Senior Program Officer, Business Creation, Incubation and Jobs job at Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM)

About the Organization

The RIMS platform is used to manage RUFORUM core activities such as scholarship and grants management, projects, alumni, etc .

Job Description

The Senior Program Officer SPO Business Creation, Incubation and Jobs shall be based at the RUFORUM Secretariat. He/she will be responsible for mobilizing resources and offering leadership in development, testing and deployment of unique business development strategies and concepts aligned to RUFORUM’s Strategic Objectives. Further, s/he will be responsible for developing and growing venture funding and linkages with venture financiers for RUFORUM programs and translation of research innovations into viable enterprises. The Officer will also facilitate the rapid scaling of entrepreneurship/SME service provision across RUFORUM member universities and serviced communities such as smallholder farmers in targeted countries of interventions.

Duties and Responsibilities

Provide leadership to develop interventions that foster business promotion, entrepreneurship development, investment attraction and strategic partnerships to promote experiential entrepreneurship orientation in higher education sector.
Coordinate the development and implementation of entrepreneurship programs and initiative’s including business incubation, start-up support and venture capital mobilization, for higher education institutions and early start-ups in the economy.
Promote business development and investment skills across RUFORUM’s entrepreneurship and investment’s targeted business development stages to both new and established businesses across different programs participant segments.
Support SE4CD program manager and working closely with the Senior Program Officer Systems Strengthening to catalyse systems strengthening in universities in areas of policies, practices, and people for entrepreneurship growth jobs and wealth creation.

Activities

Strengthen the operational capacity of RUFORUM Secretariat to catalyse entrepreneurship and business creation including implementation of the Entrepreneurship Seed Grant system
Develop a framework for universities to create products and services, including guidelines and standards
Nurture business creation ecosystem including financial services such as venture capital, insurance banking and microfinance
Support Community Action Research Project to develop business from the transdisciplinary research clusters
Launch the implementation of commercialization of academic research and innovations for products and services development
Develop Digital economy strategy/agenda for RUFORUM

Deliverables

Survey to identify innovative technology products and interventions generated by member universities
Digital economy integration for accelerated value of the universities in the economy
New incubation and investment funds, including through venture philanthropy and impact investment established in close collaboration with the private sector, with multilateral agencies, NGOs and governments
At least one ESG strategy and management approach is developed
Number of enterprises established including spin-offs from supported projects
Periodic reports on monthly, quarterly and yearly on entrepreneurship, investment and business development activities.
Institutional entrepreneurship, investment and business development strategy developed
Additional financial resources mobilized for supporting entrepreneurship, investment and business incubation.

Qualification, Experiences and Competencies

Master’s degree or its equivalent in business, actuarial sciences, economics, and related disciplines
At least 5 years working experience in a similar role and institution of repute
Evidence of having established a successful and operational start-up/business