---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Jeff Wishnie <jeff@wishnie.org> Date: Mon, Jun 15, 2015 at 11:35 PM Subject: [TIER] JOB: Gaza Sky Geeks looking for international director To: tier <tier@tier.cs.berkeley.edu> Gaza Sky Geeks, Gaza’s main (only?) technology start-up accelerator is hiring an international director to join the Gazan management team. Intro and job description follows. You can read a bit about the tech start-up world in Palestine, including Gaza Sky Geeks in this Forbes article: http://onforb.es/1MPa1qU If interested, or know someone who would be a good fit, please respond to Iliana (current director) directly. I am just the messenger. best, Jeff We're aiming to grow the Gaza Sky Geeks team by bringing on a new international leader... and we'd love your help! *Could you share this message with ThoughtWorks and any other appropriate networks? * We are seeking a new startup accelerator director. This is a fascinating role for a natural entrepreneur-leader. The perfect candidate should be eager to work with a wide range of startups, manage a great team in a collaborative style, and help us turn GSG into one of the top startup accelerators in the developing world over the next 2-3 years. JOB DESCRIPTION:http://bit.ly/gazageeks Anyone who applies through a referral should mention that in their cover letter and/or contact imontauk@gazaskygeeks.com with questions. This is the most fascinating and fulfilling work I've ever done. I guarantee it will be for the person who joins us, too! Our achievements have already been widely covered by the media, including Wired, NPR, CNN Money, and Forbes. Thanks so much for your help! Iliana -------- *Startup Accelerator Director – Gaza* *PROGRAM/DEPARTMENT SUMMARY:* Gaza Sky Geeks is Gaza’s first and only startup accelerator, run by Mercy Corps and founded with an initial grant from Google.org in 2011. Gaza Sky Geeks aims to transform Gaza’s most talented youth into the Middle East’s business leaders and realize Gaza’s potential as a startup hub. The accelerator recently ran #GazaStarts, the biggest crowdfunding campaign in the Arab world. As the Accelerator Director, your mission will be to harness the nascent startup movement we have created in Gaza to launch Gaza’s first successful startups. *GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY* As the Director of Gaza Sky Geeks, you will be the equivalent of the CEO of a startup accelerator. You will run a fun, lean, entrepreneurial, and rigorous operation to launch Gaza’s first startups. You will be charting new territory and shining the light on what is possible in emerging markets. You will lead all areas of the startup accelerator, which includes setting the strategy, overseeing the startups themselves, managing the accelerator team, nurturing relationships with the accelerator’s mentors and investors, developing the business model, overseeing traditional and online communications, conducting fundraising and business development, and liaising with many other teams within Mercy Corps. *ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS* * Strategy and Vision* · Constantly update and articulate a clear vision of present and future goals and strategy, in consultation with key stakeholders and building on the existing annual and three-year plans, pivoting or adapting as new lessons are learned · Set direction by prioritizing and organizing actions and resources amidst many competing priorities *Startup Development – Outreach, Pipeline, Startups in Acceleration, and Alumni* · Manage the acceleration program itself, working closely with startup teams to track their progress and guide their strategy in many areas including: talent recruitment and management, investment and budget, marketing/sales/user acquisition, product development, etc. · Grow the startup community in Gaza by designing and implementing effective outreach events or creating spaces and events where community is built and nurtured. Oversee large events whose meaningful content, smooth logistics, and careful attention to sponsors wows our participants, sponsors, volunteers, mentors, and the broader community. *Partner and Community Engagement* · Manage the Gaza Sky Geeks board of advisers to harness their expertise and network to ensure all of the startup accelerator’s goals and to be held accountable for those goals. · Recruit partnerships that help our startups and our accelerator succeed. This includes building deep, mutually-beneficial relationships with investors, potential enterprise clients, incubators, accelerators, financial sponsors and in-kind sponsors *Business Development and Fundraising* · This startup accelerator should be viewed as an ongoing organization, not a project that comes and goes when a grant finishes. Thus, the director will be like a CEO who is constantly in charge of business development or seeking investment. In this case, the accelerator currently operates predominantly on philanthropic ‘investment.’ · Identify potential funders and build relationships with them *Representation & Influence* · Represent Mercy Corps / Gaza Sky Geeks with traditional and online media · Coordinate with the Mercy Corps media relations team to develop a media and social media strategy to ensure coverage that feeds into the accelerator’s communications goals (harness communications to grow partnerships, mentors, and funding, and the Gaza Sky Geeks and Mercy Corps brands for the benefit of our startups). *Program Impact, Monitoring and Evaluation* · Define metrics and oversee the collection of data to measure the accelerator’s impact and whether or not it is on target with reaching its goals · Support other teams at Mercy Corps in West Bank/Gaza and other countries to share your expertise on startups and the tech sector to inform their strategy *Team Management* · Recruit, motivate, nurture, manage, work closely in collaboration and harness the skills of a fun, smart, and efficient team · Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence. · Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback via regular performance reviews. · Provide team members with information, tools and other resources to improve performance and reach objectives. · Contribute to country team-building efforts, help team members identify problem solving options and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes. *Organizational Learning* As part of Mercy Corps’ agency-wide Organizational Learning Initiative, all team members are responsible for spending 5% of their work time in formal and/or non-formal professional learning activities. *Accountability* Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects. *SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY:* Gaza Sky Geeks team members *ACCOUNTABILITY* REPORTS DIRECTLY TO:* West Bank / Gaza *Mission Director WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: West Bank / Gaza Finance, Procurements, HR, and Logistics teams, HQ-based Resource Development team *KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE* · BA/S or equivalent required. MBA strongly preferred. · 5+ years of experience in the private sector with experience working at or launching a tech company, online startup, startup incubator or accelerator or ecosystem organization, venture capital firm or equivalent experience in social enterprise · History of successful fundraising or business development (philanthropic fundraising, investment fundraising, or sales positions are all relevant experience) · Entrepreneurial mindset; resourceful · Experience managing teams effectively; collaborative and decisive style preferred. · Excellent business sense; problem-solving and analytical skills; prior experience setting metrics for success and measuring results. · Excellent people skills; very capable at building new relationships; natural leader; ability to motivate others. · Excellent written communication skills. English proficiency required; Arabic language skills preferred. · Strong attention to detail, or the ability to delegate detailed work while maintaining high quality. · Previous work experience in the Middle East preferred; may be substituted with experience in other emerging markets. *SUCCESS FACTORS * This is an exceptional role: energizing, full of potential, creative, and challenging. The ideal candidate is familiar with startups and eager to have positive social impact. S/he is a natural leader and fosters leadership in others. You love working on small teams and wearing many different hats. You are both professional and fun. You have a hunger for autonomy. You are analytical and rigorous, and you have emotional intelligence and love building relationships. Your passion for startups is a part of your life. You are eager to harness your experience to share thought leadership with the wider sector. You are familiar with startups in the Middle East or another part of the world, and a strong believer of the tech sector’s ability to change the future of emerging markets. You are fantastic at prioritizing, mentoring your team, and delegating. While you will delegate many of your responsibilities, you know the importance of conducting business development / fundraising and managing important strategic partners, and you will own that area of your work yourself. You are also eager to harness the resources within Mercy Corps that can strengthen Gaza Sky Geeks’ work and build strong internal relationships at Mercy Corps (with HQ and the country team) as well as external (non-Mercy Corps) ones. *LIVING CONDITIONS/ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS* The position will be based in Gaza. It requires frequent visits to the West Bank and occasional travel to regional locations (Jordan, Dubai, etc.) and the possibility of others (United States, Europe). In Jerusalem there is individual accommodation with full freedom of movement and excellent amenities. In Gaza there is shared accommodation with freedom of movement depending on the security situation. Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Staff are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues. *Job Location* Gaza City, Gaza (Ghazzah), Palestinian Territories *Position Type* Full-Time/Regular PS: The best way to reach me quickly is always via Whatsapp - use that if you are having trouble getting a hold of me, especially when I'm traveling. Iliana Montauk *Director* *Gaza Sky Geeks Accelerator <http://www.gazaskygeeks.com>Mercy Corps Digital Economy Program* Phone - Israel (Orange): +972 54-496-2706 Phone - Palestine (Jawwal): +970 59-750-1017 Phone - USA: +1 510-847-1369 Whatsapp: +1 510-847-1369 Skype: imontauk <http://www.gazaskygeeks.com/> <http://www.gazaskygeeks.com/> *[image: www.gazaskygeeks.com] <http://www.gazaskygeeks.com> <http://www.mercycorps.org/>*[image: www.mercycorps.org] <http://www.mercycorps.org> _______________________________________________ TIER mailing list Website: http://tier.cs.berkeley.edu TIER@tier.cs.berkeley.edu https://www.millennium.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/tier