Business Development Lead

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About ErrandWave

ErrandWave is a new, exciting social enterprise on a mission to create millions of jobs by supporting vulnerable youths in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) with training, visibility, networks and the resources they need to develop and run highly proficient errand enterprises.

ErrandWave will work to map and register unemployed and underemployed youth including internally displaced persons and refugees on the ErrandWave online platform. Through strategic partnerships with INGOs, public and private sector and training institutions, we will provide tailored capacity building and upskilling support to target groups to enable them supply quality, in-demand home delivery and errand services in a wide variety of sectors. Through verification, rating and marketing systems, we will enshrine a culture of quality and trust for these service providers, promoting demand for their services and hence creating viable employment opportunities for marginalized groups. The ErrandWave platform will in particular facilitate - from the comfort of their phones - access to quality, close-proximity service providers for millions of clients.

Current gig platforms in SSA focus on a few sectors mainly in building repairs and transportation and deliver services through their own service providers. ErrandWave will use a hybrid model, recruiting and supplying its own service providers for select sectors through B2B contracts, but will also allow free registration by other 'non-ErrandWave’ service providers on the platform, as well as free access to these service providers by clients.

ErrandWave will allow access to service providers from a wider range of sectors than currently obtains, providing more options to both clients and youth service providers. Sectors will include those with low training and skills requirements or those for which some vulnerable groups already possess the minimum technical skills to facilitate entry. Such sectors include home cleaning and routine errands (grocery, packages and drycleaning pickup). Sectors for which home delivery of services are not yet the norm will also be included and offer the opportunity to transform how clients currently obtain these services by ensuring that they can command these services from the comfort of their phones for delivery right in their homes. These include hairdressing, pedicure, manicure, massage and documentation (followup of official documents such as for renewal of passports and national identification papers).

About the Volunteer opportunities:

The ErrandWave founders are currently working to test the ErrandWave application, conduct rapid market assessments to learn and adapt, develop strategic partnerships and mobilize financial and material resources to launch a pilot operation in Douala Cameroon or Lagos Nigeria. For this purpose we are looking for volunteers to help us prepare for the pilot launch. Volunteers are expected to work virtually, but where feasible, the opportunity to work on the ground in Douala, Cameroon, will be explored. The role of the volunteer(s) include:

• Develop a business plan for launching the ErrandWave pilot;
• Develop strategic partnerships with INGOs, UN agencies and bilateral missions working with an interest in reducing youth unemployment and underemployment, to mobilize technical and financial support;
• Develop a database of potential funders and a workplan for engaging and submitting funding proposals to funders;
• Organize fundraising initiatives including through crowdfunding and engagements with donors;
• Support capacity building of the ErrandWave team in business development, fundraising and donor engagement;
• Oversee implementation of any secured grants to advance the mission of ErrandWave and compliance with donor regulations;
• Development B2B opportunities for mobilizing private sector partnerships and resources.

Qualifications:

A combination of one or more the following qualifications are required:

• Experience writing proposals for donors including
• Partnerships development and public relations experience
• Enthusiastic about supporting vulnerable youths develop skills and business opportunities to combat poverty
• Capacity to leverage networks to mobilize technical and financial resources for supporting youth development initiatives