Operations Manager: Centre For Entrepreneurship (Five Year -Full Time Fixed Term Contract) at University of the Witwatersrand

Brief Description        

• The main purpose of this position/job is that the incumbent will be responsible for overseeing and managing the general administration and operations of the centre. In this role the incumbent will work closely with the centre director, WBS leadership, and external partners in alignment with the vision and mission of the Centre, WBS and the Wits University. The Manager will also be responsible for cultivating relationships with Entrepreneurial Support Organisations (ESOs); industry leaders, venture capitalists, private and public sectors; civic organisations and entrepreneurs to support the centre's activities.

Key responsibilities include:

• Contributing to developing and implementing of the Centre Strategic plan, in alignment with the WBS and university's goals and objectives.
• Managing day-to-day operations of the centre, including budgeting, staffing, resource allocation, and performance tracking.
• Coordinating and overseeing the delivery of the centre’s entrepreneurship capability development, incubation and acceleration units, and other initiatives to enhance the university entrepreneurial ecosystem and integration into the Gauteng ecosystem.
• Collaborating with academic departments across WBS and other schools, researchers, and industry experts to integrate entrepreneurship education and curriculum across various disciplines.
• Building and maintaining relations with stakeholders, including private and public Entrepreneurship Support Organisations (ESOs); Gauteng Entrepreneurial Ecosystem (GECO) role players, industry leaders, venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, and alumni, in support of the centre’s activities.
• Conduct market research and analysis to identify emerging opportunities and potential funding sources to support the centre's growth and sustainability.
• Reporting on the centre's activities, progress, and impact.
• Contributing to the centre’s role in the entrepreneurship academic program of the WBS. 

FINANCE:

• Contributing to preparation of management budget for the Centre, ensuring effective management of allocated resources to support programs and initiatives.
• Identifying and pursuing funding opportunities and partnerships to enhance the financial sustainability of the centre.

PEOPLE MANAGEMENT:

• Managing direct reports as per the university HR policies and processes.
• Overseeing and managing service agreements with service providers to the centre.

GENERAL:

• Living the WBS and the centre Shared Values (Excellence, Integrity, Sustainability driven, Responsiveness, Stakeholder Centric, Collaboration)
• Stay up to date with trends and developments in entrepreneurship, innovation, and technology transfer, and intergrade them into the centres initiatives in alignment with the University strategy.

Minimum academic requirements and work-related experience:

• Master’s degree in entrepreneurship, new venture creation, business administration or a related field (PhD. degree preferred).
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in entrepreneurship and business development, tertiary entrepreneurship education, or a related field.
• South African Bureau Standards (SABS) Certified in South African Business Incubation and Accelerator National standards or equivalent.
• Experience in grant writing and fundraising techniques to secure external funding for the centre's initiatives.
• Proven track record of developing and implementing successful entrepreneurship programs, initiatives, or platforms. 

Knowledge, Skills and Attitude:

• Excellent Planning and organisational administration skills.
• Proven Project management and teamwork.
• Communication and writing.
• Action and Results Orientation.

Technical Competencies:

• Excellent organisational and administration ability; Proposal writing, fundraising techniques.
• Understanding of entrepreneurial ecosystem, venture capital, and start up culture.
• Excellent understanding of the university academic and operations ecosystem.