Platform Associate – Africa at Mercy Corps Ventures

Location: Various Locations in Africa, with a preference for Nairobi, Kenya

Job Level: Mid-Senior Level

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Job Description

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is dedicated to creating a better world. We believe that diverse teams, each member feeling they truly belong, are the key to our success. We welcome individuals from various backgrounds, perspectives, and skillsets to strengthen our impact.

About Mercy Corps Ventures

Mercy Corps Ventures (MCV) is on a mission to bolster underserved individuals and communities through venture-led solutions. As the impact investing arm of Mercy Corps, we’ve empowered 44 early-stage ventures, raising over $400.4 million in follow-on capital and reaching nearly 20 million end-users. Our focus areas revolve around climate adaptation, resilience-building solutions, inclusive fintech, and climate-smart technologies in frontier markets.

Platform Associate

As a Platform Associate, you’ll join the growing Post-Investment Team at Mercy Corps Ventures. Collaborating closely with our team, you’ll design, deliver, and coordinate post-investment support for MCV portfolio companies. This role is highly entrepreneurial, spanning emerging market ventures with a focus on product, customer insights, and growth.

Essential Responsibilities

The Platform Associate will provide post-investment support services directly to companies in our portfolio. You’ll collaborate with diverse teams across emerging markets, leveraging your hands-on approach to tackle recurring challenges and enable companies to achieve sustainable growth. Your role will involve working closely with CEOs, leadership teams, technical advisors, and partners from top global companies.

In this position, you will:

1. Design and Implement Engagements: Develop and structure post-investment engagements, including:
   • Product: Running product sprints to enhance portfolio companies’ product offerings.
   • Customer Insights: Assisting companies in understanding their target users, especially in vulnerable communities.
   • Strategy and Growth: Supporting companies in crafting and executing their growth strategies.
2. Coordinate Platform Services: Collaborate with other Platform team members to manage, coordinate, and monitor Platform services, including onboarding and overall requests.
3. Onboard New Portfolio Companies: Facilitate the onboarding process for new portfolio companies and prepare relevant materials for engagements.
4. Manage External Consultants: Oversee external consultants (e.g., finance experts) to deliver Platform engagements.
5. Support Post-Investment Plans: Work closely with the Investment and Platform teams to design post-investment support plans.
6. Develop New Support Offerings: Continuously innovate and test new post-investment support offerings, with a focus on product, growth, marketing, and customer insights.
7. Enhance Platform Operations: Propose strategies to increase efficiency in Venture Platform’s operating model and manage tools to improve operations.
8. Iterate on Processes: Continually refine internal processes to provide better quality support to portfolio companies.
9. Generate Insights: Regularly review insights from Platform activities, organize resources, and share valuable findings.
10. Build Relationships: Research and establish relationships with peers at other venture capital firms to identify best practices.
11. Share Learnings: Contribute key information and results to donor reporting and share learnings with a wider audience.

Supervisory Responsibility

This role may include direct and indirect management of external consultants.

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Head of Platform

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps is committed to accountability, particularly to our program participants, community partners, and other stakeholders, aligning with international standards for relief and development work. We actively engage communities as equal partners in project design, monitoring, and evaluation.

Minimum Qualifications & Skills

• 3-5+ years of experience in the Sub-Saharan Africa tech and startup ecosystems, including startup experience or working closely with startups (e.g., accelerators, incubators, service providers).
• Hands-on operational experience with a proven track record of independent work in areas such as product development, business growth, people management, or operational management.
• Diverse educational backgrounds are encouraged.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• English fluency required, and proficiency in French and/or Spanish is a plus.

Success Factors

The ideal candidate possesses:

• A product-oriented mindset: Ability to solve problems with a product-centric approach.
• User-focused mentality: Prioritizing user experience and understanding customer-centric approaches.
• Startup founder mindset: Experience as a founder or close collaboration with startups.
• Strong network in the early-stage founder community: Ability to relate to founders and navigate complexity.
• Boldness: A willingness to figure things out and move fast.
• Hustle: The ability to move quickly while exercising sound judgment.
• Team player: Collaborative and open to learning.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

This is a remote position based in Africa, with a preference for Kenya or Uganda. You must have work authorization in your chosen country for this role, which may require up to 30% global travel.

Ongoing Learning

We believe in learning organizations. Team members are encouraged to dedicate 5% of their time to personal and professional growth and development.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Mercy Corps is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, leveraging the power of different backgrounds and perspectives to address complex challenges.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer, actively seeking diverse talent to strengthen our impact.

Safeguarding & Ethics

We uphold the highest ethical standards and are committed to preventing any form of exploitation, abuse, or harassment. Team members are expected to conduct themselves professionally and adhere to Mercy Corps’ Code of Conduct Policies. Mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses are required upon hire and annually.

Expert Tips To Be A Successful Applicant

Applying for the Platform Associate role at Mercy Corps Ventures? Here are some expert tips to enhance your application:

1. Showcase Startup Experience: Highlight your hands-on experience in the startup ecosystem, emphasizing your contributions to company growth and development.
2. Demonstrate Problem-Solving Skills: Provide examples of challenges you’ve tackled in the areas of product development, business growth, people management, or operational management, showcasing your ability to solve complex problems.
3. Communicate Effectively: Craft a clear and concise application, demonstrating your excellent communication skills, which are vital for collaboration in this role.
4. Highlight Language Skills: If you are proficient in French and/or Spanish, make sure to mention it as it’s a valuable asset.
5. Embrace Diversity: Emphasize your commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, aligning with Mercy Corps’ values.
6. Network and Collaborate: If you have a strong network in the early-stage founder community, mention your ability to connect with founders and navigate complex environments.
7. Boldness and Hustle: Share instances where you’ve demonstrated boldness, a willingness to learn, and the ability to act swiftly while making well-informed decisions.
8. Remote Work Readiness: Highlight your comfort with remote work and experience collaborating across different time zones.

By incorporating these tips into your application, you can stand out as an exceptional candidate for the Platform Associate role and make a lasting impression. Your journey to creating a better world with Mercy Corps Ventures begins here!