About Us

ENRICH in Africa (EiA) is an EU-funded Horizon 2020 project and strives to connect the African and European innovation support ecosystems and focuses on directly supporting two main target groups in both continents: incubators & accelerator hubs and start-up & SME innovators. 

We want to facilitate the growth of ideas and successful outcomes within this ecosystem by building a strong network of African and European incubators & accelerator Champion hubs with a foundation in the delivery of quality services to start-up & SME innovators. To this end, we will be piloting a range of capacity upgrading and networking services to incubator and accelerator hubs, as well as innovation support activities for start-up & SME innovators themselves, both aiming to provide a pipeline of activities to support both stakeholder groups in matching their needs with quality solutions. To this end, an EiA Centre will be set-up to both cover the operational support of the ongoing project activities as well as ensuring post-project legacy and sustainability. 

For the EiA Centre that will be based in Cape Town (South Africa), we currently have an open full-time position for Business Development Manager who will support and work hand-in-hand with the other EiA Centre staff members as well as the project coordination team to develop new business relationships and funding opportunities and provide best-in-class support for start-up and SME innovators and for innovation facilitation stakeholders. The role encompasses, but is not limited to, the following activities: 

• Client acquisition, retention and management of innovators and innovation facilitator stakeholders

• Scouting of and application to funding and financing sources, including regional, national and international funding instruments and creation of sponsorship programmes.

• Implementation of advisories for innovators with the ENRICH in Africa portfolio offer alongside the project team

• Contribute to and expansion of portfolio development through periodic evaluation of innovator needs (through new services/activities or existing ones from Champions, EU-Africa initiatives, partner networks etc.)

• Support to consolidate and grow the Centre’s core business areas, including sales of services and investor relations

• Development of targeted marketing strategies, supporting brand awareness and protection

• Identification and establishment of strategic collaborations with investors, multipliers and relevant actors

 About You 

• 5-7 years of experience in a sales and business development role, preferably in public grant acquisition

• Bachelor’s in Business Management, equivalent degree or higher

• You have experience in areas such as technology transfer, innovation management, business administration/development, entrepreneurship, investors management, training

• You have first insights in the African and European start-up ecosystem and possess a credible network among innovators and other potential partners

• You have experience in MS Office and relevant IT tools for project management and administration

• Strong interpersonal & communication skills in a client-facing role

• You are a team player with a positive attitude and a desire for continuous learning

• You exhibit cross-cultural awareness and sensitivity

• You are a self-starter with a structured mindset for approaching problem solving and meeting deadlines.

Please send your CV to career@methys.com