Business Transformation Advisor

About Stanford Seed

Stanford Seed is a distinguished initiative led by Stanford Graduate School of Business aiming to foster economic growth in emerging markets by equipping entrepreneurs with innovative business skills. Operating for over twelve years in Africa and Asia, Seed applies Stanford's pioneering entrepreneurial mindset to support and scale small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Position Overview

The Business Transformation Advisor (BTA) is a pivotal role within the Seed Transformation Program (STP), a 10-month blended development course for SME founders and CEOs. The BTA collaborates directly with business leaders to contextualize Stanford’s rigorous curriculum—covering strategy, marketing, finance, operations, and organizational design—into customized solutions that drive sustainable growth. Reporting to the Regional Director of Seed East Africa, this role involves a hybrid working model with significant travel (30-40%) across the region.

Key Responsibilities

• Adapt and translate Stanford Seed's curriculum into pragmatic guidance tailored to each SME’s context.
• Advise senior business leaders on implementing growth and transformation frameworks.
• Facilitate immersive, in-person and virtual workshops and structured leadership sessions aligned to program phases.
• Contribute to designing and delivering faculty-led classroom weeks both online and onsite.
• Manage and advise an assigned portfolio of SMEs throughout the program cycle, ensuring progress tracking and continuous learning.
• Develop and nurture strong partnerships with business founders and leadership teams to ensure sustained engagement.
• Support recruitment efforts by identifying and selecting high-potential SMEs for program participation.
• Collaborate with global Seed faculty and teams to maintain quality and coherence in program delivery and participant experience.
• Assist in data gathering and program evaluations to measure impact and inform enhancements.
• Engage in strategic initiatives and knowledge sharing to strengthen the Seed community of practice, regionally and globally.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in business, economics, management, statistics or related field is mandatory; master’s degree is advantageous.
• Over a decade of experience advising, leading, or managing SME/startup ventures in East Africa, with strong emphasis on coaching founders or C-suite executives through growth transformations.
• Desirable certifications include leadership coaching, strategic planning, or business operations.

Skills and Competencies

• Exceptional facilitation skills adept at guiding structured workshops and strategic conversations.
• Deep passion and understanding for nurturing SME growth within East African markets.
• Ability to motivate and guide leadership teams towards ambitious expansion objectives.
• Demonstrated leadership and influence across diverse organizational stakeholders.
• Collaborative approach fostering strong partnerships with various teams and leaders.
• Capability to efficiently manage multiple priorities in a pressured environment, meeting deadlines.
• Excellent interpersonal, active listening, and advanced English communication skills; knowledge of Kiswahili, French, or Portuguese preferred.
• Regional cultural awareness relevant to business practices and family-run enterprises in East Africa.

Additional Details and Benefits

• Competitive compensation package aligned with statutory and regulatory requirements in Kenya.
• Comprehensive medical insurance and structured leave provisions.
• Policy-compliant reimbursement of legitimate business-related expenses including travel and accommodation.
• Flexible, remote-friendly work setting promoting collaboration and impact-driven culture.
• Access to continuous professional development within a global knowledge-sharing network.

Other Requirements

• Legal right to work in Kenya is required or acquisition of such authorization.
• Comfortable with remote collaboration across multiple geographies.
• Willingness and ability to travel locally and internationally, including occasional overnight stays.
• Flexibility to work variable hours including evenings or weekends as needed.

The outlined duties represent typical role expectations but may vary, with employees undertaking additional tasks as required to meet program objectives.