Mission and objectivesThe United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN's global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP is on the ground in some 170 countries and territories, supporting their own solutions to development challenges and developing national and local capacities that will help them achieve human development and the Sustainable Development Goals. Our work is concentrated on three main focus areas: Sustainable development; Democratic governance and peacebuilding; Climate and disaster resilience. UNDP helps countries attract and use aid effectively. In all our activities, we promote gender equality and the protection of human rights. UNDP has enhanced its support to countries to work towards the eradication of extreme poverty, enabling us to build back better and work towards innovative solutions to the complex global challenges. We have refined our service offering through six signature solutions to provide a more integrated response to the development challenges that we are all facing in this complex global environment. This includes a mix of policy advice, technical assistance, catalytic financing and innovative programmes tailored to country specific needs to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals through six our signature solutions on - poverty, governance, resilience, environment, energy, gender equality.
ContextThe Timbuktoo Mine-Tech Hub, anchored within the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Zambia and strategically situated at the National Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research (NISIR), represents UNDPโs regional flagship initiative aimed at transforming Africaโs mining landscape through innovation-driven, youth-led entrepreneurship. The hub is part of the broader Timbuktoo innovation framework, designed to catalyze collaborative research, development, and commercialization of locally relevant technological solutions addressing environmental sustainability, operational efficiency, and productivity challenges along the mining value chain. Operating continentwide from its Zambian base, the initiative leverages an integrated ecosystem comprising universities, government actors, private sector partners, and investors to foster high-impact startups from ideation through to commercial scaling. The Mine-Tech Programme Manager role is strategically positioned to oversee and coordinate the end-to-end support provided to these startups, ensuring alignment of solutions to the mining sector's critical needs, while establishing structured incubation, acceleration, and scaling pathways. The Programme Manager will address challenges inherent in innovation ecosystems, such as navigating diverse stakeholder interests, facilitating effective industry-academia-government collaboration, ensuring context-specific adaptation of innovations, and overcoming potential operational barriers linked to infrastructure, capacity gaps, and market access within the mining sector.
Task DescriptionUnder the direct supervision of the Mine-Tech Hub Manager, the Min-Tech Hub Programme Manager will: A. Programme Design and Delivery โข Lead the design and delivery of tailored programme content for pre-incubation, incubation, and acceleration stages. โข Integrate mining sector requirements and insights and industry needs into curriculum and mentorship design. โข Collaborate with the Technical Specialists to align curriculum with mining-related research and development (R&D), product development, and commercialization opportunities. โข Supervise mentors and trainers, ensuring high-quality delivery and measurable startup outcomes. B. Startup Support and Progress Monitoring โข Monitor cohort progress using engagement metrics and milestone tracking. โข Provide startups with ongoing support including expert referrals, mentorship, and access to workshops or partner incubators. โข Provide oversight in each startupโs journey, offering guidance as needed across the growth stages. C. Mentorship and Community Building โข Recruit, manage, and coordinate a pool of mentors comprising entrepreneurs, investors, mining professionals, and technical experts. โข Facilitate structured mentorship sessions (individual and group formats). โข Build and maintain an alumni community to support peer learning and long-term engagement. D. Ecosystem Engagement and Partnerships โข Map, assess, and partner with sector-specific incubators across Africa. โข Organize joint programmes with partner incubators and innovation hubs. โข Lead partnership development and coordinate formalization of agreements with key partners to deliver sectoral and regional programming. E. Outreach and Community Mobilization โข Lead local outreach events, webinars, and online campaigns to attract prospective founders. โข Moderate and animate local and online communities via the Timbuktoo platform. โข Promote thematic engagement in mining-tech, industrial innovation, and adjacent sectors. F. Acceleration Events and Investor Engagement โข Plan and implement acceleration bootcamps and Demo Days for Innovator cohorts. โข Organize investor pitch sessions, innovation tours, and media engagements to increase startup visibility and funding prospects. โข Facilitate follow-up support to maintain startup momentum post-Demo Day. G. Startup Financing and Fund Management โข Design and operationalize a zero-interest financing mechanism for selected startups. โข Coordinate matching with business angels, develop eligibility criteria, and monitor repayments. โข Support startups in exploring complementary funding sources such as bank loans, grants, or crowdfunding. H. Data, Reporting and Impact Measurement โข Collect and analyse data on startup performance (e.g. revenue, jobs created, investment attracted). โข Track repayment performance for financed startups and flag support needs. โข Provide periodic reports on programme performance and cohort outcomes for internal and external stakeholders.
Competencies and valuesโข Achieve Results โข Think Innovatively โข Learn Continuously โข Adapt with Agility โข Act with Determination โข Engage and Partner โข Enable Diversity and Inclusion
Living conditions and remarksZambia is a land-linked, resource-rich country with sparsely populated land in the centre of Southern Africa. It shares its border with eight countries (Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe) that serve as an expanded market for its goods. Lusaka is the capital of the Republic of Zambia. The climate is sunny and temperate, but it can be very cold during few months, with freezing temperature at times especially during the night. It is therefore advisable to bring warm clothing and foresee using heaters and other heating options when necessary. As the commercial and cultural centre of Zambia, Lusaka has seen rapid development in recent decades, with reasonable transportation connections and widely spoken English making the city highly attractive to vacationers and experts alike. Unemployment and poverty are issues in the city, and beyond. Key industries for the region and Zambia as a whole, include mining, agriculture, and tourism. Like most Southern African cities, life in Lusaka will require some adjustments for a person moving from outside the region, but the potential rewards and opportunities for experiences are well worth the effort. Lusaka hosts several international organisation and embassies/diplomatic missions, therefore there is a very large community of expatriates from around the world. Housing is most of the time readily available and of good standard options are available. Most foodstuffs, beverages, household goods, furniture, and clothing, mostly imported from South Africa, Europe, and China while some ranges of local brands are available at a competitive price to imports. Meat, fish, fresh fruits, and vegetables are reasonably priced and abundantly available. The basic infrastructures roads, utilities, and telecommunications are of reasonable standard, although the city experiences power outages from time to time. Medical facilities are still largely inadequate, although several private clinics and hospitals provide reasonably good routine care. Several restaurants around the city serve local or international cuisine and there are numerous social and sports facilities (fitness, tennis, swimming, riding, golf, etc.) in the major hotels or in different establishments around the city. There are no major or special security concerns within Lusaka city limits. For more information, please visit http://zambiatourism.com.