Innovation Hub Coordinator

Innovate Durban; Durban; On-site; ZAR 200,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Innovate Durban seeks an Innovation Hub Coordinator to support its Innovation Co-Lab initiatives in Durban. This full-time role involves project coordination, user engagement, and activity monitoring to enhance the innovation ecosystem. Ideal candidates will possess experience in project management and collaborative skills, aiming to uplift local innovators.

Qualifications

• 3+ years experience in project coordination.
• 2+ years experience in facilitation.
• 1 year experience in Monitoring and Evaluation.

Responsibilities

• Support and coordinate Innovation Co-Lab activities.
• Track and monitor Lab activity and usage.
• Engage with users and beneficiaries of the Lab.

Skills

Communication

Problem-solving

Interpersonal skills

Multi-tasking

Tools

MS Office

Online project management tools

Job description

Position: Innovation Hub Coordinator

Salary: Market-related commensurate with experience

Who we are and why work for us?

Innovate Durban is a Non-profit Organisation aimed at supporting innovators and developing the innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem in KwaZulu-Natal.

We are a young company with a bunch of people who are passionate about innovation and highly motivated to implement programmes that support innovators in Durban. We are driven by a continuous need to deliver high quality work and work that adds immense value and impacts the lives of others. Furthermore, collaboration within our company and with others is a critical part of how we work. Our work is fast paced, forward looking and highly rewarding!

The Innovation Co-Lab is a community based Innovation Centre that serves and supports the local community and KZN-based innovators, through prototype development, co-creation, and co-working.

We are needing to grow our team to ensure that we continue to deliver high value projects that meet the need of innovators. So, if you are a motivated, innovative individual, that is open to collaboration and has good work ethic and integrity, then you may fit right in!

Purpose of the position:

To support and coordinate the Innovation Co-Lab activities to deliver high quality and relevant services to users.

Outcomes of the position – what does the Innovation Co-Lab Coordinator need to accomplish?

The Innovation Co-Lab Coordinator will need to achieve the following:

1. Lab projects, activities and skills programmes successfully implemented
2. Actively track and monitor Lab activity and usage
3. Successfully engage with and support users and beneficiaries of the Lab
4. Actively support the utilization of the makerspace and related activities
5. Support in attracting leads to generate revenue for the Lab

Key Competencies

Successful Characteristics:

• Strong work ethic and high level of integrity
• Discipline, Organisation and Planning: Plans, organises, schedules and follows up in an efficient and productive manner.
• Ambitious and goal-oriented, always looking to push yourself to achieve the most you can in your role
• Adaptable: working efficiently in a changing environment
• Is excited by being a contributing member of a high-performance team
• Collaborative: able to work well together within a team and with stakeholders
• Attention to detail
• Perseverance: never giving up and striving to overcome every obstacle on your journey
• Proactivity: Acts without being told what to do. Brings new ideas to the organization
• Strong interpersonal skills, builds trust and confidence
• Focused and motivated to work on deliverables
• Ease in maintaining good, positive working relations with colleagues
• Ability to juggle priorities and work on own initiative

Experience & Skills:

• Communication: Must speak and write articulately.
• Good decision-making skills: capable of thinking quickly and acting decisively
• Problem-solving: mastery of handling issues in the most effective way
• Must speak English fluently, IsiZulu speaking will be an advantage
• Must have a minimum of 3 years' experience in project coordination
• Advantage: experience working in a similar type of facility
• Must have a minimum of 2 years' experience in facilitation
• Must have a minimum of 1 year Monitoring and Evaluation experience
• Must have a basic understanding of product design and use of specialised machinery
• Previous experience working with community and young people
• Excellent multi-tasking skills
• Report writing skills

Additional requirements:

• Drivers license (an advantage)
• Experience using online project management tools
• MS Office proficiency

Please note that this is a full time position based in Durban.

NOTE: ONLY SHORTLISTED CANDIDATES WILL BE CONTACTED

Please note that information collected will be treated confidentially and used for its intended purposes only in line with Innovate Durban’s POPIA Policy that can be found on our website www.innovate.durban