Job Description

The MEST Incubator is looking for an incubator fellow for a 1 year assignment supporting software startups in Accra, Ghana. Our Incubator is home to over fifteen (and growing!) funded early stage technology startups, comprised of graduates from our award­winning training program that recruits exceptional talent from Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa (meltwater.org/incubator).

The African technology ecosystem is evolving at a blistering pace, and we’re looking for someone who is excited to dive into uncharted waters and help our teams write the playbook on how to build and scale world­class technology companies from Africa.

You’ll be supported by the team in Ghana and San Francisco and report directly to the General Manager of the MEST Incubator.

There are no easy answers to the challenges our founders face, and in many cases, we’ll be looking to you to help our teams define success and work towards that outcome. Are you up for the challenge? Come join us.

Skills & Requirements

MEST MAKING WAVES & HEADLINES

• MEST entrepreneurs have developed solutions addressing local & global markets, received outside follow­on funding from global investors, and have gained admittance to top accelerator programs such as Y­Combinator, 500 Startups and TechStars.
• MEST entrepreneurs have also been selected by President Obama to represent at the U.S.­Africa Leaders Summit in Washington, D.C. and have also been named Mandela Washington Fellows, a flagship program of Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI).
• MEST itself is regarded as “one of the largest private investments in Ghanaian economic development” by DFID and has received recognition from Forbes, AlJazeera, CNN, TechCrunch, Wall Street Journal, BBC, and MarketWatch. MEST was also recently recognized as Fast Company’s Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Africa.
• Corporate strategic partners include the likes of SAP, Samsung, Vodafone and Facebook’s internet.org — all of which have a shared interest in bolstering the emerging tech ecosystem in Africa as means to economic growth.

About the company

Established in Ghana in 2008, MEST offers aspiring African entrepreneurs a fully sponsored a twelve month, intensive full­time program. Sourced from top graduates in Ghana, Nigeria & Kenya, 30+ of these Entrepreneurs­In­Training (EITs) are selected each year and receive comprehensive training across the spectrum of skills required to build successful tech businesses, including computer programming, software development, product management, finance, marketing, sales and leadership best practices.

After completion of the program, the EITs have the opportunity to pitch a concept. Winning teams receive a seed round from the MEST incubator to pursue their idea.

WE'RE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WHO IS

1. Experienced:You have at least 2­-4 years experience in an operational role at technology startups, or a consulting background. You can quantify your success in helping teams build and sell products people love.
2. Entrepreneurial:You have strong user acquisition instincts and can help a team market what they’ve built. You’re a born hustler who thrives in uncertain environments, with the grit to do whatever it takes to make an early stage team successful.
3. Articulate:You’re able to communicate clearly and convincingly with different stakeholders, including portfolio founders, MEST management, potential hires, and investors.

THIS IS WHAT YOU'LL BE WORKING ON

Work closely with 3 to 5 assigned portfolio companies to scope and prioritize projects, understand user needs, and translate them into requirements. This is a hands­on role where you’ll be expected to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty.

Lead analysis of core metrics and KPIs including user engagement and retention.

Advise the team in other areas of business growth a sneeded (eg.user acquisition, recruitment) and connect them to resources that help them achieve their goals.

Liaise between company and incubator management.This will include making sure that reports and KPIs are reported accurately and on time.

NICE TO HAVE

While not strictly required, we’d be particularly excited if you:

• Have an enviable rolodex of warm relationships at numerous companies
• Are familiar with or have a very active interest in how technology

entrepreneurship is evolving in Africa or other fast moving emerging markets.

• Have a background in product management, digital marketing or sales
• Have experience in the following spaces: consumer mobile apps, ecommerce

platforms, agriculture