Business Support Lead, North Africa Entrepreneurs Academy
Cairo Roles in 54 Collective – Entrepreneur Academy / Full-time / Hybrid 54 Collective exists to create a thriving African startup economy that drives prosperity across Africa. We are venture builders dedicated to solving some of Africa’s biggest challenges and capitalising on its incredible potential by leveraging market and tech opportunities. We seek to build an ecosystem that supports authentic innovation and our goal is to be the best growth engine for entrepreneurs across Africa and beyond. We believe by supporting entrepreneurship and innovation, we will unlock employment opportunities and drive inclusive growth across the continent. Since 2019, we have supported 60+ African ventures with investment capital alongside hands-on support backed by 50+, full-time, experts covering engineering, product development, growth, corporate partnerships, and investment.
About the Entrepreneur Academy The Entrepreneur Academy is an initiative designed to make entrepreneurship accessible to all. Our work is focused on building the next generation of African entrepreneurs and sustainable businesses. We have three missions: (1) to create awareness of entrepreneurship as a possible pathway, (2) decentralise access to the knowledge and resources needed to succeed as entrepreneurs and (3) accelerate the journey of aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs. We achieve this through two programs: Explore and Business Support Accelerator.
About Business Support Business Support is a 12-week Accelerator Program designed to help new and early-stage businesses, in particular SMEs, grow further & faster in a sustainable way. We provide businesses with significant resources for growth including grant funding and fully funded technical assistance. But what makes our program really different is our business coaches; experienced entrepreneurs in their own right, industry experts with subject matter expertise that are there to hold our entrepreneurs hands, help them strategize, execute plans and keep them accountable to their growth goals.
About the Role As the Business Support Lead, you will be at the forefront of building and managing the Business Support Accelerator in the Northern African region, starting in Egypt. The incumbent will be responsible for researching, designing, developing, and managing the business support strategy and the entrepreneur experience during the program. This involves ensuring that all the sourcing and selecting businesses, understanding the needs of the entrepreneurs matching successful businesses with coaches or experts who can help them grow their business.
This is a full-time position based in Egypt. We operate a hybrid model where you will be required to be in the office at least 3 times a week.
ResponsibilitiesProgram Development: Collaborate with relevant stakeholders to design, develop, and refine the program design and curriculum, resources, and support structures to ensure success for participants.
Sourcing & Selection: Identify and attract businesses to apply to the program through PR, marketing, communications and key partnerships. Manage the end-to-end application and selection process considering their potential, market viability, and alignment with our objectives.
Program Delivery: own the overall responsibility for the successful execution of the program, delivering the best possible experience for all stakeholders and following best practices.
Program Technical Support: Conduct regular assessments of businesses and work with coaches to provide strategic guidance, pivoting strategies and technical expertise to program participants, helping them navigate challenges, refine their solutions, and develop successful business strategies.
Progress Tracking & Reporting: Monitor the progress and performance of the program and participating businesses against defined KPIS. Prepare reports, metrics, and updates on program outcomes and impact for internal and external stakeholders.
Resource Management: Source and manage required program resources such as coaches, mentors and business experts as required by our portfolio businesses, for your respective region.
Budget Management: Develop and manage the budget for your respective region.
Ecosystem Development: Actively engaging with the local and regional business community, attending relevant events, and promoting the Business Support program and wider Entrepreneur Academy initiatives.
Networking: Build and maintain strong relationships with industry experts, investors, and potential partners to facilitate connections and collaborations opportunities for program participants.
Person Specification Minimum 5 years experience in project or program management, preferably in technology innovation or business acceleration programs. Proven track record of overseeing end-to-end operations for the successful roll-out of programs/projects. Strong preference for candidates that have built their own businesses, built products from the ground-up or have experience supporting businesses. Experience operating at both strategy development and tactical execution. An understanding of the North African entrepreneurship ecosystem with previous experience planning and executing entrepreneurship programs In-depth understanding of the African entrepreneurship ecosystem and founder realities in key markets. Strong understanding of SMEs and the unique challenges faced by them Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills. Must be detail-oriented and possess excellent organisational and analytical skills with the ability to multitask, prioritise, complete work accurately, meet deadlines, and follow through. Excellent written/verbal communication skills. Ability to communicate effectively across different levels, with local and international teams and stakeholders. Ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative team. Demonstrated leadership and networking abilities Strategic thinking and problem-solving skills. Demonstrate a proactive approach to problem-solving. Ability to work independently, entrepreneurially, and innovatively. Ability to travel for long periods of time when required e.g. 2-4 weeks.
