Are you an organised, proactive, and results-driven individual passionate about turning ideas into successfully completed projects? Next Africa Initiative is seeking a dynamic Operations & Implementation Associate to join our team in Harare, Zimbabwe. This full-time role offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to impactful initiatives, ensuring projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to the highest standards.
About Next Africa Initiative
Next Africa Initiative is committed to fostering progress and driving effective implementation across various projects. We are an organisation that values evidence, initiative, and tangible results, seeking team members who share this ethos and are dedicated to excellence.
The Role: Operations & Implementation Associate
As the Operations & Implementation Associate, you will play a pivotal role in coordinating people, resources, budgets, and deadlines to ensure our activities and events are delivered efficiently and to standard. Your key responsibilities will include:
- Building comprehensive project plans with clear tasks, milestones, owners, and deadlines.
- Coordinating content production, contributors, and client deliverables.
- Setting up efficient workflows, checklists, and systems to ensure smooth operations.
- Planning and running events, including managing venues, suppliers, speakers, registration, and logistics.
- Monitoring budgets, expenditure, dependencies, and potential delivery risks.
- Following up on commitments, proactively resolving delays, and ensuring projects stay on track.
- Reporting on progress, outstanding actions, and required decisions to stakeholders.
Who We’re Looking For (The Person)
Required Qualifications:
- A degree in Operations Management, Business Administration, Project Management, or a related field, or substantial equivalent experience.
Ideally, You Will Have:
- 3+ years of experience in delivering projects and managing operations.
- A recognised project management certification is considered a significant advantage.
Your Application Should Demonstrate:
We are particularly interested in seeing examples of:
- Projects you have successfully taken from planning to completion.
- Your ability to coordinate people, assignments, and deadlines effectively.
- Your experience in managing budgets, suppliers, and event logistics.
- Workflows or systems you have introduced to enhance operational efficiency.
- How you have independently resolved delivery problems and challenges.
We seek individuals who take full ownership of their work, follow through without prompting, and are completely accountable for their deliverables.
Core Competencies
Successful candidates will possess strong capabilities in the following areas:
- Operations
- Project management
- Ownership
- Prioritisation
- Problem-solving
- Coordination
- Financial discipline
- Digital tools
- Attention to detail
How to Apply
If you are ready to contribute your skills to a impactful organisation, we invite you to apply. Please ensure your application includes:
- Your up-to-date CV.
- A comprehensive cover letter.
- A brief summary outlining projects you’ve successfully delivered.
Important: Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Please send your application to: careers@thenextafrica.com
Application Deadline: 1 November 2026