Who we are? 

Entrepreneurial Solutions Partners (ESP) aims to enable innovative, scalable, and profitable enterprises to build prosperity. Our mission is “to foster entrepreneurial solutions for prosperity.” We believe that sustainable transformation requires an entrepreneurial approach to deploy scalable and innovative solutions to foster prosperity. ESP enables people, firms, institutions, and nations to articulate, implement and disseminate solutions to their economic challenges.

Created in January 2011 in Washington DC, ESP through its principals boasts more than 19 years of experience. The firm operates today across the continent through two regional offices: one in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, covering West Africa, and a second in Kigali, Rwanda, for East, Central and Southern Africa operations; ESP has conducted programs and consultancy assignments in over fifteen countries in Africa and is expanding its presence.

ESP’s approach is to provide Intelligent Capital^TM—the right combination of insights and capital—to address critical societal issues. We provide advisory services to diverse clients, including entrepreneurs, SMEs, businesses, governments, and development partners in Africa. We support innovative models and provide leadership training and entrepreneurial boot camps.

ESP is organized into two practice areas to deliver on varied aspects of our mission.

Scale – Entrepreneurial workshops, seminars, competitions and platforms to foster the emergence and development of current and future leaders with real potential for transforming societies in developing countries. Inspiration, incubation, and acceleration programs offered across enterprise’ lifecycle with financing via various vehicles.

Insights – Consulting services aimed at creating and implementing innovative solutions for sustainable development through the competitiveness of value chains, business strategies, leadership and change mentality. We combine the best of a global expertise, a local perspective, and structuring initiatives for the financing of SMEs such as la « Finance S’Engage™! » and data such as “Data for Growth.”

Position Overview

Within the Scale team, the Value Creation team focuses particularly on supporting and creating value for entrepreneurs through hands-on support, tools, and connections.

ESP is currently undergoing a period of organizational growth, with new complex programs being added to our portfolio regularly and implemented in several countries. As a Value Creation Lead, reporting to the Scale Director, you will support the design and implementation of SME and entrepreneurship development strategies and interventions for our projects and clients.

We are looking for an expert with proven experience and expertise in operations and operational excellence, enterprise level assistance, competitiveness, SME development within specific value chains, access to finance, growth entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial ecosystem development and business development service delivery.

If, in addition, you have excellent interpersonal and business skills, are an initiative-taker and have an outstanding work ethic, we would love to hear from you!

Duties and Responsibilities

We are looking for an ambitious and motivated Value Creation (VC) to play a key role in building our VC approach, from strategy to implementation.

• Operational Excellence Strategy

– Define and oversee the Operational Excellence component of our Value Creation Strategy, approach and content for our programs to maximize impact and achieve the targets

–  Identify the necessary resources and systems and support their mobilization

– Identify and build partnerships related to Operational Excellence that could create value and bring relevant experience and expertise for our entrepreneurs to increase the impact of our programs

• Team Coordination and Training

– Manage the VC Team and lead effective implementation on operational Excellence matters

– Ensure mastery and continuous improvement of key tools, content, and methodologies for Operational Excellence support

– Review and validate deliverables and support plans

– Monitor and adjust performance

– Collaborate with the other departments (program delivery, M&E, Insight) for entrepreneurs’ selection, insights and learnings identification and sharing, monitoring and evaluation.

• Practice upgrade

– Proactively improve Operational Excellence support, processes, and standards 

– Identify and implement enhancements in operational excellence methodology, tools, and partnerships

– Identify and set up a development and training plan for the team

– Build a network of experts and providers in Operational Excellence

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree or equivalent in the fields of Engineering, logistics, business processes, or another related field.
• A certification in Lean management, Lean Six sigma or any similar certification is highly desirable
• Minimum of Eight years’ experience in the field of operations management, preferably in an industrial context.
• Experience in a strategic role for companies, preferably SMEs, or in a management role for a business unit or a fast-growing SME or start-up.
• Good understanding of entrepreneurship and private sector development context and strategic framework.
• Professional or extra-professional experience on the African continent/knowledge of the realities of the continent.
• Versatility and strong analytical skills.
• Fluent in English and French.

We offer.

• An opportunity to become part of a highly professional, motivated, and dynamic team.
• A unique opportunity to have a strong impact in building the African entrepreneurial sector.
• An entrepreneurial adventure to be lived daily.
• An unparalleled personal and professional growth as our longer-term objective is to train / Help the next generation of entrepreneurs.
• A structuring and expanding initiative.
• Access to a High-level network
• A good opportunity to challenge and grow with a competitive rewarding package.

Apply now by sending your CV to:  esptalent@espartners.co  with the reference Operational Excellence Value Creation Lead