Program Coordinator Africa

About Seedstars

Seedstars is a group headquartered in Switzerland / Geneva on a mission to impact people’s lives in emerging and frontier markets through technology and entrepreneurship. We operate 2 main activities to achieve our mission: (A) We work in partnership with development agencies, governments, corporate partners, and private donors to develop entrepreneurship ecosystems, create jobs, and fuel income growth. (B) We invest in high-growth technology companies in impactful sectors (fintech, ed-tech, agritech, health tech, etc) in emerging markets.

About the Programs business

Seedstars Programs consults multilateral and bilateral organisations, governments, and private sector foundations on customized interventions and financing solutions for small and growing businesses (SGBs) in emerging markets. Our goal is to create thriving entrepreneurship ecosystems and generate positive social and economic impact in the global south and developing economies. 

We support our clients in:

• Developing entrepreneurship ecosystems (insights and advice on policy, finance, culture, support infrastructure, human capital, and markets) based on our proprietary Seedstars Index.
• Designing and co-creating customized interventions and implementing programs based on the segmentation of businesses and their specific needs.
• Setting up innovative development finance facilities and managing capital flows (VC & Equity program funds, Convertibles, Catalytic finance instruments, Impact linked finance, blended finance, result or revenue-based finance, loans, mezzanine, grants, etc.).
• Measuring and managing the impact of programmatic interventions.

The majority of our projects are sustainable development goal (SDG) driven and tackle some of the world's most pressing.

About the job 

Program Coordinators are a key middle-point for internal Seedstars execution units and our core programs team to support Program Managers and Program Directors to ensure projects are implemented effectively from inception to closure. This is a fully remote position. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

Key responsibilities

You will be responsible for supporting the program manager with internal and external project coordination. This includes but is not limited to: 

• Coordination between different Seedstars units to ensure the project is implemented effortlessly.
• Ensure the program is following best practices and being executed  using the outlined content and curriculum from the Seedstars playbook, and that the best possible experience is being delivered for all involved.

• Support the program manager in managing relationships with relevant stakeholders.

• Track quality, operational execution, and customer(entrepreneurs) and partner success metrics.

• You will run experiments, compile and organize learnings and best practices to be shared internally or replicated in similar programs.

• You will take the lead in the writing and setup of the reporting and administration of the project.
• You will do a regular check on plans, budget and team progress.

Your profile: 

• Your mindset 
  • Excellent team player with high levels of empathy.
  • Passion for problem solving and striving for excellence. 
  • Knack for coordination.
  • Operational excellence with strong attention to detail.
  • Extremely polished and straightforward communication –written and spoken– with different levels of stakeholders.
• Your Experience 
  • At least 2 years in operational or coordination positions. Such as running entrepreneurial innovation programs, supporting startups, developing startup ecosystem.
  • Experience supporting startup & entrepreneurial programs.
  • Experience working in diverse cultural environments.
  • You are comfortable in using Google Workspace and have experience working with Slack, Zoom, Notion, and Airtable.
• Nice to have 
  • You are either a local entrepreneur or innovation enthusiast.
  • You are an active member in your startup community. 
  • Knowledgeable about the startup ecosystem in your country or region.

 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 centered 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 organization 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, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status and strongly encourage female applicants and those from historically underrepresented groups to apply to all of our roles at Seedstars.