Mine-Tech Hub Programme Manager

The 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.

The 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 UNDP’s regional flagship initiative aimed at transforming Africa’s 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.

Under the direct supervision of the Mine-Tech Hub Manager, the Min-Tech Hub Programme Manager will:

A. Programme Design and Delivery
• Lead the design and delivery of tailored programme content for pre-incubation, incubation, and acceleration stages.
• Integrate mining sector requirements and insights and industry needs into curriculum and mentorship design.
• Collaborate with the Technical Specialists to align curriculum with mining-related research and development (R&D), product development, and commercialization opportunities.
• Supervise mentors and trainers, ensuring high-quality delivery and measurable startup outcomes.
B. Startup Support and Progress Monitoring
• Monitor cohort progress using engagement metrics and milestone tracking.
• Provide startups with ongoing support including expert referrals, mentorship, and access to workshops or partner incubators.
• Provide oversight in each startup’s journey, offering guidance as needed across the growth stages.
C. Mentorship and Community Building
• Recruit, manage, and coordinate a pool of mentors comprising entrepreneurs, investors, mining professionals, and technical experts.
• Facilitate structured mentorship sessions (individual and group formats).
• Build and maintain an alumni community to support peer learning and long-term engagement.
D. Ecosystem Engagement and Partnerships
• Map, assess, and partner with sector-specific incubators across Africa.
• Organize joint programmes with partner incubators and innovation hubs.
• Lead partnership development and coordinate formalization of agreements with key partners to deliver sectoral and regional programming.
E. Outreach and Community Mobilization
• Lead local outreach events, webinars, and online campaigns to attract prospective founders.
• Moderate and animate local and online communities via the Timbuktoo platform.
• Promote thematic engagement in mining-tech, industrial innovation, and adjacent sectors.
F. Acceleration Events and Investor Engagement
• Plan and implement acceleration bootcamps and Demo Days for Innovator cohorts.
• Organize investor pitch sessions, innovation tours, and media engagements to increase startup visibility and funding prospects.
• Facilitate follow-up support to maintain startup momentum post-Demo Day.
G. Startup Financing and Fund Management
• Design and operationalize a zero-interest financing mechanism for selected startups.
• Coordinate matching with business angels, develop eligibility criteria, and monitor repayments.
• Support startups in exploring complementary funding sources such as bank loans, grants, or crowdfunding.
H. Data, Reporting and Impact Measurement
• Collect and analyse data on startup performance (e.g. revenue, jobs created, investment attracted).
• Track repayment performance for financed startups and flag support needs.
• Provide periodic reports on programme performance and cohort outcomes for internal and external stakeholders.