Job Openings at Aga Khan University

Position Overview:

Reporting to the Director of the newly formed Innovation Centre, the Executive Officer will implement the Futures Project innovation agenda and manage innovation activities. The successful candidate will work with the Futures Project leadership to establish the Innovation Centre’s processes and manage innovators in the Residence Program and Centre training activities.

Funded by KfW, the Futures Project has two main aims:
To provide the knowledge and skills to bolster rural and community media outlets as well as medium sized and major media firms, and
To provide an intellectual and practical innovation hub, where a sustainability agenda for East Africa’s media can be imagined, tested and put into action.

In order to achieve these aims, the Futures Project involves two separate - but related - sub-projects: Formation of an Innovation Centre in Nairobi and establishment of Media Viability Network comprising partners from across the region.

The ideal candidate will be a self-starter, with outstanding communication skills and a proven capacity to foster and manage innovation in a complex setting

Reports to: The Director, Innovation Center, Graduate School of Media and Communications

Responsibilities

• Assist in preparing the annual work plan and budget;
• Manage the operation and maintenance of the Innovation Centre, including repairs, equipment, and supplies within budget guidelines
• Manage the preparation and filing of necessary reports, budgets, acquisition of government licenses and grant use reports as per the grant agreement with the donor
• Ensure that sub-grants are disbursed in a timely and efficient manner
• In consultation with stakeholders, develop and manage Innovation Centre accelerator services, including the Innovator in Residence Program and project grants program.
• Lead the client support activities of the Innovation Centre, including quality training programs, business advisory/mentoring, access to finance, access to information and access to policy;
• Convene events and a comprehensive suite of activities and informational sessions to support the centre activities and engage relevant stakeholders on issues relevant to media start-ups and innovation for media viability.
• Mentor innovators, other participants and staff.
• With support from the legal department, develop licenses/assignments and other commercialization agreements, to support the commercialization of innovation
• In consultation with relevant grant partners, develop collaboration agreements to support the innovation process, network activities and commercialization of innovation.
• Develop and maintain a rapport with clients, mentors, support staff, administration, project members, partner organizations and other stakeholders as needed to carry out job responsibilities in a professional manner.
• Provide clear guidance on matters relating to intellectual property and its management, as they arise and work closely with the legal department to ensure the best interests of all.
• Design and lead due diligence processes to assess the originality of innovation and its commercialisation potential
• Develop and expand opportunities for commercialisation and development of innovative products and services
• Working with the Centre director and other stakeholders, identify financiers to support incubation activities.
• Establish regular meetings and contacts with internal and external stakeholders to ensure seamless delivery across all aspects of the Futures Project.
• Liaise and set up meetings with Innovation Centre staff and the Project team to ensure that they are well supported and know where to go for support

Requirements

• A post-graduate qualification in business/technology/media innovation or related area.
• A minimum of five years administrative management experience preferably in an innovation hub
• Experience in and/or knowledge of the media and communications environment in the region
• Preference will be given to people with start-up experience.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
  Ability to lead the centre in state-of-the-art technology and emerging media practices
• Experience and/or education in relevant areas such as facilities management, planning, entrepreneurship, event management, volunteer management, use of social media, marketing
• Self-starter capable of identifying and assessing opportunities for commercialization and networking with academics and industries to realize those opportunities
• A strong network within the East African region.

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Position Overview:

Reporting to the Director, Innovation Center, the Research Associate will plan, coordinate and implement an agenda to support and shape the research activities for the Futures Project, which aims to promote innovation for media viability across the East African region.

Funded by KfW, and conducted in collaboration with the Duetsche Welle Akademie, this project involves formation of the Media Viability Network and an Innovation Centre to be located at Peponi Road in Westlands.

This position will be responsible for undertaking practical, transferrable research that will inform a media viability agenda for East Africa. Research activities will include designing and conducting a benchmark study and implementing a collaborative research agenda which will include action research and media monitoring activities.

The position will be based in the Innovation Centre and all research will be expected to contribute to the activities of both the Media Viability Network and the Innovation Centre.

This position calls for an innovative media scholar, committed to sharing knowledge in novel and impactful ways. All research activities must be undertaken in accordance with University strategy, policy and procedures and the funding agency requirements.

The position holder will also undertake independent and/or collaborative research and lead on aspects of research strategy within the Graduate School of Media and Communications.

Responsibilities

• To lead the production of high-quality research publications as required by the funding agency and for dissemination to the wider academic and media communities
• To lead and promote a collaborative research agenda across the Media Viability Network and Innovation Centre.
• Strengthen internal (across AKU and KfW project) and external research collaborations to ensure Project sustainability beyond the life of the grant.
• Actively develop appropriate external contacts and networks relevant for future collaboration and funding opportunities
• Extend, transform and apply knowledge acquired from research to promote media viability within the region. Where necessary, the position holder will be required to work with the University research office to patent any research outcome and the business development unit to commercialize the research product
• Initiate sponsored research proposals and establish collaborative research teams to attract external funding
• Working with the Director, Innovation Centre, develop new research directions for the school
• Develop new ideas for amplification of research outcomes.
• To contribute to the school teaching profile on Research units and media innovation.
• Provide research mentorship and support to graduate students enrolled in the MADJ and EMMLI programs.
• Act as a source of information and advice on methodologies and research procedures as well as act as a research mentor to other members of the Future Project team, including Innovators in Residence.
• Foster interest in high impact media viability research projects., internally and externally
• Working with the Grants Administrator contribute to writing research progress reports and help prepare progress report on research to the funding agency
• Ensure adherence to the University’s research policy
• Seek ethical clearance from the University’s Ethics Committee where necessary
• To take lead responsibility for resolving problems affecting the delivery of research projects and for planning and implementing future research projects that emerge from the current project
  To undertake any other duties relevant to the programme of research and the Futures Project.

Requirements

• A Master’s degree or a recently earned PhD in media/communication-related studies or law, art or science field. Candidates nearing completion of their doctoral dissertation may also be considered. Key areas of expertise sought include media economics (business modelling for media viability), media innovation and/or media governance.
• Evidence of developing a track record of internationally excellent research worthy of publication in highly-ranked, peer reviewed academic journals, commensurate with the candidate’s career stage.
• Familiarity with the social science literature on media economics (or related field), media viability, media monitoring, news media and framing effects and media innovation.
• Solid understanding of and experience with advanced statistical modelling is preferred.

Skills & Knowledge:

• At least three (3) years of teaching and or experience in a dynamic research/media organization or at a reputable university
  Demonstrable track record of professional and or academic writing
• Extensive applied research experience
• . Participation in at least four externally funded research projects under Principal Investigators. Experience as a Principal Investigator is highly desirable.] •
• Successful experience in applying for grant funding and project completion.
• Experience of converting research into media products that are directed at lay audiences.
• Experience working with incubation services.

Personal Attributes, Skills & Competencies

• Qualitative and Quantitative research skills.
• Ability to maintain a climate that is collegial, that respects and values diversity, that treats faculty, staff and learners/Innovators fairly and that is hospitable to creativity and innovation
• Ability to manage large and complex databases
• Ability to teach complex statistical concepts to non-statisticians
• Good communication, presentation and report writing skills
• Ability to keep up with new technology
• Confidentiality and integrity;
• Team player with excellent interpersonal skills;
• Self-motivated
• Attention to detail
• Adaptability and reliability