Programme Manager - Westerwelle Startup Haus Accra

Programme Manager – Westerwelle Startup Haus Accra

Location: Accra, Ghana

Reports to: Country Director, Westerwelle Foundation Ghana

Application Deadline: 30th September 2026

About Westerwelle Startup Haus Accra

The Westerwelle Foundation for International Understanding, headquartered in Berlin, Germany, is a non-profit organization established in 2013 by Dr. Guido Westerwelle, former German Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Ralph Dommermuth, CEO and Founder of United Internet AG.

The Foundation's work aims to empower young entrepreneurs and through that contribute to digital transformation, innovation and economic development. To support entrepreneurship ecosystems, the Westerwelle Foundation operates entrepreneurship hubs known as Westerwelle Startup Haus. These hubs are currently located in Tunis (Tunisia), Kigali (Rwanda), Arusha (Tanzania), Mombasa (Kenya), and Accra (Ghana), providing entrepreneurs with access to workspaces, networks, mentoring, and entrepreneurship support programs tailored to different sectors and stages of business development.

The Westerwelle Startup Haus Accra (WSHAC) serves as a collaborative entrepreneurship hub connecting founders, innovators, investors, corporates, universities, and ecosystem partners. Through flexible workspaces, startup support programmes, networking events, capacity-building initiatives, and strategic partnerships, WSHAC supports entrepreneurs in building scalable businesses while strengthening Ghana's innovation ecosystem and fostering collaboration across Africa.

Overview

The Programme Manager leads the design, delivery, and impact of all entrepreneurship support programmes at Westerwelle Startup Haus Accra. This is a senior delivery role with ownership of the programme portfolio end to end – from concept and curriculum through founder selection, delivery, and measurable outcomes – and accountability for programme quality, budgets, timelines, and donor reporting.

As WSHAC is in its establishment phase, the Programmes Manager will build the programme function rather than inherit it. The role suits an experienced programme leader who is comfortable designing systems from scratch, working with limited structure, and moving quickly between strategy and hands-on delivery.

The Programme Manager works closely with the Country Director, the Finance & Operations function, the marketing and community team, mentors and facilitators, funding and delivery partners, the founder community, and the wider Westerwelle Foundation network.

Responsibilities

Programme Strategy & Design

• Lead the design of WSHAC's programme portfolio – including incubation, acceleration, capacity-building, and sector-specific tracks – aligned with the Foundation's global strategy and the needs of Ghana's entrepreneurship ecosystem.
• Translate funder and partner priorities into deliverable programme concepts, results frameworks, work plans, and budgets.
• Develop programme curricula, session plans, delivery tools, and templates, drawing on proven practice from across the Westerwelle Startup Haus network.
• Define founder selection criteria, application processes, and scoring rubrics that are transparent, inclusive, and defensible to funders.
• Refine programme design continuously on the basis of participant feedback, performance data, and ecosystem developments.

Programme Delivery & Management

• Manage the full delivery cycle of all WSHAC programmes: outreach, applications, selection, onboarding, delivery, demo days, and alumni engagement.
• Develop and maintain programme work plans, delivery calendars, and milestone trackers, and hold the team and partners to them.
• Source, brief, contract, and quality-assure trainers, facilitators, mentors, coaches, and consultants.
• Ensure all programme activities are delivered on time, within budget, and to the quality standard expected by the Foundation and its funders.
• Work with the Finance & Operations function to anticipate procurement, logistics, and supplier requirements well ahead of delivery dates.
• Lead the planning and execution of demo days, pitch sessions, bootcamps, masterclasses, and other flagship programme events.

Founder Support, Community & Mentorship

• Build and manage WSHAC's mentor, expert, and coach network, and match founders to the support they actually need.
• Provide direct advisory support to founders on business model, go-to-market, operations, investment readiness, and growth.
• Support portfolio companies in accessing finance, markets, and follow-on opportunities, including investor and partner introductions.
• Strengthen the Haus community through member engagement, peer learning, alumni activation, and a consistent calendar of events that keeps the space active.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning & Reporting

• Own the programme monitoring and evaluation framework: indicators, baselines, targets, data collection tools, and reporting cadence.
• Ensure accurate, timely, and verifiable collection of participant, portfolio, and outcome data.
• Produce narrative and results reports for donors, partners, and Berlin headquarters to the agreed formats and deadlines.
• Capture and document lessons learned, case studies, and founder impact stories for reporting, communications, and fundraising.
• Contribute programme evidence to the Foundation's annual impact reporting.

Partnerships & Business Development

• Identify, develop, and manage delivery partnerships with ecosystem actors, corporates, universities, development partners, and government agencies.
• Support the Country Director in developing concept notes, proposals, and budgets for new programme funding.
• Manage relationships with existing programme partners and funders, including reporting obligations and steering committee engagement.
• Represent WSHAC credibly in ecosystem forums, working groups, and public events.

Team, Budget & Compliance

• Line manage programme staff, interns, and fellows: set objectives, review performance, and support professional development.
• Hold programme budgets – forecast, monitor spend against budget, flag variances early, and approve programme expenditure within delegated authority.
• Ensure programme delivery complies with donor rules, Foundation policies, and applicable Ghanaian legal and regulatory requirements.
• Ensure programme documentation, participant records, and deliverables are complete, well organised, and audit-ready.

Qualifications & Experience

• Minimum Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Economics, Development Studies, Entrepreneurship, Social Sciences, or a related field. A Master's degree is an advantage.
• At least 5 years of relevant professional experience, including a minimum of 2 years designing and managing entrepreneurship support, incubation, acceleration, or SME development programmes.
• Demonstrated track record of delivering at least one full programme cycle end to end, from design through to measurable outcomes.
• Experience managing donor-funded programmes, including budget ownership and donor reporting obligations.
• Experience line managing staff and coordinating external facilitators, trainers, or consultants.
• Strong working knowledge of Ghana's startup and innovation ecosystem, including hubs, investors, development partners, and relevant government institutions.
• Experience in facilitation, training delivery, or curriculum development.
• Prior experience working with startups as a founder, operator, or investor is a strong advantage.
• Fluency in English is required.
• Working knowledge of Twi or other Ghanaian languages is an asset.

Skills & Competencies

• Excellent programme management skills, with the ability to plan, sequence, and deliver several concurrent workstreams to deadline.
• Strong written communication, with the ability to produce donor-quality concept notes, curricula, and reports.
• Confident facilitator and public speaker, credible in front of founders, funders, and senior stakeholders.
• Commercially minded, with sound judgement on business models, market opportunity, and founder readiness.
• Data literate and comfortable defining indicators, working with monitoring tools, and interpreting programme performance data.
• Strong relationship builder able to open and hold partnerships across the ecosystem.
• High level of integrity, reliability, and accountability.
• Proactive, solution-oriented, and capable of working independently in a young, dynamic, and fast-paced office.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office; familiarity with Airtable, SharePoint, or similar digital management tools is an advantage.

How to Apply

Please submit your CV through the application link and answer the relevant application questions. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.