Associate Founder

Tanqeeb; Dubai; Hybrid; AED 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Yoo Katale, a hybrid Dubai-based startup in the mobile food market, seeks an Associate Founder to shape strategic direction, oversee operations, and drive growth.

You will build partnerships, coordinate cross-functional teams, and help develop scalable hybrid (physical and digital) solutions, reporting to leadership.

Qualifications

• Experience in business development, strategic planning and partnership management.
• Operational and project management skills with cross-functional coordination.
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement abilities; startup experience valued.

Responsibilities

• Shape Yoo Katale’s strategic direction, operations, and growth in Dubai.
• Lead partnerships, business development, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Support financial and operational planning with data-driven decisions.

Skills

Business strategy

Operations management

Leadership & collaboration

Analytical thinking

Stakeholder engagement

Startup/food market experience

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business/related

Job description

Company Description

Yoo Katale is a mobile food market enabling people and businesses in Uganda, Africa to sell, buy, and advertise food products and services. The company serves both homes and commercial clients, with a mission to make food accessible everywhere and a vision to connect people and communities to healthy food anywhere. Yoo Katale operates with a set of core values that emphasize customer focus, respect, simplicity, authenticity, curiosity, and persistence. The organization uses a hybrid model that blends physical and digital solutions to address everyday societal challenges. Its culture is customer-centric, prioritizing customer needs first, then employee well-being and engagement, and finally stakeholder interests to support long-term success.

Role Description

The Associate Founder will play a key role in shaping Yoo Katale’s strategic direction, operations, and growth in a hybrid work setting based in Dubai, with some work-from-home flexibility. This contract role involves supporting business development initiatives, building partnerships, and identifying new market opportunities that align with the company’s mission and vision. The Associate Founder will help oversee daily operational activities, coordinate with cross-functional teams, and contribute to product and service improvements for the mobile food market. The role includes contributing to financial and operational planning, tracking performance metrics, and ensuring customer-centric decision-making. The Associate Founder will also represent Yoo Katale in external meetings, collaborate with stakeholders, and support the development of scalable hybrid (physical and digital) solutions.

Qualifications

Business and strategy skills: experience in business development, strategic planning, and partnership management. Operational and project management skills: ability to oversee daily operations, manage projects, and coordinate cross-functional activities. Leadership and collaboration skills: capacity to work with diverse teams, influence decision-making, and foster a customer-centric culture. Analytical and problem-solving skills: proficiency in using data and insights to drive continuous improvement and identify growth opportunities. Communication and stakeholder engagement skills: strong written and verbal communication, with the ability to represent the organization to external partners. Experience in startups, food markets, or tech-enabled platforms is highly beneficial. Comfort working in a hybrid environment, with ability to operate from Dubai and remotely as needed. Bachelor’s degree in Business, Management, Entrepreneurship, or a related field; equivalent practical experience is also valued.