Entrepreneurial education, career counseling and employability expert

Job Description

The e-Learning for Strengthening Higher Education is a project led by MoE in partnership with Mastercard Foundation, Arizona State University, and Shayashone PLC. It is one of the transformative projects under the ministry with the primary mission of supporting Ethiopian higher education institutes to realize digital education. Along this trajectory, the e-SHE addresses critical ecosystem-level issues that undermine the teaching and learning process, quality of education, and act as a barrier to the transformational aspirations of the education sector.Building on e-SHE’s successes and lessons, the Higher Education Delivery Excellence Enhancement Program (HDEEP) aims to strengthen Ethiopia’s higher education system by addressing gaps in quality, relevance, equity, and efficiency. As an extension of the e-SHE project, the program focuses on enhancing universities’ capacity to deliver higher education reform initiatives that improve quality, access, and equity, ultimately fostering graduate employability and an entrepreneurial mindset Its main intervention areas include: (1) strengthening universities’ implementation capacity through delivery units, leadership development, and institutionalized teaching and learning centers; (2) developing reform-oriented policies, guidelines, and manuals to enhance quality and sustainability of higher education;(3)building capacity in monitoring, evaluation, and data-driven supervision to improve performance; and (4) advancing leadership development to enhance governance, teaching quality, and graduate employability. Together, these interventions aim to build a more effective, inclusive, and future-ready higher education ecosystem in Ethiopia.

Job Summary

Entrepreneurial education, career counseling and employability expert is responsible for designing, implementing, and coordinating initiatives that enhance students entrepreneurial skills, innovation capacity, and graduate employability. The role supports the implementation of entrepreneurship and innovation programs, strengthens collaboration between higher education institutions and industry, and promotes career development initiatives that improve graduate employment outcomes. The Officer also supports partnership development, monitors program implementation, and contributes to building an entrepreneurial culture within higher education institutions.

Entrepreneurship and Innovation Development

• Support the development/implementation of national frameworks, strategies, and institutional guidelines for entrepreneurship education and innovation in higher education institutions.
• Assist universities in establishing/strengthening entrepreneurship centers, innovation hubs, incubators, and startup support systems.
• Promote the integration of entrepreneurship and innovation into academic programs and institutional strategic plans.
• Coordinate entrepreneurship boot camps, innovation challenges, business plan competitions, startup incubation programs, and other experiential learning initiatives.
• Facilitate collaboration among universities to share best practices and innovative approaches in entrepreneurship development.

Graduate Employability and Career Development

• Lead initiatives that strengthen graduate employability through career development services and industry engagement.
• Support universities in establishing and improving career development centers and graduate employability units.
• Develop/ strengthen frameworks and guidelines for internships, industrial attachments, work-integrated learning, and employer engagement.
• Promote the integration of employability and transferable skills, including leadership, communication, digital literacy, teamwork, critical thinking, and problem-solving, into university programs.
• Monitor labor market trends and emerging skills demands to inform higher education reforms and curriculum enhancement.

University-Industry Linkages and Partnership Development

• Strengthen partnerships between universities, industries, employers, private sector organizations, innovation ecosystems, and development partners.
• Facilitate collaboration with entrepreneurs, investors, business associations, incubators, accelerators, and innovation support organizations.
• Support universities in developing sustainable partnerships that improve graduate employment opportunities and commercialization of research and innovation.
• Coordinate stakeholder engagement platforms that promote collaboration between academia, industry, government, and the private sector.

Policy Development and Institutional Capacity Building

• Support the development and review of policies, guidelines, and operational manuals related to entrepreneurship, innovation, graduate employability, and university-industry collaboration.
• Develop technical guidance materials, implementation frameworks, and knowledge products for universities.
• Build institutional capacity through technical assistance, training, coaching, and mentoring for university leadership and technical staff.
• Promote evidence-based institutional reforms that strengthen innovation, entrepreneurship, and employability outcomes.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Knowledge Management

• Develop monitoring frameworks and performance indicators for entrepreneurship, innovation, and graduate employability initiatives.
• Monitor implementation progress across universities and prepare analytical reports, policy briefs, and recommendations.
• Support graduate tracer studies and institutional assessments to evaluate employment outcomes and entrepreneurship performance.
• Document lessons learned, success stories, and best practices to inform continuous improvement and policy development.

Stakeholder Coordination and Representation

• Coordinate with Ministry of Education directorates, universities, employers, development partners, innovation ecosystems, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Represent the Ministry and the project in national and international meetings, forums, and technical working groups related to entrepreneurship, innovation, and graduate employability.
• Facilitate knowledge-sharing events and communities of practice that strengthen institutional learning across the higher education sector.
• Coordinate alumni engagement initiatives that support mentoring, networking, and career opportunities.
• Perform other duties as assigned by management.

Required Qualifications

Education and Experience

• A master's degree in Entrepreneurship, Business Administration (MBA), Innovation Management, Human Resource Management, or a related discipline.
• At least 3–5 years of relevant experience in entrepreneurship development, innovation management, career services, employability, business incubation, or project management.
• Experience working with higher education institutions, startups, SMEs, NGOs, or development partners is desirable.
• Experience organizing training programs, workshops, and stakeholder engagement activities.

Technical Competencies

• Strong understanding of entrepreneurship education, innovation ecosystems, and startup development.
• Knowledge of graduate employability frameworks and labor market systems.
• Understanding of higher education reforms, university governance, and institutional development.
• Experience developing entrepreneurship and employability strategies, institutional frameworks, and implementation guidelines.
• Knowledge of university-industry collaboration models and innovation systems.
• Familiarity with monitoring and evaluation systems, graduate tracer studies, and institutional performance measurement.
• Strong proposal development, project management, and resource mobilization skills.
• Ability to analyze labor market information and translate evidence into policy and program recommendations.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and digital collaboration platforms.

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic and results-oriented leadership with the ability to translate policy into institutional action.
• Strong partnership-building and stakeholder management skills across government, universities, industry, and development partners.
• Ability to mentor, coach, and strengthen institutional capacities.
• Commitment to fostering innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning.
• High professional integrity, accountability, and independent decision-making.
• Ability to promote knowledge sharing and institutional excellence across Ethiopia's higher education sector.

Working Conditions

• Office-based with regular travel to industry partners, employers, innovation hubs, and community organizations.
• Occasional evening or weekend work to support events, training sessions, and entrepreneurship activities.

Competent applicants can send their completed CV by e-mail or in hard copy to the following address before the close of business on August 31, 2026. Applicants are expected to indicate the position they are applying for clearly. Shortlisted applicants will be contacted for further assessment and selection.

Shayashone Trading Plc
Bole, Cameroon Street, Reality Plaza, 12th Floor

Email: recruitment@shayashone.com

Note: Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted