Career Details

INTERN

 

BACKGROUND:

We are the most innovative SMME investment company in South Africa; we flexibly combine ideas, people and capital to build the fast-growing SMMEs South Africa needs. We are building a team of leaders who are passionate about Awethu’s business model and mission.

 

This is a unique opportunity for a talented and driven individual to become part our team, and join a company that is using entrepreneurship to build the country we all want to live in – a socially and economically just South Africa, where OPPORTUNITY MEETS AMBITION and everyone has the chance to realise their full potential...

Opportunity

The position of an Awethu Incubation Intern is not only fulfilling in itself but offers huge opportunity for professional development. As an Awethu Incubation Intern, you have the unique opportunity to develop your management and business skills within the Incubator. The Incubation team serves as a pipeline to management of Awethu Ventures (MAV) with the best performing Incubation personnel gaining access to this opportunity over time. 

 

Brief Description

The position of Incubation Intern includes: assisting with administration in the Incubator; an opportunity to up-skill yourself to become an Associate; and shadowing Associates as they train and coach Awethu Entrepreneurs on how to grow the profitability of their businesses and create jobs whilst developing them to be future leaders in the South African economy. Awethu Entrepreneurs go through a rigorous 24 week, experiential Entrepreneurship programme as preparation for them to become successful business leaders. You will attend these sessions and assist the Associates in delivering these sessions. This is a great opportunity to see how what you learned at university applies in the world of business and Entrepreneurship.

Responsibilities

Incubation Interns will responsible for assisting Associates. Tasks include:

·         Assisting Associate with capturing data

·         Assisting Associate with other administrative tasks within the Incubator

·         Conduct business research as a means to support Associate’s mentorship and advisory role.

·         Shadowing and supporting Associate during their weekly lessons and one-on-one business consultations.

 

Qualifications, requirements and experience

·         A business diploma or equivalent

·         Proficiency in English; both written and spoken

·         Contextual leadership achievement

·         Ability to operate in a dynamic environment

·         Good numeracy ability

·         Entrepreneurial experience (optional but preferred)

 

Competencies

·         Integrity – This  role requires honest and ethical individuals

·         Reliability – This role is only suited to people who do what they say they are going to do and when they are going to do it

·         Effort – This role requires 100% of your effort, 100% of the time

·         Emotional intelligence – This role is only suited to people who can maintain composure in stressful environments and individuals with high emotional maturity

·         Stress tolerance – This role requires individuals that can implement constructive criticism and deal calmly and effectively with high stress situations

·         Aspirational – This role requires one to be ambitious and want to make a difference in the lives of others

·         Organizational – This role requires individuals that are capable of organizing their own work and managing themselves to success

 

In addition to the specifics of the job…

The short-term opportunity: To be part of Awethu’s Incubation team as we tackle the challenge of incubating 1 500 Awethu Entrepreneurs before April 2017. Our aim is to create 1 500 permanent jobs and 1 110 temporary jobs in the Incubator in addition to identifying and developing top individuals to be future leaders in the South African economy.

 

The long-term opportunity: To be part of an organisation passionate about starting an economic revolution that will liberate the talents of tens of thousands of young South African entrepreneurs, and irreversibly improve our continent’s socio-economic condition, over the next two decades.

 

What being on the Awethu team demands: Awethu is taking on a defining task over the next few years, and we’re building a team of leaders who are ready for the challenge. Internal and external expectations will be as high they are as in the world’s best organizations. Only those who thrive in a high-performance environment, and who have an appetite for rapid organizational and personal growth and impact, should apply.

 

The traits we look for in our team members:

1) Exceptional personal strength

·         Willing to work as hard as possible to get the job done, but also focused on working smart

·         Fun person, who enjoys their work and whose enthusiasm motivates others

·         Thrives under pressure

·         Strong desire for goal achievement, both personally and for the organization

·         Takes ownership and displays high levels of responsibility and initiative

·         Positive, and fully embracing of challenges

·         Enthusiasm for continuous learning and professional development

 

2) Strong leadership ability

·         Strong interpersonal and relationship building skills

·         Even-tempered, mature, with a high degree of self-confidence, integrity and professionalism

·         Eager to lead, showing discipline and pragmatism, drive and a sense of urgency

·         Able to work with a minimum of supervision

·         Able to motivate and influence others to deliver on tight deadlines

 

3) Passion for social impact

·         Sincere and resolute that there is tremendous untapped potential in under-resourced communities

·         Innovative, and committed to interventions aimed at developing capacity in under-resourced communities

·         Excited about scalable, sustainable models for social impact

 

A couple of important final notes:

Awethu is a proudly new South African company, and as such we welcome applications from people of any gender, gender identity, marital status, sexual orientation, race, ethnic origin, colour, religion, social background, or disability.