Key Roles and Responsibilities
- Supporting young women social entrepreneurs throughout their HerStart journey, including applications to the Catalyst Fund, refinement of their business model canvas and monitoring of business impact
- Building out additional support for social entrepreneurs, including the identification and allocation of mentors, supplemental funding opportunities and connections to relevant support services
- Enhancing the long-term sustainability of social enterprises through the development of needs-based strategies, trainings and tools
- Assisting with the planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting of the HerStart Catalyst Fund
- Advancing organizational learning on social entrepreneurship topics such as gender-responsive fund management, design thinking and impact measurement
- Designing and delivering needs-based trainings, reports and resources related to social entrepreneurship for partners, staff and fellows
- Conducting participatory research to identify local market trends, challenges and opportunities for innovation within women’s business activities
- Further building out the HerStart Toolkit and fellowship databases
- Engaging in holistic fellowship orientation and training opportunities, which include themes such as human-centred design, ethical volunteerism, climate action and gender equality
*Note: Responsibilities for this role will vary for each fellow and country. The above list demonstrates the types of activities this role may be engaged in, depending on the skills of the applicant and the immediate needs of the HerStart team.
Desired Qualifications for this Position
- Prior knowledge and experience in business start-ups, finance, social entrepreneurship and/or resource mobilization
- Experience with the business model canvas, lean canvas or similar business planning tools is preferred
- Strong research, communications and project coordination skills, with high attention to detail
- Tech-savvy with knowledge of diverse platforms and interest in learning new ones (including Excel, Slack, Airtable, Mural and Mighty Networks)
- Passion for learning and supporting the knowledge and skill development of others
- Excellent organization and time management skills, including the ability to work independently
- Ability to be proactive, flexible and take initiative
- Committed to working with others in an equitable and inclusive manner
- Ability to effectively collaborate with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, which includes openness to differing opinions and views
Eligibility Requirements
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- Canadian citizen or permanent resident
- Fluent or professional level English skills (written and verbal)
- Demonstrated interest in the fields of international development, gender equality, climate action and/or social entrepreneurship
- Enrolled in or graduated from a post-secondary institution (or have equivalent work experience)
- Ability to commit to the full length of placement, including pre and post training
- Access to a personal computer for duration of placement
