UK-Kenya Tech Hub Operations Manager at British High Commission Nairobi

Main purpose of job:

This is an exciting opportunity to support the establishment and success of a new, innovative and high-profile Tech Hub in Kenya that will aim to develop the Kenyan tech ecosystem, deliver digital skills programmes, and drive partnership and collaboration within the technology ecosystem. We are looking for an organised and enthusiastic individual to provide a broad range of administrative, project management and communications support across the team. The hub will be one of four critical pillars of a new Prosperity Fund programme to drive greater digital access in countries like Kenya. New and innovative, the Prosperity Fund (PF) represents a step change in HMG’s approach to promoting economic development and prosperity overseas.

The PF was established under the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) with the primary aim of supporting growth in recipient countries and thereby reducing poverty. As such, it represents a key component of the prosperity pillar of the UK Aid Strategy. But the Fund uniquely focuses on promoting growth in ODA-eligible middle income countries, which are home to around 60% of the world’s poor and where the development challenges remain significant, but at the same time are important business partners and drivers of prosperity. By delivering high impact, strategic multi-year programmes, across high opportunity countries, regions and sectors, the Fund will help create opportunities for international business, including UK companies. As the UK leaves the EU, an even more outward-looking global Britain investing and trading with the fastest growing markets will become increasingly important.

The UK-Kenya Tech Hub will be one of the first in a global network of international tech partnerships developed by the UK government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to build digital ecosystems that will facilitate sustainable economic growth and development. They follow the example of successful hubs elsewhere in the world, such as the UK-Israel Hub in Tel Aviv.

The Hub will have three main aims:

• deliver tailored interventions to cultivate digital skills responding to the needs and opportunities for inclusion in the local tech sector. This could include, for example, promoting opportunities for youth and women in the local tech sector;
• support tech entrepreneurship through partnerships with local digital ecosystem stakeholders including incubators, accelerators and private sector firms, Kenyan government departments and agencies and non-profit organisations
• facilitate partnerships between local tech firms (including tech start-ups) and international companies (across all sectors) in the form of commercial partnerships or joint ventures

The successful applicant will play a key role in establishing processes for the UK-Kenya Tech Hub.

Roles and responsibilities

• Providing administrative, coordination, and project management of hub programmes;
• Developing relationships with local tech firms, startups and wider tech sector stakeholders, using these to support the delivery and development of new partnerships and programmes
• Support the Hub’s work by planning and executing high profile events: assume a key role in planning projects and events such as business delegations, conferences and receptions. Work with external suppliers to negotiate venue hire, hotel bookings, tech support, produce materials etc;
• Support on design and implementing the Hub’s policies by establishing and maintaining standards, systems and procedures;
• Lead work on all logistical and administrative components for the Hub’s activities;
• Preparing briefing materials and travel arrangements, and engagement opportunities for the Hub team to promote its work effectively
• Process payments and manage Hub’s procurement process and budget.

Resources managed:

The post holder will be based in Nairobi and will be part of a small team of locally-engaged staff, based within the British High Commission. The post holder will report to the UK-Kenya Tech Hub Director. The Tech Hub Network is funded as part of a cross-government, Prosperity-funded programme, so collaboration across departments will be a critical success factor in this role.