• Organize and oversee quarterly in-person events, such as demo day and product launch events at ALX Tech Hubs to highlight promising startups from our Incubator and Accelerator programs to the local investment community
• Manage and execute weekly entrepreneurship-related events, such as pitch competitions, hackathons, meetups and networking events, enhancing our brand’s local presence
• Ensure high levels of compliance for self-reporting and quarterly updates by entrepreneurs, maintaining a high standard of accountability and progress tracking
• Position ALX Ventures prominently within the local ecosystem as the premier hub for innovative startups and entrepreneurs, including securing recognitions, awards and grants where eligible
• Supervise and mentor community-led entrepreneurial initiatives, ensuring they are in line with our global strategy
• Engage in planning activities and retrospective assessment to foster continuous learning and improvement of our programs

Program Specific Duties

Founder Academy

• Direct recruitment and enrollment efforts, collaborating with the central team to meet and exceed local market targets
• Facilitate a smooth registration and onboarding process for new entrants, offering weekly office hours for ongoing support
• Deliver constructive feedback on submissions, fostering a culture of excellence and growth

Incubator Program

• Work closely with the ALX Ventures Incubator Lead to deliver a market-specific, quarterly Incubator program
• Screen and select potential candidates from Founder Academy graduates for the Incubator program, offering both virtual and in-person facilitation sessions
• Launch and oversee an in-person Entrepreneur-in-Residence program, enhancing mentorship and support for incubated startups

Accelerator Program

• Work closely with the ALX Accelerator Lead to deliver a market-specific, quarterly accelerator program.
• Facilitate connections for startups, such as intern placements, and identify growth opportunities
• Engage with local investment communities to support our startups and select contenders for local pitch events and an annual pan-African ALX Ventures competition.

Requirements

• A minimum of 5 years’ experience in entrepreneurship operations, team management, program and project management.
• A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in any field (Master’s degree advantaged).
• Proven track record in a startup environment, with hands-on experience scaling ventures from inception
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills, both verbal and written, with an emphasis on clarity and engagement
• Detail-oriented with strong organizational and relationship-building abilities, with track record of maintaining an ongoing level of engagement with stakeholders at all levels
• Strong project management skills, capable of leading initiatives from concept to fruition
• Innate problem-solving skills, strategic thinking, and a self-starter mentality
• Flexible and adaptable, with the capacity to thrive in a dynamic and evolving environment
• Capable of learning from experiences and applying this knowledge to future challenges
• Experience with remote team management across multiple time zones and exposure to international experiences
• Previous entrepreneurial experience or teaching in the field highly desirable
• Lead fundraising initiatives to secure financial support from donors, sponsors, and other funding sources for entrepreneurship programs.
• Develop and maintain strategic partnerships with investors, corporates, and industry stakeholders to enhance program impact and reach.
• Drive ecosystem development by fostering collaboration among key players, including startups, investors, accelerators, and government institutions.

This role is a non-people manager role. The successful candidate must be based in Kigali, Rwanda, and possess a valid work permit authorizing employment within the Republic of Rwanda.

Skills Required:

• Any / Field