Incubation Manager

Responsibilities:

Design and develop the operational framework and standards for CPMS-supported incubation hubs and Centres of Excellence. Define what a functional Centre of Excellence should look like in terms of infrastructure, technology, programmes, people, processes and partnerships. Assess institutional readiness and identify infrastructure, operational, curriculum and ecosystem gaps within Centres of Excellence. Develop and coordinate a structured incubation pathway covering ideation, validation, pre-incubation, incubation, commercialisation, investment readiness and graduation. Work closely with the Learning & Development Lead to understand digital curricula and ensure learning programmes translate into practical innovation and enterprise outcomes. Support startups and entrepreneurs with business modelling, product/MVP development, market validation, commercialisation and investment readiness. Develop and maintain a startup pipeline to track participants, startups, milestones, business outcomes and graduation. Establish measurable performance milestones for incubated startups and conduct periodic portfolio reviews. Coordinate relevant ESOs and ensure their capabilities are appropriately matched to incubation and Centre of Excellence requirements. Develop and coordinate mentor, founder, investor and ecosystem networks to support incubated ventures. Engage participating institutions and support the effective establishment and operation of their Centres of Excellence. Analyse incubation and beneficiary performance data, identify gaps and trends, and translate findings into actionable recommendations and improvement plans. Prepare periodic incubation reports, Centre of Excellence assessments, dashboards and supporting documentation. Travel to Centres of Excellence, participating institutions and other project locations when required.

Requirements:

A minimum of a Bachelor's Degree or HND in any relevant discipline. Relevant professional experience in incubation, innovation, entrepreneurship, enterprise development, startup support, programme management or related functions. Practical experience working within or supporting an incubation hub, innovation hub, accelerator, Centre of Excellence or entrepreneurship-development programme. Demonstrable understanding of how an incubation hub or Centre of Excellence should be designed and operated. Experience supporting startups, entrepreneurs, digital talent or early-stage businesses. Experience developing or implementing incubation or enterprise-development programmes. Experience working with multiple institutional and ecosystem stakeholders. Experience working with universities, tertiary institutions, innovation ecosystems or enterprise-development programmes is an advantage. Relevant professional certification in entrepreneurship, innovation management, business development, project management or product management is an added advantage.