Talent Agency Business Developer

About Seedstars
Seedstars is a global investment holding with headquarters in Switzerland, 15 offices and a presence in 80+ emerging markets. We are on a mission to impact people’s lives in emerging markets through technology and entrepreneurship. The group is organised around two key activities; 1) talent incubation and 2) VC investing. We incubate talent and high growth ventures through a series of programs from idea stage to early growth stage. We are currently building a platform of funds to be positioned as a key early-stage emerging market VC.

SAFEEM
SAFEEM is a non-profit organisation that supports and empowers entrepreneurs in emerging markets and works in close collaboration with Seedstars on many projects around the globe. As the consortium lead, SAFEEM will serve as the main point of contact to MCC and will ensure alignment and coordination with the consortium partners, as well as implement and foster learning mechanisms throughout the project. 

About the Program:

DigiFemmes

The DigiFemmes Program is a holistic technical assistance program to enhance the capacity of women in Côte d’Ivoire to run and grow successful businesses by participating in the digital economy. 

DigiFemmes Academy

The DigiFemmes Academy component is a two-year program which aims to create a new generation of women equipped with valuable skills in tech and entrepreneurship through a combination of an 18 months full stack developer training followed by a 6 month venture building incubation program.

The DigiFemmes Academy combines 1) the use of gamified tech platforms that guide the learners through a series of challenges that support them in acquiring skills, 2)  an innovative, yet proven pedagogical approach to skill training that heavily relies on peer-to-peer learning. 

About the job:

We are seeking a highly motivated, self-starting Business Developer to join our DigiFemmes Academy team. Reporting to the manager of the DigiFemmes Academy (for activities) and the sustainability manager (for revenue generation strategy), the successful candidate will be responsible for developing the talent agency which includes setting up processes and building a strong network of potential employers for the future Academy graduates. The bulk of the role focuses on building and growing partnerships with companies for future placements of the beneficiaries of the DigiFemmes Academy locally and internationally. This is an exciting opportunity to serve as the first and sole Business Development hire for the team.

Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

Responsibilities:

Strategy & Operations 

• Serve as the sole team member leading the Talent Agency in Abidjan, overseeing all aspects of talent placement operations and management for DigiFemmes Academy graduates.
• Design, develop and implement the agency's strategic plan for revenue generation, partnerships, and growth for the talent agency.

Partnerships 

• Conduct market research and identify potential clients.
• Develop partnerships with organisations from a range of industries and sizes for future placements of our learners locally and internationally.
• Build and maintain relationships with existing and potential clients. 

Community

• Organise an annual job fair.
• Coordinate workshops on campus for potential employers to come and speak to future graduates. 

Talent Management 

• Get the graduates ready for market entry (build professional social media presence, CV building support, interview best-practices, interview practice, office hours to support the future graduates, etc). 
• Provide mentorship and guidance to the Academy beneficiaries to support their career growth and development.
• Support the future graduates with compensation negotiations.
• Actively place the future graduates in jobs. 

Data & Insights 

• Prepare reports on business development and talent management activities.
• Develop and maintain accurate records and reporting on the talent agency's performance, including financial reports and KPIs.
• Work with the Sustainability Manager to ensure that the agency is meeting its revenue and placement targets.

Requirements:

• Fluent French with a working proficiency in English. 
• At least 5 years of experience in corporate partnership negotiations and HR placement agency or devshop management.
• Proven track record of successful business development and revenue generation.
• Strong network of potential employers and/or devshops.
• Strong negotiation and communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills.

 Why our employees love working with us:

• We are on a mission which is bigger than all of us: to impact people’s lives in emerging markets.
• You get many growth opportunities and responsibilities early on.
• You work in an entrepreneurial culture where you’re surrounded by a vibrant and diverse team.
• We offer autonomy and flexibility with a flat hierarchy and a strong belief that responsible people should have the freedom to do their work when and how they want.
• We were awarded as one of the most democratic workplaces in the world due to our freedom-centred practices.

We are an equal opportunity employer with a diverse mix of nationalities and backgrounds represented in our company. We truly value diversity and believe that the cultural landscape of our organisation should reflect the types of work that we engage in and the places that we do it. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status and strongly encourage applicants from historically underrepresented groups to apply to all of our roles at Seedstars.