General Applications - Programs Team Member

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 challenges like climate action, gender equality, migration, and financial inclusion.

About Programs openings 

We regularly hire: 

• Capacity Building Experts or Sector Experts
• Communication Leads or Marketing and PR professionals
• Community Managers or Community Leads
• Entrepreneurs in Residence
• Investment Analysts or Investment Managers
• Monitoring and Evaluation or Impact Data Managers
• Program Coordinators
• Program Managers or Program Directors
• Sourcing, Screening, and Selection Leads

In all of these openings we look for individuals that are strongly motivated by the mission, and vision of Seedstars, and have a passion for entrepreneurship in emerging markets as a mechanism to drive change, create jobs and fuel economic growth. We value empathetic collaborators that innovate, move quickly, are accountable, take ownership, and can turn complexity and ambiguity into a context for success with minimal input or top-down direction. 

Seedstars is always looking for talented individuals from all types of backgrounds to help us create a positive impact in emerging markets through technology and entrepreneurship. If you have experience in the above areas, please leave us your details. Shortlisted applicants will be incorporated into our database and when we launch an opening that matches your experience and skillset we will be in touch on an as-needed basis. Inclusion in the database does not represent a guarantee of a consultancy engagement with Seedstars.

Please review a more in-depth view of of the positions we regularly hire for below.

• Capacity Building or Sector Expert 

Overview

As defined by the UN, capacity building is “the process of developing and strengthening the skills, instincts, abilities, processes and resources that organizations and communities need to survive, adapt, and thrive in a fast-changing world”. Our capacity building experts create curriculum and deliver workshops and trainings on the thematics within which Seedstars operates to entrepreneurs and SGBs. 

What we look for

Capacity Building experts or Sector Experts have extensive experience in training development, are reputable and established subject matter experts, advisors, and thought leaders in their fields of expertise. They are impact driven experts in knowledge management, learning, and development. 

• Communication Lead or Marketing and PR professionals

Overview

Communication Leads and Marketing professionals head up marketing efforts and develop and implement the marketing strategy for programs in collaboration with program managers. They use content marketing to optimize and meet the communication goals of our programs and craft and generate engaging content (articles, pictures, videos, infographics, etc) through storytelling, as well as to distribute it to the community in the most effective and KPI-driven way under tight timelines. They also manage the online reputation of Seedstars, and the Programs website.

What we look for

Communication Leads and Marketers have strong copy-writing abilities and know how to create appealing strategic content for a specific audience. They have experience in content development, creation and editing, and online reputation management. 

• Community Manager or Community Lead

Overview

Community Managers and Leads are dot connectors that build, engage, grow, nurture, and manage our diverse online and in-person communities and groups as well as oversee and organise events that will generate impact for the entrepreneurs in a local or global ecosystem. Community Managers and Leads are be responsible for ensuring a smooth experience for the startup community, encompassing inquiries, proactive identification of resources for Seedstars startups, introduction facilitation to relevant mentors, fostering connections within the community, and promoting and delivering services and resources from Seedstars perks to support members’ business growth.

What we look for

Community managers and Leads have hands-on experience and deep know-how in community building, event organization and content management. They are community obsessed and can develop creative, engaging and original content in various mediums and applications and are exceptional written and verbal communicators, with strong project management, problem-solving and organizational skills. 

• Entrepreneur in Residence or Entrepreneurial Advisor 

Overview

Entrepreneurs in Residence and Entrepreneurial Advisors are experts and coaches that develop the curriculum for and deliver entrepreneurial capacity building programs. They localize existing content, source and manage our network of mentors and experts, work to develop the innovation ecosystems in their regions and track success through monitoring and evaluation efforts.. 

What we look for

Entrepreneurs in residence and advisors have hands-on experience in entrepreneurial educational programs and mentoring or advising, and are often active members in their startup communities and ecosystems. They have entrepreneurial or intrapreneurial experience building and scaling tech ventures or business units and growing them to stable monthly revenues. They are extremely familiar with startup methodologies (testing, experimentation design, fundraising etc), have up to date knowledge of the latest tools (analytics, SEM/CEO/email/social marketing etc.), and possess a deep understanding of product market fit and what is required for a startup to achieve it.

• Investment Analyst or Investment Manager

Overview

Investment Analysts and Investment Managers source and track companies from different sectors relevant to our programs and assess businesses’ investment readiness. They cultivate strong relationships with founders through direct mentorship, research on market trends and funding tools, and create impact-focused reports. 

What we look for 

Investment Analysts and Investment Managers have strong financial, analytical, researching, and interpersonal skills  with deep knowledge of startups and technology trends, a genuine interest in impact and emerging markets, as well as a great capacity to build and establish networks within relevant stakeholders in the entrepreneurial space.

They have experience with leading the identification, cultivation and assessment of investment opportunities, and have carried out due diligence aspects on potential investments. 

• Monitoring and Evaluation Manager (M&E) or Impact Data Manager 

Overview

Monitoring and Evaluation Managers and Impact Data Managers lead on the implementation and operation of M&E systems from project initiation to closure for a program. They oversee the monitoring, evaluation, analytics, and reporting of performance and results, and lead project data collection, collation, storage, analysis, and reporting, and identify methods to use results for program improvement. 

What we look for

Monitoring and Evaluation Managers and Impact Data Managers are data practitioners with experience in strategic planning and performance measurement, including indicator selection, target setting, reporting, database management, and developing M&E and/ performance monitoring plans with extensive knowledge of the major evaluation methodologies (e.g., qualitative, quantitative, mixed method, and impact) and data collection and analysis methodologies and proven success in assisting or designing, implementing and operating project M&E systems.

• Program Coordinator  

Overview

Program Coordinators are a key middle-point for internal Seedstars execution units and support Program Managers and Program Directors to ensure projects are implemented effortlessly and brought to a successful close. 

What we look for

Program coordinators have exceptional operational, administrative, stakeholder management, and customer experience skills. They have an eye for quality, operational execution, and customer and partner success metrics and organize learnings and best practices to be shared internally to prepare for future programs. 

• Program Manager or Program Director

Overview

Program Managers and Program Directors ensure startups gain value out of the programs we implement, work to achieve partner satisfaction, and that we have the right teams to deliver quality programs. 

What we look for

Program Managers or Program Directors have experience running a broad scope of incubation or acceleration programs (possibly multiple, complex programs simultaneously), or leading in a fast-paced operational position. They are extremely knowledgeable about common startup methodologies (lean startup, business model canvas, etc) and can apply them to achieve results in real business cases. They are detail oriented, decisive, strong (verbal and written) communicators and world class  coordinators. They have a knack for managing relationships, fine tuned project management capacities, and can handle high levels of pressure well. 

• Sourcing, Screening, and Selection Leads

Overview

Sourcing, Screening, and Selection leads collaborate with Program team members in the search, screening, and selection of startups globally to join our programmatic interventions. They conduct research to build a pipeline of startup companies, run analyses to identify the highest quality companies and closest matches for our programs, and engage and build relationships with startup founders. 

What we look for 

Sourcing, Screening, and Selection leads  have strong analytical, researching, and writing skills with deep knowledge of startup market trends, emerging markets, and startups.

They have experience with leading the identification, cultivation and assessment of startup companies, and understanding the principles of performing due diligence on potential startups and follow through with hands-on support.

 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 and learning opportunities early on, including impactful and skills-enhancing roles in innovative programs.
• Robust on-boarding to translate our values and ways of working into successful outcomes
• Excellent networking opportunities, including exposure to thought leaders and SMEs in the field of entrepreneurial support
• An entrepreneurial culture where you’re surrounded by a vibrant and diverse team
• 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 where 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 women, people from emerging markets, and those from historically underrepresented groups to apply to all of our roles at Seedstars