Business Operations Lead

Full Job Description

Akcela Ventures is a start-up incubator helping to support and grow tech-driven businesses in Norfolk. We are committed to building nationally and internationally significant companies out of the ideas and talent in the region. Within our first two years our portfolio already includes innovative SaaS and services businesses, a games studio, and a pioneering agri-tech venture. Akcela Ventures is led by four partners all with a background in starting, growing and selling companies.

Job description:

The Business & Operations Lead role is central to driving Akcela Ventures’ growth. We need help with refining and documenting our incubation approach, managing our programme, improving our back-office operations and building our communications programme. This position is ideally suited for someone who wants to work in an entrepreneurial environment helping early-stage companies grow and succeed.

Key responsibilities:

• with the partners to refine and document our incubation processes, improving scalability and efficiency.
• and managing the incubation programme, from engaging founders before incubation, onboarding start-ups and then driving successful incubation activities
• milestones, actions, and diaries so everyone knows what’s supposed to be happening now and next.
• high-quality business documents, including pitches, proposals, partnership agreements and promotional materials.
• a CRM system to enhance communication with the Norwich start-up community's stakeholders.
• administrative functions at Akcela Ventures, ensuring good financial control and efficient office management.

Required skills and qualifications:

• interest, and some experience, in consulting, digital or marketing services environments.
• to articulate ideas and plans through high-quality written communication and business documentation.
• administrative skills, with good attention to detail and the capacity to manage complex projects and operations.

We are also looking for an individual with a mix of some of the following attributes. We aren’t looking for the finished article, but someone who can learn and grow with the organisation.

• demonstrable interest in early-stage and growth-stage businesses, understanding their unique needs and challenges.
• in creating onboarding or ‘how-to’ materials for people or teams joining a programme
• management, with experience organising engaging community events.
• interest in branding, sales and marketing which you could develop while working at Akcela Ventures
• role might particularly suit candidates with a business degree or masters, but we are open to applications from people with different educational backgrounds.

Location and contract:

This is a one-year fixed term contract for a full-time role with the potential to extend into a permanent on-going role. You will normally work out of our Norwich city centre office, with flexibility for home-working when it makes sense. You’ll also need to make occasional journeys across the region and the UK for business development and to expand our network, expenses paid.

Salary: £30,000 to £40,000, dependent on the candidate's experience and qualifications.

Our culture:

Akcela Ventures is having a substantial impact on the start-up landscape in our region. We love working within the constraints of limited resources and tight deadlines because it tests our creativity and resourcefulness. Our culture is action-oriented, focused on problem-solving, and creating order from the inherent chaos of starting new ventures.

You will love this role if you are:

• to take the initiative and take responsibility for getting things done.
• excited about start-ups and tech-driven businesses and see your future in this kind of environment (and perhaps even starting your own venture one day).
• picking up new tools and techniques to make things work slicker
• sure if the comfortable, structured corporate life is really the one for you.