Application Guide
How to Apply for Head of Horticulture Export and Venture Builder
at Africa Jobs Fund
🏢 About Africa Jobs Fund
The Africa Jobs Fund is a mission-driven investment and venture-building organization that funds and supports businesses in export manufacturing and international labor mobility, with the explicit goal of increasing incomes for Africans. Unlike traditional VC firms, they are hands-on venture builders who don't just write checks—they actively source founders, structure deals, and embed themselves in operations to de-risk and scale companies. This is a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of impact investing, agribusiness, and international trade, with the freedom to build a portfolio of horticulture export ventures from scratch.
About This Role
As the Head of Horticulture Export and Venture Builder, you will be the architect of a new vertical within Africa Jobs Fund, responsible for building and funding horticulture export companies across Africa that serve European, Gulf, and Asian markets. You will spend your time sourcing and convincing founders to build export businesses, assessing investment opportunities, structuring revenue or equity deals, and then rolling up your sleeves to support portfolio companies in securing certifications, vetting sites for water and cold storage, connecting them to buyer networks, and scaling operations. This role is ideal for someone who has lived and breathed horticulture exports and now wants to use that expertise to create systemic change across the continent.
💡 A Day in the Life
You might start your day on a call with a potential founder in Kenya, convincing them to pivot from local sales to export, then review a due diligence report on a mango exporter in Senegal. Later, you could be on a video call with a UK supermarket buyer to understand their upcoming season needs, and end the day troubleshooting a cold chain issue for a portfolio company in Ghana. The role is a blend of sourcing, deal-making, and operational firefighting, all aimed at building successful export businesses.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Africa Jobs Fund Is Looking For
- You have 5–25 years of experience in horticulture exports, having either built or run an export business yourself, or held a senior role at a large grower, packer, or exporter.
- You possess deep knowledge of export standards (e.g., GlobalG.A.P., organic, fair trade), cold chain logistics, and have established relationships with international buyers in Europe, the Gulf, and/or Asia.
- You have a strong track record in Africa, with an understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities in African agricultural production and export.
- You are a self-starter who is comfortable with ambiguity, can source and convince founders, and has the commercial acumen to assess investments and structure deals with revenue or equity models.
📝 Tips for Applying to Africa Jobs Fund
Highlight specific export deals or businesses you have built or scaled—quantify the volume, value, and markets served.
Name-drop the specific buyer relationships you have (e.g., with UK supermarkets, Gulf importers, or Asian distributors) and the certifications you have secured (e.g., GlobalG.A.P., BRC, organic).
Demonstrate your ability to source and convince founders by sharing examples of how you identified and onboarded entrepreneurs or built teams from scratch.
Show your understanding of Africa Jobs Fund's model: they are not a traditional fund; they are venture builders. Emphasize your hands-on operational support experience, not just investment analysis.
If you have experience in multiple African countries, specify which ones and what you achieved there, as the role requires a strong Africa background.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
['Your personal experience in horticulture exports: the crops, countries, and markets you have worked with, and the scale of operations you managed.', 'Your ability to source and convince founders: describe a time you identified a business opportunity and persuaded someone to pursue it, or how you built a team.', 'Your hands-on operational expertise: certifications, cold chain, site vetting, and buyer relationships—provide concrete examples.', "Your alignment with Africa Jobs Fund's mission: why you want to use your commercial skills to increase incomes for Africans and how you see horticulture exports as a lever for job creation."]
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Understand Africa Jobs Fund's existing portfolio and investment thesis—what ventures have they funded, and how do they measure impact?
- → Research the current state of horticulture exports from Africa: key crops, countries, challenges (e.g., logistics, tariffs), and emerging opportunities.
- → Identify the major international buyers and importers in Europe, the Gulf, and Asia that source from Africa, and understand their requirements and sourcing patterns.
- → Look into the specific certifications and standards required for horticulture exports to these markets, and the costs and processes involved.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Focusing only on investment analysis without demonstrating hands-on operational experience in horticulture exports—this role requires both.
- Being vague about your Africa experience; specify countries, crops, and achievements to show you understand the context.
- Underestimating the venture-building aspect: don't just talk about funding; show how you would support founders operationally from day one.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!
Ready to Apply?
Good luck with your application to Africa Jobs Fund!