Check out the positions below and if any of them strike your fancy shoot a resume & cover letter over to meghan@daretoinnovate.com with the name of the position in the subject line. 

#Dare to Innovate Venture Fellows Program

#Director of Operations and Programming

#Senior Project Manager

Entrepreneurship is the engine of every economy. In Guinea, where youth unemployment is greater than 70%, entrepreneurship is not just a driver of growth, but a critical job creator. Unfortunately, most startups fail and in emerging markets, those that survive are unlikely to become strong enough to create jobs. A full 77% of small and medium enterprises are classified as “non-employers”, meaning they do not pay a single full time salary. Dare to Innovate is working to solve these problems and we want you to join our team.

Dare to Innovate is a youth-led movement to end unemployment in West Africa. We invest in the entrepreneurial ecosystem to ignite social change. Since 2013, we have been training and investing in entrepreneurs and have a portfolio of changemakers who are really beating the odds. They have started small businesses in agribusiness, education, public health, and more. The path forward is not easy and they all need mentorship and support to unlock the next level of growth. That is where you come in.

The Venture Fellows Program is an immersive fellowship that will expose you to the challenges of starting and growing a business in an emerging market. You will be placed with 1-2 entrepreneurs in Dare to Innovate’s portfolio for 8 weeks where you will diagnose their biggest challenges, develop tests for how to overcome them, run experiments, and provide an implementation roadmap for how they can go forward after you leave. Through this program not only will you gain critical skills to thrive as an entrepreneur or consultant and exposure to business in emerging markets, you will also make a tangible impact on a business that improves quality of life in a community, creates job, and builds local wealth.

This program is designed for pre-MBAs or MBA interns, especially with experience in Consulting, Finance, Entrepreneurship, Technology, Marketing, or Operations. That being said, if you are a rising senior or recent graduate with the requisite skillset, we are happy to talk. We are looking for individuals who passionately believe that business is a tool for social change, who demonstrate a prototyping mindset, and that have grit. Check out this blog to hear about the experiences of a past pre-MBA intern.

We will provide housing in the local community, oftentimes with the family of the entrepreneur, letters of recommendation to fellowship programs who can support your living expenses while abroad, and training to all of our fellows.

Do you dare to use your skills to make an impact?

Are you a good fit?

• Do you have 3-5 years of private sector experience?

• Do you believe that emerging markets are overflowing with opportunity?

• Are you a tireless problem solver?

• Are you a self-starter looking to gain experience in a fast-paced, startup environment?

• Are you a people person?

• Does entrepreneurship excite you?

• Do you like learning about new cultures? Are you naturally curious?

• Do you speak French? (Working proficiency in French is very important)

To apply, fill out this application by March 15th, 2020. Applications will be reviewed after that date. If you have any questions, email jobs@daretoinnovate.com.

Description

Dare to Innovate (DTI) is looking for a full-time Director of Operations and Programming (DOP), based in Conakry, Republic of Guinea (West Africa), who is able to commit to a 12-month contract. The mission of the DOP is to provide comprehensive training, management, and support to the programs and operations teams so that we can increase the number of entrepreneurs trained, the quality of the training they receive, and success rates of graduates from our program in starting a business that employs other youth.

DTI is in a crucial stage of scaling up its operations, and requires an energetic, enterprising, and detail-oriented individual who is capable of providing directional strategy and supervision to both our operations and programs departments, so that DTI may maximize mission impact and optimize resource allocation.

The DOP will work closely with the Country Director in monitoring the financials of the organization, as well as project design and execution from an operations and programmatic viewpoint. The DOP will directly supervise the operations departments (accounting and logistics) as well as the programs department, so as to maintain the high quality of the programs that we deliver, to track high-level budgetary tasks, monitor project burn rates, find cost saving optimizations, and supervise timely completion of donor-required reporting and deliverables.

It is expected that the DOP will handle upper level administrative duties, which include developing standard administrative operating procedures, developing program department reporting documents and processes, and managing human resource tasks, such as performance reviews and timekeeping. Recruitment may also require a portion of the DOP’s time, depending on the context of new and existing business development activities. Through the logistics team, the DOP will also be monitoring periodic execution of our M&E planning.

All of our employees are expected to interact with the entrepreneurs in our programs and portfolio. Additional tasks may include leading certain sessions or trainings, evaluating business plans, and coaching promising start-ups.

It is expected that the DOP will travel 1-2 times a month to the interior of the country to conduct monitoring missions and participate in significant programmatic milestone activities, such as project launches and high-level donor/dignitary site visits. In order to track, review, and submit major reports and donor-required deliverables, it is essential that a DOP candidate have advanced proficiency in both spoken and written French and English.

Additionally, the DOP must have exceptional budgetary analysis skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Excel.

Responsibilities

• Overseeing the formalization and implementation of administrative standard operating procedures, including performance evaluations, recruitment, procurements, and contract development

• Managing human resource and high level administrative tasks across programming, including new business development

• Coordinating project activities with Program Managers and Accountants, including pre-training logistics and post-training budget alignments

• Monitoring and evaluation of all contract deliverables and data gathering in accordance with donor requirements and DTI mission

• Writing and designing new project proposals

• Staying up to date on best practices in entrepreneurial operations, management, and accelerator programs in order to contribute to the evolution of Dare to Innovate’s scope and impact in the region

• Writing periodic progress reports for DTI and partner organizations, including leading the development of an annual report

• Supervising M&E plan execution

• Providing business coaching and/or technical assistance to grants and loans programs

Other possible responsibilities include: Site selection and preparation for future programming; monitoring headquarters and motor pool activities; attending national and regional conferences and meetings related to programming and possible funding or awards.

Required Qualifications

• Ability to start work by September 1st

• Advanced French and English proficiency is a must

• At least 5 years of experience in project/program management in an international non-profit or for-profit corporation with progressively higher supervisory and budgeting responsibilities

• 3-5 years of experience in finance and operations in an international non-profit or for-profit

• Advanced degree (M.A; M.S.; MBA; PhD) in international development, nonprofit management, public administration, economics, or a related field

Preferred Qualifications

• 3-5 years of experience in business development, entrepreneurship support, and/or agribusiness (public or private sector)

• Familiarity or experience working on the ground in West Africa and managing cross-cultural teams

• Familiarity or experience working in a start-up nonprofit or social enterprise setting

• Familiarity with participatory training techniques and Human Centered Design

• Practical experience (formal or informal) in organizational development and high-level administration, ideally as part of an executive management team

• 1-3 years experience in training design and/or training program implementation

• Familiarity with QuickBooks, Smartsheets, Slack, and other project management tools

• Experience working in trade and/or value chain development

Qualities

Entrepreneurial, curious, industrious, analytical, empathetic

About DTI

Dare to Innovate is a non-profit social enterprise that was founded in 2013 by several former Peace Corps volunteers in Guinea and their local counterparts. It is a youth-led movement to end unemployment in West Africa. DTI invests in the entrepreneurial ecosystem to ignite social change. DTI is looking to strengthen its presence in Guinea and Benin, including reaching operational excellence, and expand into Sierra Leone and Ghana within the next 5 years.

How to Apply

Please send a cover letter and CV to Wiatta Thomas (Guinea Country Director, wiatta@daretoinnovate.com), and Meghan McCormick (CEO, meghan@daretoinnovate.com) along with any supporting documents.

Description

Dare to Innovate (DTI) is looking for a full-time Senior Project Manager (SPM), based in Conakry, Republic of Guinea (West Africa), who is able to commit to a 12-month contract. The mission of the SPM is to provide comprehensive training, management, and support to the project teams under their management so that we can increase the number of entrepreneurs trained, the quality of the training they receive, and success rates of graduates from our program in starting a business that employs other youth.

DTI is in a crucial stage of scaling up its operations, and is looking for a strategic, organized, and detail oriented project manager with experience growing teams and a desire to work in a start-up environment.

The primary responsibility of the SPM will be to manage multiple projects (up to 100% allocation) within DTI’s portfolio. This includes professional development for program staff (training of trainers), managing client relationships, tracking budgetary tasks, monitoring project burn rates, finding cost saving optimizations, supervising M&E and managing timely and smooth completion of required reporting and deliverables. The SPM will also be involved in proposal writing, the recruitment and hiring process for new projects, and may represent DTI in donor relations within and outside of Guinea.

We expect all employees to spend time interacting with our entrepreneurs and entrepreneur-facing materials. This means that your role will also include curriculum development and entrepreneur coaching.

It is expected that the SPM will travel 1-2 times a month to the interior of the country to conduct monitoring missions and participate in significant programmatic milestone activities, such as project launches and high-level donor/dignitary site visits. In order to track, review, and submit reports and donor-required deliverables, it is essential that a SPM candidate have advanced proficiency in both spoken and written French and English.

Additionally, the SPM must have exceptional budgetary analysis skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Excel.

Required Qualifications

• Ability to start work by September 1st

• Advanced French and English proficiency is a must

• At least 3 years of experience managing a portfolio of project teams and budgets and experience working on the ground in francophone West Africa

• 1-3 years of experience in training design, execution, and/or training program implementation

• 1-3 years of experience working in entrepreneurship training, economic development, or business incubator programs

Preferred Qualifications

• 1-3 years of experience in business development, entrepreneurship support, and/or agribusiness (public or private sector)

• Preference for candidates with experience working in international non-profit

• Entrepreneurial experience, experience in a social enterprise start-up, or an entrepreneurial spirit

• Experience working in trade and/or value chain development

• Familiarity or experience working in Guinea

• Familiarity with participatory training techniques and Human Centered Design

• Familiarity with Smartsheets, Quickbooks, Slack, and other project management software

Qualities

Entrepreneurial, curious, industrious, analytical, empathetic

About DTI

Dare to Innovate is a non-profit social enterprise that was founded in 2013 by several former Peace Corps volunteers in Guinea and their local counterparts. It is a youth-led movement to end unemployment in West Africa. DTI invests in the entrepreneurial ecosystem to ignite social change. DTI is looking to strengthen its presence in Guinea and Benin, including reaching operational excellence, and expand into Sierra Leone and Ghana within the next 5 years.

How to Apply

Please send a cover letter, CV, and writing samples in English and French to Wiatta Thomas (Guinea Country Director, wiatta@daretoinnovate.com), and Meghan McCormick (CEO, meghan@daretoinnovate.com) along with any supporting documents.

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