Head Coach, Anzisha at African Leadership Academy

Position Overview

This position will work at the intersection of two of Africa’s biggest opportunities – education and entrepreneurship. African Leadership Academy (ALA) is a pioneer in both these areas through The Anzisha Prize – a partnership between ALA, Mastercard Foundation and others focused on job creation through early age entrepreneurship.  

The Anzisha Head Coach will manage multiple teams of coaches of the Idea and Build programs, and Venture Partners in the 2-year Venture Building Fellowship (VBF) or Growth Program. The Head coach will also have a nominal coaching load.  

The Head Coach is responsible for the delivery of all programs with the support of administrative staff and learning designers. Working with the Institutional Learning team, the Head Coach is responsible for capturing data around key metrics: Learning Outcomes, Revenue growth and Job creation. Oversee key events during the year, both virtual and in-person. Review and improve multiple programs effectiveness in enabling entrepreneurs to build job generative businesses by developing processes and establishing a highly engaged peer to peer network of very young entrepreneurs from across Africa. 

Contribute to multi-year strategic planning and actively build a network of investors who focus on Very Young Entrepreneurs (VYEs) to unlock opportunities for program participants and alumni. Be part of the ALA Young Entrepreneur Fund team, a “guaranteed follow” fund that will match investments into ventures led by graduates of African Leadership Academy programs. 

Responsibilities

   Domain Expertise: 

• Display a clear understanding of the macro & micro challenges facing entrepreneurs in Africa  
• 5+ years' experience of designing and delivering deliver youth/accelerator programs and support in Africa.  

   People Management: 

• Build best practices of coaching and upskill coaches and Venture Partner 
• Build a strong collaborative culture and support professional growth for individuals 
• Manage diverse and remote teams to reach quarterly Objectives and Key Results 

  Program Development: 

• Own and drive program initiatives, including operations and administration, end-to-end, efficiently and precisely.  
• Conceptualize and develop services, tactics and other initiatives that explore how best to support program participants. 
• Conceptualize and develop services, tactics and projects that explore how best to support very young entrepreneurs. 

  Project Management:

• Own and drive program initiatives, including operations and administration, end-to-end, efficiently and precisely. 
• Gather data comprehensive, timely and accurate data throughout all initiatives.  
• Structure and generate program reports for team and management. 

  Tracking & Reporting:  

• Work closely with the Institutional Learning team to drive data collection. 
• Gather comprehensive, timely and accurate data throughout all initiatives. 
• Provide reports on participants' progress and performance within the program assessing it against the learning outcomes. 

  Financial Management: 

• Develop program budgets and spend variance insights.  
• Deliver all initiatives on budget.  
• Develop an ability to optimize budgets for owned programs

  Collaboration:  

• Actively contribute to wider team goals outside of core stream of work. 
• Work closely with other program staff, volunteers, and partners to ensure the alignment and synergy of our efforts.

  Strategic Management: 

• Conceptualize and develop tactics and projects to enhance outcomes for the very young entrepreneurs and their ventures.  
• Identify and evaluate types of partnerships within the Communities of Leadership model; Leader, Community and Ecosystem.   
• Build a network of investors who focus on Very Young Entrepreneurs (VYEs) to unlock opportunities for program participants and alumni.  
• Be part of the ALA Young Entrepreneur Fund team 
• Assist in donor relations, grant applications, and fundraising activities. 
• Reporting to funding partners 

 Other Responsibilities: 

• Participate in various “all hands-on deck” activities on the Anzisha Program calendar as they arise, such as event logistics, application reading, phone interviews, due diligence visits, prize tour country visits. 
• Participate in campus activities and engage students to the degree you are able and by agreement with your direct manager. 

Requirements:  

• Bachelor's degree in business, entrepreneurship, or a related field (master's degree is a plus). 
• Certified coach.
• Proven experience as an entrepreneur, business consultant, or coach, with a strong understanding of entrepreneurship principles. 
• Experience of facilitating or participating in programs delivered by African Leadership Academy, African Leadership University or similar institutions. 
• Previous work experience in the accelerator or incubator space. 
• Evidence of leading successful high impact teams in multiple regions.  
• Proven leadership skills, communication and interpersonal skills grounded in strong personal values. 
• Proven experience of working with and developing young people . 
• Excellent project management skills including planning, execution, reporting and assessment . 
• Data driven decision-making that involves collecting data based on measurable goals or KPIs, analysing patterns and facts from these insights, and utilizing them to develop strategies that will benefit the program.
• Strong problem-solving and critical thinking abilities. 
• Passion for nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit in very young individuals and a commitment to the mission of the organization. 
• Preference for those who have started / run their own business in Africa at some point. 
• Experience in Finance or Investment sectors.
• Experience in NGO/Non-profit industry a bonus.