Techmtaa Jobs: Developer Competition and Conference Coordinator

m:lab East Africa is a mobile technology incubator established through a seed fund from InfoDev. The Lab’s mission is To facilitate demand-driven innovation by regional entrepreneurs, ensuring that breakthrough low-cost, high-value mobile solutions can be developed and scaled-up into sustainable businesses that address social and economic needs. Its vision is “to be a leader in identifying, nurturing and helping to create sustainable enterprises in the knowledge economy.”

The Lab and its partners in 2011 organised Pivot25 – a regional mobile apps. developer competition and conference. The competition attracted over 100 applications from across East Africa and culminated in 25 finalists pitching at the conference in June 2011. An opportunity has arisen for a skilled and experienced person to lead in organizing Pivot East, the 2012 edition of this successful competition and conference.

The competition opens to developers in January 2012 and culminates in a pitching conference in June 2012 :-

Job Responsibilities

• Planning: Plan ahead and ensure the format for the event, venue, speakers, agenda, sponsor categories etc. This includes anticipating the scope of the event, deliverables and resources required.
• Co-ordination: Oversee the various elements: marketing, payments, PR, Sponsorship, budgeting, handling logistics, ticketing, progress reporting, supervising volunteers etc
• Budgeting and Finance: Meet and Recruit sponsors to ensure financial success of the event. This will also entail generating a budget, collecting revenue and monitoring expenses.
• Marketing: Promote the event through traditional, online and social media amongst other avenues. Create a website for the event that informs and facilitates registration and payment. Create an event program.
• Project Management: Co-ordinate services for the event, including accommodation and transportation, audio-visual equipment, facilities, catering, signage, displays, special needs requirements, printing, event security, ticketing, team management etc.
• Inspect event facilities in order to ensure that they conform to mLab East Africa requirements.
• Maintain records of event aspects, including financial details, videos, communications, invoices, sponsor contracts, receipts etc.
• Coordinate photography and live streaming of the conference and related events.
• Conduct evaluations throughout the competition and during the conference to document lessons learnt on how future events could be improved.
• Negotiate contracts with such service providers as hotels, convention centers, service providers and speakers, which would be approved by mLab East Africa.
• Organize registration of event participants
• Design and implement efforts to publicize events and promote sponsorships.
• Hire, train, and supervise volunteers and support staff required for event(s).
• Coordinate coaching and preparation of competition finalists for final presentations
• Ensure fair and transparent processes are applied in the selection of finalists and category winners

Job Requirements

• 3 years or more of experience in organizing events and conferences
• A university degree from a recognized university preferably in Business Management or IT related fields
• Experience organizing tech events and competitions will be an added advantage

Desired Personality

• A reliable, trustworthy person of unquestionable integrity
• An ambitious, cheerful person with patience and empathy for customers’challenges
• Team player that goes out of their way to get good results
• Enthusiasm for mobile innovations

Duration and terms

The position will be filled on a short term (6 months) contract basis

Interested candidates are requested to email their applications with CVs to recruit@mlab.co.ke along with a brief write up of how they fit the position. Application emails MUST have the subject line “PIVOT EAST COORDINATOR” Applicants MUST indicate their salary expectation AND how soon they are available to take up the task in their application email. The deadline for submission of applications is 11.59pm Wednesday 14th December 2011.

Only email applications will be considered.

IMG: Daudi Were