Project Team Leader

Are you an expert in entrepreneurship and digital skills development? Are you passionate about fostering the digital ecosystem in Kenya? Do you have strong management and team leadership skills? GFA Consulting Group is preparing a project proposal for a public sector funded project in Kenya that aims at supporting the Association of start-up and SME Enablers in Kenya (ASSEK), as well as supporting the set-up of a new Digital Innovation Hub in Nairobi. We are therefore searching for a team leader that can oversee the implementation of activities, liaise with the client and represent the project towards externals. If GFA is awarded the contract, the team leader will steer the project to contribute to the succesful digital transformation of the start-up sector in Kenya.

Project Description:

Project Title: Digital Transformation Center Kenya – Strengthening intermediaries of the Kenyan digital innovation ecosystem financed by GIZ (German Development Cooperation)

Project Period: July 2022 – March 2024. The Team Leader is expected to work 375 working days in Kenya and 10 days in home office.

The Digital Transformation Centre (DTC) Kenya was set up to improve the country’s preconditions for a digital transition towards a sustainable digital economy. Hereby the DTC capitalizes on the existing innovation ecosystem, seeking to strengthen it, while also looking at the wider societal impact of digital technologies. This part of the GIZ project seeks to improve the structural capacities of intermediaries of the digital and innovation ecosystem to strengthen the digital and entrepreneurial skills of SMEs and start-ups. Intermediaries are hereby defined as technology and innovation hubs, entrepreneurship and SME support organizations (ESO), support institutions of universities, research and technology organizations, as well as start-up and SME associations.

Intermediaries of the digital and innovation ecosystem are important actors when it comes to bringing digital know-how into start-up communities, strengthening access to investors and start-up promotion. Hence, the project targets intermediaries that are providing support services to SMEs and start-ups in Kenya.

For the implementation of the approach, the DTC has entered into a strategic partnership with ASSEK which brings together and represent the interests of over 40 ESOs supporting the development and growth of start-ups and SMEs in the country. The project shall support ASSEK in developing digital solutions and approaches (e.g. online/blended learning) to strengthen the digital skills of their members.

Further, the project seeks to improve the digital transformation of local SMEs’ by supporting the establishment of a Kenyan Digital Innovation Hub as part of the African-European Innovation Bridge (AEDIB). Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs) are one-stop shops for small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) and mid-caps within a specific sector that wish to become more competitive with regard to their business and production processes as well as products and services using digital and innovative technologies. Given the nature of the Kenyan business land-scape the Kenya DIH shall also cover micro enterprises, hence MSME.

With the African-European Digital Innovation Bridge (AEDIB), EU Member States and the European Commission plan to establish a Pan-African Network of Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs). This network is aimed at encouraging joint ventures between Africa and Europe and providing technical, digital, and innovation expertise and experimentation for small and mid-size enterprises. The Kenyan DIH shall therefore also serve as a vehicle to connect the Kenyan manufacturing industry to the African and European DIH network.

Responsibilities:

The Team Leader will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the project, including the planning, coordination of the various inputs, ensuring outputs are delivered and the overall quality of the services provided is maintained. The Team Leader will have overall responsibility for the smooth running and timely implementation of the project and the efficient use of project funds. In addition, the Team Leader will be responsible for coordination with the central stake-holders and networks locally, nationally, regionally and internationally.

Tasks of the Team Leader:

• Overall responsibility for the work packages of the contractor, including the fulfilment of indicators linked to the activities and outputs under the contractor’s scope of work

•  Ensuring the coherence and complementarity of the contractor’s services with other services delivered by the project at local and national level

• Overall responsibility for all activities related to the development and piloting of digital and entrepreneurial skills trainings through intermediaries of the digital and innovation ecosystem

• Design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of capacity development measures for local partners

• Taking cross-cutting themes into consideration (for example, gender equality)

• Staff management, in particular identifying the need for short-term assignments within the available budget, planning and managing the assignments and supporting local and international experts

• Ensuring that monitoring procedures are carried out

• Regular reporting in accordance with deadlines

• Responsibility for checking the use of funds and financial planning in consultation with the officer responsible for the commission at GIZ

• Supporting the officer responsible for the commission in updating and/or adapting the project strategy, in evaluations and in preparing a follow-on phase

Qualifications:

• Education/training: Master’s degree business, economics, innovation management

• Languages: English C1 (Common EU Framework of Reference for Languages)

• General professional experience: 10 years of professional experience in digital innovation, entrepreneurship support and skills development

• Specific professional experience: 5 years of professional experience in digital and entrepreneurial skills development, experience working with entrepreneurship support organisations (ESOs) and other intermediaries of the digital ecosystem

• Leadership/management experience: 3 years of management/leadership experience as project team leader or manager in a company managing large-scale projects

• Regional experience: 3 years of working experience in the East African Community (EAC region), of which 1 year in Kenya (country)

• Development cooperation (DC) experience: 2 years of experience working on DC projects

• Other: 2 years of experience in financial management with substantial local subsidies; experience with GIZ projects would be an advantage.