Programme Lead: Startup Academy

Closing Date 2026/08/31

Reference Number AGO260814-1

Job Title Programme Lead: Startup Academy

Entity AGGPSA

Department Programmes

Employment Type Permanent

Location - Town / City Johannesburg

Location - Province Gauteng

Location - Country South Africa

Purpose of Role

Allan Gray Makers is looking for a Programme Lead to drive the Start-up Academy - a cohort-based incubation programme that equips aspiring artisan entrepreneurs with the business skills, mentorship and technical readiness support they need to launch sustainable businesses in the technical trades. If you thrive on turning entrepreneurship theory into hands-on, high-impact programme delivery, this role is for you.

Objectives of Role

• Support participant selection, recruitment and interviews, and help shape the participant profile
• Lead onboarding and orientation for a seamless programme experience
• Develop and manage implementation plans, timelines, systems and processes
• Monitor participant progress and ensure programme milestones and outcomes are met
• Manage day-to-day programme delivery against plan and budget
• Build and manage relationships with facilitators, delivery partners and industry stakeholders
• Support data management, monitoring, evaluation and reporting with the Impact Assurance Lead
• Run quarterly and annual retrospectives, prioritisation and planning
• Contribute to a knowledge hub of resources and thought leadership for participants
• Support scoping of future Academy programmes in new provinces and trades

Stakeholder & Relationship Management

• Build and maintain relationships across the incubator/accelerator ecosystem - implementation partners, subject-matter experts, participants and internal Makers teams while communicating the programme's impact to a wider audience, including media.

Strategic Input & Reporting

• Feed programme insights into Allan Gray Makers' scaling decisions and broader strategy, support the Programme Manager in building sector networks and partnerships, and compile regular progress reports for the Hub Manager.

Experience And Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in a relevant field (post-graduate in Development Studies, Entrepreneurship or Curriculum Development preferred)
• 5+ years' relevant experience, including accelerator/incubator and programme design experience
• Solid grounding in entrepreneurship, personal development and M&E
• Proven ability to research and compile course/curriculum content
• Project management skills, delivering curricula that meet learning outcomes
• In-depth knowledge of start-up trends, theory and Human-Centred Design
• A strong network within the entrepreneurial or education ecosystem
• A genuine passion for entrepreneurial and enterprise development within a philanthropic mission

Competencies

• Entrepreneurial mindset
• Innovation
• Thought leadership
• Planning & organising
• Project management
• Analytical & conceptual thinking
• Sound judgement
• Adaptability
• Attention to detail
• Execution & results orientation
• Stewardship
• Teamwork
• Ability to communicate complex ideas clearly