Founders Scouting Lead
Background
Allan & Gill Gray Philanthropy Rwanda (AGGPR) has embarked on a journey to develop responsible entrepreneurs across the African continent in the service of the common good.
Our Vision is an empowered, prosperous, productively engaged African citizenry thriving in ethical societies with dignity and hope.
Our Mission is to attack poverty by investing in, nurturing, and empowering responsible entrepreneurs and leaders who benefit society by helping to accelerate meaningful employment creation, while embodying the values and behaviors of ethical leadership.
Our Values are long-term commitment, spirit of humility and significance, excellence, responsible stewards, and diversity and inclusion.
Jasiri, one of AGGPR’s main programs, invests in, nurtures, and empowers entrepreneurs who benefit society and attack poverty through the creation of high-impact new businesses, creating new markets on the African continent.
Jasiri Talent Investor is a one-year program for high-potential individuals who display exceptional entrepreneurial potential to form part of a community of high-impact, responsible entrepreneurs growing businesses from scratch. Participants are funded and guided through a process of team formation, idea generation, business validation, and market entry. The program introduces Jasiri Fellows to equally ambitious co-founders and supports them on an individual, team, and business level through seasoned Facilitators and Coaches.
Jasiri Growth Accelerator invests in early stages, high-potential startups that may still be too risky for commercial funders to invest in. Early-stage ventures with potential for high growth and demonstrated product-market fit are provided with funding to support their growth and assisted with investor readiness.
Wavumbuzi – a Jasiri pipeline building program – is a free annual six-week online entrepreneurship challenge focused on developing the entrepreneurial mindset of secondary/high school learners throughout the country. The challenge is designed to equip students with competencies to be the next generation of global leaders, change-makers, and innovative thinkers.
About the Position
The Founders Scouting Lead is a pivotal leadership role within Jasiri, designed to shape and execute a forward-looking Founders sourcing strategy that fuels the organization’s mission to build commercially viable, high-growth, high-impact ventures across Africa. This role is responsible for positioning Jasiri’s competitive edge and implementing intelligence-driven headhunting and ecosystem engagement.
The Founders Scouting Lead will lead the design and implementation of targeted scouting strategies to proactively identify, attract, and convert exceptional entrepreneurial and technical talent for Jasiri Programs. This includes sourcing repeat founders, visionary product developers, technical experts, and operators who can drive venture success.
This role reports to the East Africa Regional Director and will supervise the Recruitment Officers and Headhunters across Rwanda, Kenya, Ethiopia & South Africa.
Key Roles & Responsibilities
Design and execute a robust Founders Scouting Strategy across our countries of operations, to identify and attract exceptional entrepreneurial and technical talent meeting our eligibility criteria/founder profile.
Spearhead proactive headhunting initiatives and recruitment campaigns, leveraging strategic networks. Ensure campaigns are data-driven, context-specific, and aligned with evolving program objectives.
Build and maintain a dynamic talent intelligence system to monitor pipeline health, analyse candidate quality, and identify gaps. Use insights from selection outputs and data analytics to continuously refine recruitment strategies and improve application quality across countries.
Initiate and manage high-value partnerships with key stakeholders (governments, entrepreneurship ecosystems, global leadership programs, investors, diaspora networks, Jasiri Community). Position Jasiri as a premier launchpad for Africa’s entrepreneurial leaders.
Make recommendations on strategy and initiatives on pipeline building aiming at strengthening the quality of applications across countries of operations.
Coordinate and manage the scouting team, setting clear targets, monitoring performance, and driving accountability for results. Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.
Lead the process of building deep, trust-based relationships with potential founders and startups, managing their progression through the entire application and selection journey. Ensure an enhanced candidate experience that reflects Jasiri’s mission and values.
Oversee the effective execution of the entire selection process (planning, execution, reporting) and cross-functional collaboration.
Lead the effective execution of all recruitment and selection processes, including planning, contracting service providers, and ensuring compliance with timelines and quality standards.
Provide timely, analytical recruitment reports and actionable insights to inform decision-making.
Collaborate with the KRU team to analyse selection data and recommend improvements to strengthen the selection process.
Effectively track and update the Jasiri Applicant Tracking System and dashboards in collaboration with the CRM Administrator.
In Collaboration with the technical team, refine automated communications to inform candidates of their application status, assessment expectations, and outcomes at all stages of the selection process.
Represent Jasiri at local, regional, and international events to build brand awareness and strengthen its positioning as a world-class platform for entrepreneurial talent.
Support the design of rigorous and effective assessment tools for all stages of the selection process.
Job Requirements
Education:
Bachelor’s Degree in Business Studies, Business Administration, International Business, or Marketing.
Experience:
5+ years in founders sourcing, startup scouting or recruitment for entrepreneurship development programs (incubators, accelerators).
Familiarity with Entrepreneurship ecosystems and cross-country recruitment drives.
Proven ability to build partnerships that support pipeline development and manage stakeholder relationships
Experience in data analysis
Experience leading a team on founders scouting initiatives
Advanced proficiency in digital productivity tools (Microsoft Office, Asana, etc)
Skills and Competencies:
Proactive & Self-Managed: Independent, resourceful, and initiative-driven.
Adaptability & Resilience: Thrives in fast-paced, evolving environments.
Strong Communication: Clear, persuasive, and audience-tailored.
Team Collaboration: Inclusive and cooperative approach.
Planning & Organization: Prioritizes effectively and meets deadlines.
Attention to Detail: Delivers accurate, high-quality outputs.
Leadership & Stakeholder Management: Inspires teams and builds trust-based relationships.
Results-Driven & Problem-Solving: Focused on outcomes, analytical, and creative in
resolving challenges.
Program Management: Coordinates end-to-end program and portfolio with clear goals,
metrics and timelines.
Additional Information:
Location: Eastern Africa (Preferred) or South Africa (frequent travels across
countries of operation required)
If you are ready to take on this exciting opportunity and meet the requirements, we would love to hear from you!