Company

The Curve Africa by Kora is a social enterprise building Africa’s next generation of technology talent.

Our mission is to bridge the gap between formal education and employable tech skills by providing accelerated, high-quality training pathways for African youth, particularly those with limited access to opportunity. We equip talent with the technical, professional, and problem-solving skills needed to thrive in the modern digital economy.

Our vision is to build a scalable, inclusive pipeline of African technology talent prepared to solve real-world problems and lead innovation across the continent.

We are now entering a growth phase and are seeking a strategic leader to expand our partnerships, footprint, and long-term impact.

We currently deliver a six-month, intensive, project-based training program in Software Engineering and Product Design, combining real-world technical training, workplace and soft skills development, portfolio and interview readiness and mentorship and industry exposure.

Our long-term ambition is to train 10,000 young Africans in Software Engineering for free within 10 years.

Our Model

The Curve operates as a grant and partnership-funded social enterprise. Corporate CSR partnerships, grants and foundations and institutional and ecosystem collaborations drive our sustainability model.

Our work sits at the intersection of education, technology, and economic mobility, and directly contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals:

• SDG 4 – Quality Education
• SDG 5 – Gender Equality
• SDG 8 – Decent Work & Economic Growth
• SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure
• SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities

We are focused on bringing technology access and opportunity to the bottom of the pyramid, ensuring that talent, not privilege, determines access to the digital economy.

About the Role

The Head of Growth & Partnerships will be responsible for expanding The Curve’s reach, influence, and sustainability. This role leads external strategy, including partnerships, funding relationships, ecosystem positioning, and geographic/program expansion.

This is a builder role for someone who can turn vision into networks, and networks into opportunity.

Here are a couple of things you'll be doing:

• Strategic Partnerships & Alliances:
• Develop and execute The Curve’s partnerships strategy across corporates, foundations & funders, universities & institutions and ecosystem organisations.
• Secure long-term, value-aligned partnerships that support funding, mentorship pipelines, and program delivery.
• Lead sponsor and partner relationship management at a senior level.
• Growth & Expansion Strategy:
• Identify and evaluate new growth opportunities, including new countries or regions, digital program expansion and institutional collaborations.
• Design scalable partnership models for program delivery.
• Support the structuring of The Curve’s next phase of growth.
• Funding & Sustainability Support:
• Support fundraising strategy through partner proposals, institutional relationship development and strategic funding conversations.
• Translate The Curve’s impact into compelling narratives for partners and stakeholders.
• Ecosystem Positioning & Visibility:
• Represent The Curve at high-level events, forums, and strategic conversations
• Position The Curve as a leading platform for African leadership access
• Build relationships with key ecosystem influencers, founders, and leaders.
• Internal Strategic Support:
• Work closely with program and operations teams to ensure partnerships align with delivery capacity.
• Provide strategic input into program direction based on partner and ecosystem insight.

Here's what we are looking for:

• 5–8 years’ experience in partnerships, business development, ecosystem building, strategy, or growth roles, ideally across startups, impact organisations, corporates, or foundations.
• Strong understanding of partnership development, stakeholder engagement, and cross-sector collaboration.
• Proven ability to build and manage senior relationships with corporates, institutions, funders, and ecosystem leaders.
• Confident in leading external conversations, representing an organisation, and translating vision into mutually valuable partnerships.
• Excellent writing and documentation skills (proposals, partnership decks, concept notes, reports, and strategic briefs).
• Strong organisational and tracking skills; able to manage pipelines, partnership lifecycles, and follow-through across multiple stakeholders.
• Experience working within high-growth, mission-driven, or ecosystem-led environments is highly desirable.
• Exposure to fundraising, sponsorships, CSR partnerships, or institutional collaborations is an advantage.
• Strong strategic thinking ability; can connect partnerships to long-term organisational growth and impact.
• Comfortable working across geographies and cultures, with sensitivity to diverse stakeholders.
• High level of integrity, professionalism, and credibility when representing the organisation externally.

We’re looking for someone who is:

• A natural relationship builder with strong executive presence
• Experienced in partnerships, ecosystem building, or business development
• Comfortable in corporate, startup, and nonprofit environments
• Able to think strategically while moving fast
• Passionate about access, equity, and leadership development in Africa
• Experience working with foundations, donors, or CSR teams
• Background in impact, education, leadership development, or community platforms
• Experience expanding programmes across regions.

Note: We recognise imposter syndrome is real - any candidate who does not perfectly fit every characteristic of this role is still strongly encouraged to apply.