With our team in Nairobi, we are running several projects in agriculture, and circular economy. For example, within our FoodFlow program, we are developing key interventions to support small holder farmers to transition to regenerative agriculture practices. Our previous interventions have led to the start-up such as SokoFresh (cold storage as a service), Shambani Pro, and Halisigro. In most cases, we develop innovative business models through lean validation pilots, which is key. As we’re starting new programs and projects, we are looking for a entrepreneur with a strong strategic and conceptual mindset to analyse new markets, ideate innovative solutions and build sustainable business models.

Core responsibilities

• Perform in-depth research and root cause analysis into the systemic, and ecosystem issues, following our internal venture building methodology.
• Ideate and design desirable and scalable game-changing business concepts.
• Be a product manager who is responsible for defining the “market – value proposition – product” triangle.
• Quickly pilot and test different business models or assumptions.
• Design business concepts for scalability and replicability, leveraging technological innovation.
• Set up and grow the new company: including hiring the first team, building foundations of operations, financial modelling, budgeting, setting legal compliance and more.
• Raise funds (both grants and equity) – identify funders, prepare pitch deck, grant-writing and due diligence processes.
• Engage and work together with partners, both large and small organizations, commercial and non-commercial.

Who we are looking for!

You’d be perfect for the role if:

• Working experience >6 years of which at least 2 years are as co-founder of a start-up (with >3 employees).
• Educational qualification in management, or economics; preferably a master’s degree.
• High learning drive, and openness to constantly learn, empathize, shift perspectives where needed to operate in a dynamic industry.
• Ability to think conceptually, with a systemic & strategic lens are necessary; and can switch between entrepreneurial thinking and conceptual systems thinking.
• Knowledge and intuition with lean thinking concepts are necessary.
• Proven experience in co-building solutions/ ventures/ projects, along with a peer. We work in teams, with multiple entrepreneurs jointly building a solution, and it is important that you believe in a team approach to entrepreneurship.
• Strong communication skills with significant experience in public speaking, and in operating in multi-functional, multi-cultural teams.
• Experience in innovation, business modelling and/or product design is an advantage.
• Furthermore, the ideal candidate is a people manager, fluent in English, and can work independently. The job will be performed in Nairobi, Kenya and we are specifically looking for a local candidate.