Position Description:

The Program Designer will work closely with the Director of Strategy and Operations to grow ygap’s ability to achieve an equitable and sustainable world through making entrepreneurship more inclusive. They will lead the design process to develop and pilot high quality, context-responsive, entrepreneurship programs and proposals across the regions we operate in.

The position will play a key role in: leading research efforts to inform new models and programs that align with ygap’s mission and have the potential to be commercialised; providing support for ygap’s regional teams to scope and prototype new program opportunities to increase their impact in their respective contexts; and managing existing as well as developing new partnerships with external stakeholders who complement our work. They will take the lead on a number of programs at ygap in different phases of development - from scoping and design to prototyping.

This role will have a high level of agency and independence, and is instrumental in contributing towards the long-term growth of ygap’s new strategic direction.

About ygap

ygap is an international organisation that creates positive change by making entrepreneurship more inclusive.

We believe that business can be a force for good, and that entrepreneurship is key to solving the most challenging social and environmental problems facing our world today. But for this to happen, the world’s diversity must be represented in creating these solutions and the systems that enable them to succeed.

ygap exists to increase the capacity and agency of entrepreneurs to run successful businesses, and reduce the barriers that inhibit access and inclusion within the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Since 2008, we have run 57 programs that have supported 589 ventures working to make change in their communities. We have offices led by local teams in Africa, South Asia, the Pacific Islands and Australia.

Key Selection Criteria:

Essential

• 5 years of experience successfully supporting entrepreneurs and/or growing entrepreneurial ecosystems. This could be working on programs that directly support entrepreneurs, being an entrepreneur yourself or working in other parts of the entrepreneurial ecosystem (e.g. access to finance/impact investment).
• Experience in human centred program design.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver exceptional outcomes in a fast-paced environment and across a broad portfolio.

Desirable

• Experience working within entrepreneurial ecosystems within one or more of the following regions: Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Pacific Islands.
• 3 or more years of experience in at least one of the following: gender equality, inclusive entrepreneurship, climate entrepreneurship, inclusive and accessible finance.
• Experience in writing and designing program proposals that were successfully funded.
• Experience in designing programs that have been successfully commercialised.

Key competencies

• Systems thinker – Sees the big picture and understands connections, dependencies and consequences.
• Detail-oriented – Understands the importance of essential smaller parts to contribute to larger outcomes and commits to delivering on both large and small in equal measure.
• Flexible decision-making – Comfortably handles uncertainty, assesses knowns and unknowns and demonstrates solid judgement without having all information.
• Curious and thoughtful – Seeks clarification and insights and thoughtfully considers all angles, context and relevant information in determining a course of action. Able to work in a high-paced and at times fluid environment.
• Proactive and responsible – Takes initiative and ownership from beginning to end and meets or exceeds expectations.
• Collaborative and empathetic – Works well alongside team members and understands the competing priorities and needs of various stakeholders.
• Problem solver - Able to consider problems from different perspectives.
• Strong communicator and influencer – Communicates clearly, provides clarity upon decisions and persuades without the need to rely on authority.

Key Responsibilities:

Program design – 50%

• Lead on the research, design and piloting of new ygap programs that aim to support diverse entrepreneurs and to strengthen entrepreneurial ecosystems, with support from the Program Coordinator.
• In the regions in which ygap has teams on the ground, support ygap team members who are seeking to develop new, context-responsive programs by establishing and facilitating a human-centred design process for them to scope, design and pilot new programs.
• Leverage own technical skills and sector expertise to inform the design and prototyping of new programs, whether internal or in collaboration with external partners.
• Where required, involve other ygap team members who have specific context and technical expertise.
• In the case that ygap doesn’t have the appropriate expertise in house, seek out and establish partnerships and/or contracts that address gaps for the purposes of designing and piloting new programs.
• Test and evaluate the potential of new programs from both an impact and income-generating perspective by applying a commercialisation lens with existing and prospective partners.
• Work with the program coordinator to track time against new projects and work with the CFO to ensure invoices and reports are submitted in a timely manner, where programs are being designed as part of a fee for service or grant arrangement.
• Work with the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Manager to monitor, evaluate, learn and communicate the outputs and outcomes of new programs being piloted, and to define what ‘success’ looks like.
• For the programs that are piloted successfully, work with the Director of Strategy and Operations and the Operations Manager to transition the program from pilot stage to being part of our core portfolio of work, ensuring that the program is adequately funded and the ygap can invest in the program’s growth.

Business Development – 30%

• Work with the Director of Strategy and Operations and ygap’s regional teams to identify as well as pursue new opportunities to support entrepreneurs and strengthen entrepreneurial ecosystems.
• Lead on writing proposals for growing ygap’s existing work, and taking on new work. This can involve a mixture of grant and philanthropy funded work, as well as fee for service work.
• Represent ygap to showcase its expertise and impact achieved as well as the need for broader support for inclusive entrepreneurship.

Strategy – 20%

• Support the Director of Strategy and Operations in developing and operationalising ygap’s impact strategy as it relates to designing and piloting new solutions to support entrepreneurs and to strengthen entrepreneurial ecosystems in the regions we work in.
• Continuously identify new ways to improve and adapt ygap’s approach to developing new solutions in our various markets based on learnings, sector insights, and best practices.

Application Process

Please click Apply Now to follow the instructions to submit a cover letter and current CV.

Please apply as soon as possible. Applications will be processed and candidates interviewed as applications are received and we encourage you to apply early.

A position description is attached.