Country Manager - BFA Global

BFA Global is a research, product innovation and strategy consulting firm that aims to improve the lives of vulnerable and underserved communities around the world. BFA Global works at the frontier of applied research and innovation using finance, data, and technology to craft solutions for more sustainable and equitable societies. Founded in 2006, BFA Global is headquartered in Boston and Nairobi, with additional offices in Medellín and New Delhi. We have a presence in Johannesburg, Lagos, Madrid, Mexico City and Paris.

Catalyst Fund is BFA Global’s flagship tech accelerator. Catalyst Fund supports early-stage inclusive tech startups focused on creating solutions for emerging market underserved consumers. The program has two mandates: accelerating pre-investable inclusive tech startups and accelerating the innovation ecosystems that enable them to scale. To date, Catalyst Fund has supported 31 fintech companies by resolving their specific capital, talent, and skills challenges so they can deliver accessible, affordable, and appropriate solutions more efficiently, more quickly, and with greater impact.

BFA Global is an exciting and rewarding place to work offering a range of opportunities to have an impact. The BFA Global and Catalyst Fund team is curious, collaborative, agile, and risk-taking, constantly seeking to improve to better support startups and innovation ecosystems around the world. We are a global team of highly-skilled, socially-motivated thinkers and doers working together to achieve the best value possible for our clients and partners, and ultimately improving the conditions of global poverty. We foster an entrepreneurial environment where we can learn, work with purpose and autonomy, help each other, and grow, while also having fun! To learn more, visit www.bfaglobal.com 

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About Catalyst Fund Ghana

Catalyst Fund is launching a new partnership with Mastercard Foundation and MEST to accelerate the growth of inclusive digital commerce companies in Ghana and create an enabling digital commerce ecosystem where informal micro and small enterprises (MSEs) can thrive in a post COVID-19 world by helping them grow and be more resilient.

Informal micro and small enterprises (MSEs) have been severely affected by the COVID-19 crisis, and a lack of access to digital tools has prevented them from taking advantage of the digital economy.  To catalyze a more inclusive digital commerce ecosystem, the intervention will provide digital commerce companies with: (a) access to capital, (b) bespoke venture acceleration focused on unlocking opportunities to increase uptake by MSE customers who have been slow to adopt e-commerce (c) connections with investors, capital providers and other value chain actors, to provide appropriate financing options for MSEs and form partnerships that can fill gaps in the e-commerce value chain.

About the Country Manager

Are you seeking a client-facing role with the challenge of representing BFA Global and the Catalyst Fund in Ghana?  Are you looking to support cutting-edge innovators building tech solutions and help them scale? Are you a people person who thrives at setting up key partnerships and adept at managing relationships?  Do you seek to play a role in a company that has an impact on creating a more sustainable and equitable world? If the answer is yes, this role is for you.

We are looking for an exceptional leader with a strong commitment to supporting tech entrepreneurs in creating a lasting impact in Ghana. Reporting to the Catalyst Fund’s Program Director, the Country Manager will be responsible for executing Catalyst Fund’s program in Ghana, help source and assess inclusive digital commerce companies in the country, work with MEST, the local implementation partner in Ghana, lead venture acceleration projects to help companies scale, develop key partnerships with investors, banks, other accelerators in the e-commerce and fintech ecosystems, and represent Catalyst Fund in local and regional events.

Key Responsibilities:

The Country Manager has a deep understanding of the Ghanaian tech ecosystem and a rich network of companies, entrepreneurs, investors, and other players. The candidate brings strong e-commerce and product/tech expertise from the startup or innovation field to implement and drive the success of the Catalyst Fund program in Ghana. The country manager’s responsibilities will focus on these three core areas, which are likely to develop and evolve over time.

Startup Support

• Contribute to defining the sourcing strategy for the cohorts of companies to be admitted to the accelerator program and inform the investment thesis of the program
• Support the due diligence and selection of Ghanaian inclusive digital commerce companies
• Lead venture acceleration projects with cohort companies on issues varying from product management, value proposition design, customer insights, business modeling, scaling, partnerships development, and fundraising
• Build community among the companies in Ghana and act as the connective force to the larger entrepreneurial ecosystem, while also coordinating with other country managers in Mexico, South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, and India and the global Catalyst Fund team

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Local Operations 

• Drive and oversee program operations on the ground in Ghana
• Manage relationship and collaborate with local implementation partners in Ghana
• Contribute to market research to understand the impact of COVID-19 on small businesses and the local e-commerce ecosystem
• Set up key partnerships with investors, banks and other stakeholders that can support the cohort companies
• Set up and manage the relationships with local partners and other key players in the local ecosystem
• Participate in local meetings with the funder of the program as necessary

Learning & Influence

• Author briefs, blogs or reports on e-commerce market trends and share insights as part of Catalyst Fund’s learning and comms strategy
• Lead the organization of local events with support from the global events team
• Support dissemination activities in the country through local media/PR

Country Manager Requirements:

• 8+ years of experience in entrepreneurship, venture capital, technology, corporate innovation, or consulting
• Experience working in the e-commerce sector in Ghana and Africa, ideally at key e-commerce companies in the region. Experience in e-commerce operations is preferable
• Experience managing a venture fund, accelerator or other initiative working with startups  in emerging markets is preferred
• Strong project management experience
• Excellent networking skills
• Experience mentoring or working with startups on product design, business strategy, growth hacking and scaling, or product development in emerging markets is preferred
• Self-starter and team player with lots of energy to juggle multiple responsibilities
• Strong written and verbal communication skills to communicate effectively with a distributed team across several countries and to represent Catalyst Fund with local partners
• Strong organizational and management skills, excellent punctuality, and professionalism.
• Fluency in English, any other local language will be an advantage