Community and Ecosystem Engagement Assistant

Volunteering Communications & PR IT & Telecom

Overview

Support community engagement, organize events, and enhance visibility of the Hub's initiatives.

You have:

• A minimum of 6 years of experience in community engagement, stakeholder coordination, communications, innovation programming, or youth initiatives.
• Experience organizing or supporting events, workshops, or startup-focused activities is desirable.
• Experience with social media management, content development, and digital community platforms is an advantage.
• Strong writing skills and comfort engaging with diverse stakeholders including students, entrepreneurs, corporates, and government institutions.
• Knowledge of the mining and tech ecosystem in Africa is desirable.
• Networking and relationship building with various types of stakeholders.
• Excellent oral and written skills; that includes reporting skills, presentation skills, and overall language proficiency.
• Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment.

Contract

This is a UNV Community Volunteer contract. This kind of contract is known as National UN Volunteer. It is normally only for nationals. More about UNV Community Volunteer contracts.

UNDP Zambia is a key player in the timbuktoo innovation ecosystem, advancing flagship initiatives that bridge research, entrepreneurship, and policy to accelerate national development priorities. Under the Timbuktoo Framework, Zambia anchors four strategic pillars:

• The Mukuba UniPod at Copperbelt University – transforming universities into launchpads for youth-led innovation and entrepreneurship, fostering academia–industry collaboration, and creating linkages to regional and global markets. • The MineTech Hub at the National Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research (NISIR) – Africa’s first sector-focused hub for sustainable mining and critical minerals, driving innovation in environmental sustainability, operational efficiency, and green value chains. • The AI UniPod at the University of Zambia (UNZA) – dedicated to advancing artificial intelligence research, data-driven governance, and digital innovation for inclusive and sustainable development. • The Timbuktoo EDGE Programme – a cutting-edge initiative focused on building decentralized digital infrastructure to strengthen national compute capacity, enhance data sovereignty, and unlock opportunities for AI, big data, and emerging technology applications across sectors.

Together, these initiatives operationalize Zambia’s Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Policy and the Vision 2030 aspirations by building a robust ecosystem that empowers youth entrepreneurs, promotes technology transfer, and positions Zambia as a regional hub for innovation and digital transformation.

The Timbuktoo MineTech Hub – Administration and Operations Assistant plays a pivotal role in this landscape by providing essential administrative, operational, and logistical support to ensure the efficient functioning of the Hub to ensure the smooth and efficient functioning of the Timbuktoo Initiatives across Zambia in alignment with UNDP standards, thereby enhancing the sustainability and visibility of these initiatives.

The MineTech Hub Intern – Community and Ecosystem Engagement plays a key role in enhancing the visibility, outreach, and stakeholder engagement of the Hub, startups, universities, Government institutions, corporates, investors, and service providers—to foster collaboration, ensure resource mobilization, and enhance the sustainability and impact of the timbuktoo initiatives across Zambia.

Under the direct supervision of the Timbuktoo Innovation Associate, the Community and Ecosystem Engagement Assistant will:

A. Community Engagement and Events • Support implementation of the Hub’s annual community engagement plan. • Assist in organizing events (bootcamps, demo days, fireside chats, policy dialogues). • Coordinate participant communication, registration, and follow-ups. • Support creation and maintenance of online communities (WhatsApp, LinkedIn, social media). • Create a database of MineTech hub event participants.

B. Ecosystem Mapping and Partnerships • Conduct stakeholder mapping and maintain the ecosystem database. • Assist in preparing partner briefs, concept notes, and presentations. • Support communication with startups, corporates, and universities for collaborative activities.

C. Communication and Visibility • Assist in content creation for social media, newsletters, and blog posts. • Support photography, videography, and digital documentation of events. • Track visibility metrics and maintain an event photo and media archive. • Ensures that the Hub’s impact and activities are effectively communicated, amplifying its presence and influence within Zambia’s innovation landscape and beyond.

• Achieve Results • Think Innovatively • Learn Continuously • Adapt with Agility • Act with Determination • Engage and Partner • Enable Diversity and Inclusion

A minimum of 6 years of experience (including volunteering, internship, or project-based engagements) in community engagement, stakeholder coordination, communications, innovation programming, or youth initiatives. • Experience organizing or supporting events, workshops, or startup-focused activities is desirable. • Experience with social media management, content development, and digital community platforms (e.g., LinkedIn, Facebook, WhatsApp groups) is an advantage. • Familiarity with ecosystem mapping, partnership outreach, or working with startups, universities, or development partners is considered an asset. • Strong writing skills and comfort engaging with diverse stakeholders including students, entrepreneurs, corporates, and government institutions. • Knowledge of the mining and tech ecosystem in Africa is desirable. • Networking and relationship building with various types of stakeholders ranging from community level leaders, innovators, organizations e.g., government, development actors, private sector especially the technology and mining industry as well as influencers • Excellent oral and written skills; that includes reporting skills, presentation skills and overall language proficiency. • Accuracy and professionalism in document production and editing; • Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development; • Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel; • Competence in computer literacy, including proficiency in various Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Word, among others), email, and internet; familiarity with database management; and office technology equipment; • Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines; • Sound security awareness; • Have affinity with or interest in Innovation, UniPod and Timbuktoo Initiative, volunteerism as a mechanism for durable development, and the UN system.

Zambia is a land-locked, resource-rich country with sparsely populated land in the centre of Southern Africa. It shares its border with eight countries (Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe) that serve as an expanded market for its goods.

Lusaka is the capital of the Republic of Zambia. The climate is sunny and temperate, but it can be very cold during few months, with freezing temperature at times especially during the night. It is therefore advisable to bring warm clothing and foresee using heaters and other heating options when necessary. As the commercial and cultural centre of Zambia, Lusaka has seen rapid development in recent decades, with reasonable transportation connections and widely spoken English making the city highly attractive to vacationers and experts alike. Unemployment and poverty are issues in the city, and beyond. Key industries for the region and Zambia as a whole, include mining, agriculture, and tourism. Like most Southern African cities, life in Lusaka will require some adjustments for a person moving from outside the region, but the potential rewards and opportunities for experiences are well worth the effort.

Lusaka hosts several international organisation and embassies/diplomatic missions, therefore there is a very large community of expatriates from around the world. Housing is most of the time readily available and of good standard options are available. Most foodstuffs, beverages, household goods, furniture, and clothing, mostly imported from South Africa, Europe, and China while some ranges of local brands are available at a competitive price to imports. Meat, fish, fresh fruits, and vegetables are reasonably priced and abundantly available.

The basic infrastructures roads, utilities, and telecommunications are of reasonable standard, although the city experiences power outages from time to time. Medical facilities are still largely inadequate, although several private clinics and hospitals provide reasonably good routine care. Several restaurants around the city serve local or international cuisine and there are numerous social and sports facilities (fitness, tennis, swimming, riding, golf, etc.) in the major hotels or in different establishments around the city. There are no major or special security concerns within Lusaka city limits. For more information, please visit http://zambiatourism.com.

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Potential interview questions

Added 6 months ago - Updated 6 months ago - Source: unv.org