Senior Social Entrepreneur & Project Development Lead

About the role

Suyana Foundation seeks an experienced, entrepreneurial senior professional to identify, develop and test innovative social‑enterprise and income‑generating pilot projects across its African programmes. The role is highly field‑oriented, requiring hands‑on work with communities to turn ideas into practical pilots.

Key responsibilities

• Identify and develop social‑enterprise, community business and market‑based solutions within Suyana’s African programmes.
• Work directly with communities, entrepreneurs, cooperatives and local partners to design and launch testable pilot projects.
• Conduct on‑the‑ground market assessments, engage customers and suppliers, and validate assumptions through real‑world testing.
• Develop realistic business models, financial projections and pilot budgets, balancing social impact with commercial viability.
• Build partnerships with businesses, NGOs, government agencies and technical experts to secure market linkages and resources.
• Document lessons learned, prepare feasibility reports and recommendations for scaling successful pilots.

Required profile

• 7‑10 years of experience in social entrepreneurship, enterprise development or private‑sector development.
• Proven ability to work in field settings, engage communities and translate opportunities into viable pilots.
• Strong understanding of social‑development contexts combined with a commercial mindset.
• Experience designing business models, financial analyses and sustainability plans for social enterprises.