Business Incubators

Job Title_: Business Incubators & Accelerators Senior Advisor
- Project_: Business Egypt
- Reports to:_ Objective 1 Team Lead
- Location:_ Cairo, Egypt
- Period of performance:_ One year (renewable)
- **PROJECT BACKGROUND**

The Business Egypt Program is a five-year, USAID-funded program implemented by DAI. Business Egypt aims to substantially increase sales revenues and investments among Egyptian micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises and, by so doing, create new job opportunities, especially for women and youth. The project will co-invest with an ecosystem of institutions—business service providers, business associations, supportive government institutions, and more—to offer new products and services enabling MSMEs to better meet market demand and increase their sales. Business Egypt’s proposed sectors are renewable energy, ICT, and 3 additional sectors TBD. The project will operate from offices in Cairo, Alexandria, and Minya/Assiut (TBD).

**2. POSITION DESCRIPTION**

To assist new MSMEs to start up and accelerate business and employment growth under Objective I, Business Egypt team will need to strengthen the ecosystem to speed the growth of high-potential firms. Acceleration requires linkages to investors in early-stage firms, management expertise and coaching, and networks with anchor firm corporate mentors. Opportunities exist to help develop acceleration programs, expand into region, and define new services. Incubators that support sector specific start-ups can be linked to promising value chains to infuse value chain businesses with innovation and digitization.

Building the vibrant, high-functioning, and competitive ecosystem of innovative enabling institutions envisioned by Business Egypt will require a facilitative approach that places local institutions and the private sector in the lead in developing sustainable, market-based services, products, and solutions for MSME growth.

The Incubators & Accelerators Senior Advisor will work closely with and report to Objective 1 Team Lead on technical matters to design and implement interventions that ensure:

- Co-design scale-up plans with incubators
- Support new sector “verticals” at existing incubators and accelerators.

The incubators & accelerators Senior Advisor will coordinate effectively with the other team members, cross cutting teams and Objective Leads to optimize the impact of Business Egypt results.

**3. KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES**
- Work with and through incubators and accelerators to strengthen the entrepreneurship ecosystem, promote innovation and growth of startups
- Leverage a facilitative approach to develop a diverse ecosystem by establishing sector-specific accelerators
- Build networks with the private sector, investors, and financial institutions to kick-start their sustainability strategies
- Extend technical assistance and capacity building to incubators & accelerator based on a market driven approach
- Negotiate partnership agreements with key stakeholders to strengthen a sustained entrepreneurship ecosystem
- Responsible for all written project deliverables related to his/her work (input into the workplan, routine project reports, special studies, inputs to USAID reports, etc.)
- Manage short-term project staff in relevant activities and oversee development of needed products (reports, materials, tools)

**4. QUALIFICATIONS**
- Demonstrated experience in developing business incubators and accelerators programs;
- Experience with designing programs in general, and designing incubator and accelerator programs is a plus;
- Experience with identifying, creating, and managing partnerships;
- Experience in working with women and youth in entrepreneurship and MSMEs;
- A minimum of 12 year of experience including 8 years in similar roles;
- A comprehensive knowledge of the entrepreneurship ecosystem, its players, challenges, and opportunities;
- Excellent writing ability, fluency in English and Arabic, and effective communication and interpersonal skills;
- Ability to work and resolve work issues with counterparts, stakeholders, donor representatives, and project’ teammates;
- Cultivate a teamwork, business integrity and positive work spirit;
- Mobility to travel and manage activities throughout Egypt.

**Application instructions**: