Program Associate, Africa at Village Capital

Candidate Profile

Village Capital is looking for a highly driven Program Associate to join our Africa team to play a key role in finding and supporting the best startups solving challenges in sub-Saharan Africa.

Here’s what we’re looking for:

• You thrive working in a fast-paced environment: Your role will be fast-paced and involve a number of highly detailed projects to be managed simultaneously. You are a multi-tasker with the ability to wear many hats in a fast-paced environment and you’re comfortable with multiple moving parts and supporting a highly organized machine.
• You are a self-starter and an insatiable learner. You stay ahead of sector and regional trends in entrepreneurship and early-stage investing. You learn fast and are able to work with little or no supervision.
• You are detail-oriented and professional. You hate typos, can easily manage deadlines and prioritize your time and take your own professional credibility and reputation seriously.

Role Overview

You will support the program from end to end, starting with initial market research and evaluation of seed-stage companies, to events management, marketing, and cultivation of an ecosystem of mentors and investors to support our cohort of entrepreneurs across the continent. You will report to the Program Manager at Village Capital, based in Kenya and will have three core responsibilities:

• Find and select the best entrepreneurs solving real-world problems in Sub-Saharan Africa
• You will support the team in sector research, company sourcing, application evaluation, due diligence interviews, and selection committee briefing..
• Program Operations Support
• You will manage and implement aspects of our investment readiness program including workshop logistics, communication with attendees within the duration of the programs, tech hosting for the virtual sessions, entrepreneur management and program support.
• You will personally develop relationships with the most promising entrepreneurs as a relationship leads on behalf of Village Capital.
• Network management
• You will help build a network of investors, customers, and industry experts to support these growing companies, working closely with each team to identify needs, make connections, and catalyse venture funding and support.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s or equivalent degree (i.e. BA, BComm, BTech, etc.)
• Minimum three years of program management experience and/or a successful track record in program or project management, especially in event planning and logistics.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication
• Interest in exploring a career in entrepreneurship, entrepreneur support, or early-stage investing.
• Fluency in Excel, PowerPoint, and other tools used in program management.
• High integrity and professionalism.
• Solution and customer service orientation
• Authorization to work in Kenya
• Open to possible travel and have a valid passport