Business Manager at Founders Factory Africa (FFA)

Role Overview

• We’re looking for a Business Manager, based in Nairobi, that will work closely with our CEO and the leadership team. As a Business Manager, you will play a critical role in driving the business strategic initiatives, supporting day-to-day operations, and ensuring smooth coordination between various teams and stakeholders.
• This position requires a highly organised and proactive individual with strong business acumen, strategic thinking, and excellent communication skills. The Business Manager will be responsible for coordinating various activities, managing projects, and ensuring the smooth running of the executive. This is a key position that requires the ability to multitask, prioritize tasks, and collaborate effectively with different teams and stakeholders.
• The incumbent is required to be a results-driven individual with a passion for venture capital and a strong business acumen. Projects you will be tasked with, amongst others, will include developing strategies and the re-engineering of business processes to improve overall efficiency and results. The Business Manager manages all phases of the project life cycle, from project initiation through implementation. To support, manage, oversee, and enable the organisation's projects, programs, and structured work efforts through various methods and practices around the business. To improve the overall Project Management Office maturity, and to track and report the conformance to plans and expectations
• An effective Business Manager will understand needs, challenges, and requirements and execute proactively. The incumbent must maintain a high degree of confidentiality and integrity. Our environment is fast-paced, so the ideal candidate should be able to embrace the pace and learn to work with some level of ambiguity, maintaining momentum over perfection. 

Responsibilities

• Support the CEO in executing the strategic vision and objectives of the company
• Coordinate and facilitate communication between different teams, ensuring alignment and efficient collaboration.
• Conduct research and analysis to provide insights on market trends, industry dynamics, and competitive landscape.
• Prepare reports, presentations, and other materials for internal and external stakeholders.
• Support in the development and implementation of operational processes and policies.
• Manage key projects, monitor progress, and ensure timely completion of deliverables.
• Track and manage action items, follow-ups, and deadlines arising from meetings.
• Handle confidential and sensitive information with utmost discretion and professionalism.
• Manage internal /operational/strategic projects that need to be driven by the Executive's office, or that encompass multiple departments or all staff 
• Cultivate a keen interest in industry and market trends and active relationship-building with investors, partners, potential investees and portfolio companies 
• Support in ensuring risks, issues, and dependencies are being recorded, monitored, and proactively managed to minimise disruption to successful delivery
• Preparing briefs for meetings and all forms of engagement by the CEO and providing necessary cover where required, including the actioning of matters arising
• Ensure the CEO knows timelines and deliverables, as well as review and quality, check these deliverables
• Sit in/Attend Investment Committee/Quarterly Board meetings to remain in tune with stakeholder needs, developments, targets, and concerns 
• Through introduction with the CEO, establish and foster partner relationships and progress promising opportunities through events/networking, continued follow-up, providing value-added contributions to the discussions, and facilitating brainstorms and discovery sessions

Requires skills/experience

• Bachelor’s Degree with at least 3 years of experience in innovation, investment analysis, finance, strategy or business administration
• Ability to prioritise and handle multiple tasks simultaneously in time-critical situations
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to synthesise complex information
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present ideas clearly and concisely
• Ability to meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment and operate with a sense of urgency
• Excellent decision-making, organisational, and planning skills
• Strong interpersonal skills with proficiency in G-suite
• High level of discretion with integrity
• Immaculate organisational, project management, and time management skills
• Experience solving complex challenges across complex environments
• Knowledge, enthusiasm, and interest in technology and start-ups
• Eager to learn