The Ugandan Jobline

Job Title:  Entrepreneurship and Learning Manager

Organisation: Youth Challenge International (YCI)

Duty Station:  Mpigi, Uganda

Compensation: 5,500,000 UGX/month

Contract Length: 1 year, renewable

Commitment: Full time, 37.5 hours/week

Start Date: June 2024

About Youth Challenge International (YCI):

Youth Challenge International (YCI) is a leading global youth development organization that promotes youth innovation to drive positive change. Together with our partners we create market ready solutions that catapult youth around the world to succeed and prosper; we are driven by youth and their potential to affect positive change in the world. Our solutions are focused – always keeping the young people we are designing for and with at the center of the conversation. Our approach is rooted in creativity and constantly evolving to respond to changing needs and market realities.  YCI is an organization where diversity and talent come together to shape a better future for youth around the world.

HerStart: Innovate the Future 

HerStart: Innovate the Future is an initiative developed by Youth Challenge International to catalyze and propel a more equitable and prosperous economy within Ghana, Tanzania and Uganda. By investing in locally driven solutions and integrating the skillsets of 310 Canadian Fellows, HerStart aims to engage 10,000 young women to participate in the design and development of innovative solutions to the challenges that their communities face.

The program includes training and support for aspiring entrepreneurs in social enterprise, gender responsive business planning, social impact measurement, and access to finance. Canadian volunteers will be engaged in providing human capital support for activities through on-site placements and capacity building initiatives with partner organizations. This initiative will provide programmatic support for organizations to more effectively deliver environmental and gender-responsive activities that drive sustainable and equitable business ventures. The entrepreneurial ecosystem in each country will be further catalyzed to identify and reduce gendered barriers, which will foster more enabling environments for young female entrepreneurs.

Job Summary:  Reporting to the Project Lead in Uganda, the Entrepreneurship and Learning Manager will play a key role in the HerStart team, providing technical entrepreneurship support to all project stakeholders and fostering a culture of learning within the team. Collaborating with partner organizations, the YCI team, Canadian volunteers, the Social Entrepreneurship Manager will coordinate activities related to training, coaching, mentorship, and funding for HerStart participants. They will ensure training quality through coaching and support to HerStart facilitators to meet the changing needs of young women entrepreneurs. In close collaboration with the global YCI team, the Entrepreneurship and Learning Manager will also lead the Uganda team in learning systems management and support in data collection.

We are seeking a passionate, skilled, and creative candidate with social entrepreneurship and learning experience to deliver exceptional results.  We are looking for people to join our team who believe in youth as powerful agents of change, and those who are passionate about contributing to women’s empowerment and advancing both national and global gender equality agendas.

Key Duties and Responsibilities Include: 

• Learning System Management (30%): Ensure rigorous data quality control through proactive, participatory monitoring approaches for Catalyst Fund recipients; Contribute to data collection efforts as needed; Contribute to the development of the knowledge management system, including supporting the design of context appropriate data collection tools; Collaborate with YCI staff, volunteers, partners and stakeholders to identify best practices and lesson learned and strengthen the integration of program learnings across all facets of program delivery and to ensure sustainability; Inform HerStart communications and reporting initiatives with project results and performance reports, success stories, and consolidated data.
• Small Business Growth and Technical Leadership (20%): Manage the HerStart coaching and mentorship programs to inspire a culture of entrepreneurship across the program in Uganda; Leverage tools such as the Business Model Canvas to inform participants enterprise research, prototyping and planning, and identification of market appropriate value chain opportunities; Coordinate support for HerStart participants applying for the Catalyst Fund; Provide partners, mentors, staff and volunteers with coaching on how to effectively support HerStart participants.
• Training Quality Assurance (20%): Act as a Master Trainer for HerStart facilitators in Uganda; Provide technical support in the preparation of training modules and learning materials on main project themes, including social entrepreneurship, green business and women’s leadership development; Provide trainings, resources and curriculum updates to continually meet facilitator and participant needs; Closely monitor training quality and design and contribute to ongoing quality improvement of training materials and processes as needed; Work closely with HerStart Entrepreneurship and Learning Managers in Zanzibar and Ghana to share insights and lessons learned.
• Ecosystem Development (10%): Grow and maintain a network of robust mentors who can tangibly support enterprise development; Refer entrepreneurs to resources necessary to maximize business growth including funding opportunities, networks, professional services (legal, accounting, planning department) and mentorship opportunities; Engage Canadian volunteers in ecosystem development aligned with participant needs.
• Volunteer Management (10%): Supervise international and/or national volunteers in their professional deliverables that advance the goals of HerStart, and/or partner organizations; Provide coaching and mentorship to ensure their meaningful engagement and integration into the HerStart program; Leverage their expertise in the development and delivery of initiatives; Support in the onboarding of volunteers and support their success.

Skills and Experience:   

• You are a self-starter with 5+ years of enterprise development experience in Uganda; you are passionate about investing in women and youth livelihoods and inspired by the potential of innovation and entrepreneurship;
• You have a talent for fostering relationships with young people and diverse stakeholders; you are aligned with the Lean Startup approach and familiar with design thinking;
• You have demonstrated the ability to mentor and support ventures at both the start-up and growth phase, informed by a strong network and keen understanding of the Ugandan entrepreneurial ecosystem;
• You possess a learning orientation and willingness to participate in ongoing professional and personal development;
• You thrive as a team member and work respectfully and inclusively with diverse stakeholders, including international volunteers;
• You are passionate about participatory approaches to training and learning and have experience in facilitation;
• You demonstrate an integrated understanding of the principles of gender equality and the empowerment of young women, including a familiarity with the socio-economic profile of young women in Uganda;
• You should demonstrate commitment to issues and programs in gender equality and women’s empowerment, and experience with new business development and implementation.

How to Apply:

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis as they are received, so we encourage early submissions. No phone calls about the position can be accepted. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Please follow QR code to apply:

bit.ly/YCI-ELM-2024

YCI encourages applications from all backgrounds. To achieve our goals, we rely on the unique experiences and viewpoints of our staff, volunteers, and partners. We understand that diverse perspectives require an inclusive culture to thrive – a culture that is respectful and welcoming to all.  We are committed to creating a place of inclusion for employees, candidates, volunteers, partners and visitors of all backgrounds, ages, religions, races, gender identities, physical abilities or sexual orientations; a place where one can be their whole self, and where that whole self feels celebrated.

Please note that YCI uses a people-focused approach to evaluating applicants. We do not utilize artificial intelligence during the recruitment process.

Protection against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Policy

Youth Challenge International (YCI) commits to a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) and considers any such acts a gross misconduct and grounds for dismissal. YCI recognizes the unequal power dynamics inherent in international development work and our responsibility to protect the human rights of the communities we serve and provide an environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse.

Deadline: 17th May 2024

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