Community Entrepreneurship Officer – Vijana2Thrive Program

Introduction

E4Impact Africa Foundation is a spinoff of the E4Impact Foundation, an initiative launched by ALTIS Graduate School of Business and Society at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan, Italy. Since 2010, E4Impact has supported over 10,000 entrepreneurs across 20 African countries through incubation, acceleration, investment readiness training, and access to finance. E4Impact empowers entrepreneurs to launch and scale businesses that generate social, environmental, and economic value.

E4Impact Africa is an implementing partner in the Vijana2Thrive Program (V2T)—a Mastercard Foundation-supported initiative implemented in collaboration with Swahili Pot Hub Foundation (SPH) and the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK). The three-year program seeks to address youth unemployment in Kenya’s urban informal settlements and rural areas by establishing inclusive, community-based hubs that provide market-relevant skills training, mentorship, entrepreneurship pathways, and industry linkages. With a strong focus on young women, persons with disabilities, and refugees, the program aims to empower 42,900 marginalized youth (80% young women, 5% persons with disabilities, and 5% refugees) and place 30,000 in dignified, fulfilling work through a collaborative, youth-responsive ecosystem.

As the lead partner for the entrepreneurship pathway, E4Impact will provide tailored training, business development services, mentorship, market linkages, and Challenge Fund support to enable youth-led enterprises to grow, scale, and reinforce entrepreneurial ecosystems at the county level.

Primary Purpose – Community Entrepreneurship Officer

The Community Entrepreneurship Officer will play a pivotal role in advancing youth employment under the Vijana2Thrive program, with a focus on the entrepreneurship pathway for self-employment. The officer will support young people to identify, develop, and scale business opportunities by providing tailored business development services, mentorship, and linkages to finance and markets. In collaboration with consortium partners, program participants, county governments, and local stakeholders, the officer will contribute to inclusive economic growth and the development of resilient entrepreneurial ecosystems.

Core Job Responsibilities

Program Implementation & Support (55%)

• Identify, profile, and support youth with entrepreneurial aspirations within V2T hubs.
• Deliver comprehensive business development services, including business registration, compliance, product development, branding, marketing, and financial literacy.
• Provide mentorship and coaching to strengthen youth-led business models and ensure sustainability.
• Facilitate access to the V2T Challenge Fund by guiding youth through the full pathway—business readiness assessments, proposal submission, screening, and Investment Committee approvals.
• Support pre-investment technical assistance, including business registration, licensing, product development, branding, marketing, and proposal refinement.
• Provide post-investment technical assistance, including milestone-based mentorship, coaching, and performance tracking to ensure effective fund utilization and enterprise resilience.
• Link entrepreneurs to markets, investors, financial institutions, and county business networks.
• Support youth enterprises to scale by facilitating access to growth capital, investor showcases, and additional mission-aligned funding opportunities.

Collaboration & Ecosystem Engagement (25%)

• Work with consortium members to ensure coordinated delivery of V2T activities and represent the program in county forums.
• Collaborate with county governments, private sector associations, and community stakeholders to strengthen enabling business environments.
• Engage with the Challenge Fund’s Investment Committee by coordinating youth participation and ensuring transparency and accountability.
• Build and maintain partnerships with chambers of commerce, MFIs, cooperatives, and entrepreneurship support organizations (ESOs).
• Identify and cultivate partnerships that enhance program sustainability and open pathways for post-program initiatives.
• Facilitate multi-stakeholder platforms that amplify youth voices and promote inclusion, particularly for young women, persons with disabilities, and refugees.
• Strengthen networks to ensure continuity of mentorship, business support, and investment linkages beyond program duration.

Monitoring, Reporting & Compliance (15%)

• Track and document enterprise growth, job creation, and business performance of youth enterprises.
• Prepare high-quality reports, success stories, and case studies to support program learning and donor reporting.
• Ensure compliance with program safeguarding, quality, and accountability standards.

Other Duties (5%)

• Support other program components and cross-cutting initiatives as assigned.

Qualifications

Education & Certifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Entrepreneurship, Economics, Agribusiness, or related field (master’s degree is an added advantage).
• Professional training in business development services, enterprise incubation, or SME financing is desirable.
• Certification or training in gender mainstreaming, social inclusion, or safeguarding is an added advantage.

Experience

• Minimum of 3–5 years of progressive experience in business development, entrepreneurship support, or SME capacity building.
• Demonstrated experience in training, mentoring, or coaching youth or MSMEs.
• Proven track record in linking enterprises to finance, investment, or markets.
• Experience supporting micro and small enterprises through grant or seed-funding programs is an added advantage.
• Experience working with marginalized groups, particularly young women, persons with disabilities, and refugees.
• Strong background in partnership building, networking, and resource mobilization with government, private sector, or development partners.
• Experience working with county governments, private sector actors, and development programs.

Skills

• Strong business advisory, analytical, and coaching skills.
• Excellent facilitation, training, and community engagement abilities.
• Proficiency in MS Office and digital tools for training/mentorship.
• Exceptional report writing and communication skills in English and Swahili.
• Ability to apply gender-sensitive and socially inclusive approaches in program delivery.
• Understanding of cultural and social dynamics that affect youth, women, PWDs, and refugees in accessing opportunities.

Abilities

• Ability to manage diverse workloads and deliver results under pressure.
• Strong interpersonal skills to engage youth, communities, and stakeholders.
• Ability to create safe, inclusive, and empowering environments for participants.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and safeguarding.

Additional Information

• Application Deadline: 22 October 2025
• Contract Duration: Annual and subject to renewal based on performance
• Contract Type: Local
• Duty Station: Mombasa
• Desired Start Date: 1st November 2025

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit their CV and Cover Letter as a single PDF to: hr.kenya@e4impact.org with the subject line: “Community Entrepreneurship Officer”.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.