General Manager, Africa

About the Company

AltSchool Africa is a pan-African online school built for the future of work. Founded in Lagos in 2021, the company trains non-technical and semi-technical Africans in high-demand skills, such as software engineering, data, product, business analytics, and the creative economy. It partners with accredited higher institutions to award diploma certificates. The platform is fully virtual, hardware-agnostic, and designed for learners across the continent regardless of socioeconomic background.

AltSchool's model sits at the intersection of education and employability: learners gain globally competitive skills, and the company connects them to opportunities. Its long-term goal is to equip 10 million Africans with profitable, in-demand skills by 2030.

What AltSchool Africa Does

• Delivers structured, diploma-accredited online programmes in tech, business, data, and creative skills.

• Partners with higher institutions to provide recognized credentials alongside practical skill training.

• Operates a flexible, affordable pricing model ($20-$50/month) to reduce barriers to entry.

• Supports learners from 76+ countries with content and community built for African contexts.

• Maintains a country-level presence in Nigeria and Kenya, with plans for broader expansion.

Traction & Market Context

• 20,000+ enrolled students across Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Rwanda, and the UK as of late 2023.

• Kenya launched as the second-largest revenue market in January 2024; Swahili-language content is in development.

• $1M pre-seed raised in 2022; Seed round of $50K at $11M valuation led by Angaza and C-One.

• Revenue growth trajectory signals 10x potential with the right operational leadership in place.

The Mandate

Africa's youth population is the world's fastest-growing. By 2050, one in four people globally will be African, yet the continent faces a structural skills mismatch: millions of job seekers lack the in-demand digital and business skills required for the modern economy. AltSchool directly addresses this gap at scale, combining affordable access, accredited credentials, and pan-African reach.

The company has proven demand and early revenue. It is now seeking a General Manager to work alongside the founding team, an operational leader who can hold the business accountable to its execution plans, build institutional and funder partnerships, and drive AltSchool into its next phase of growth. This is the mandate we have been engaged to fill

About the Role

The General Manager will serve as AltSchool Africa's chief operating leader, working directly alongside the founding team to translate vision into execution. This is a builder's role, not a manager of a steady-state business. The GM will own the company's day-to-day operations, revenue growth, institutional partnerships, and team accountability, while owning fundraising and external stakeholder relationships.

This role is well-suited to a seasoned African operator who combines strong commercial instincts with a genuine commitment to education and impact and has the credibility and network to open doors with institutions, governments, and impact-focused funders across East and West Africa.

What you will do

• Own operational execution — translate founder strategy into measurable quarterly and annual plans, track progress, and hold the team accountable.

• Lead revenue growth — develop and execute go-to-market strategies across Nigeria, Kenya, and new markets; drive student acquisition, retention, and lifetime value.

• Build and manage institutional partnerships — universities, government agencies, employers, and sector bodies across East and West Africa.

• Support fundraising — identify, cultivate, and convert relationships with impact investors, development finance institutions, foundations, and grant-making bodies.

• Lead cross-functional teams — oversee growth, business development, and operations functions; build team capability and culture.

• Represent AltSchool externally — at conferences, with partners, and in media as a credible voice for the company's mission.

• Work with the CTO to align product development with market and learner needs.

• Report to the CEO (Adewale Yusuf) and co-founders; attend board-level meetings.

What you have

Hard Qualifications

The following criteria are non-negotiable. Candidates who do not meet these requirements will not be advanced.

• Demonstrated experience raising from or working directly with impact-focused funders — development finance institutions (e.g., IFC, AfDB), philanthropic foundations (e.g., Mastercard Foundation, Ford, MacArthur), or grant-making bodies.

• Track record of operating or leading a business, function, or program in East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda) or West Africa (Nigeria, Ghana) — both preferred, either required.

• Proven ability to build and manage institutional partnerships with universities, government bodies, or large employers at an organizational level.

• Experience operating in a seed or early-growth stage company or program — comfortable with ambiguity, limited resources, and fast iteration.

• Commercial acumen: must have owned or significantly influenced a revenue or growth target, not purely operated in a grant-funded or non-commercial role.

Strongly preferred

• Direct EdTech, future-of-work, or workforce development experience — as an operator, not just an investor or advisor.

• Existing relationships with African institutional funders (Angaza Capital, TLcom, Novastar, Samara, Breega, DFIs) or global impact foundations active in Africa.

• Experience setting up or leading country-level operations — ideally in Kenya and/or Nigeria.

• Exposure to accreditation, curriculum partnerships, or university collaborations in an African context.

• Familiarity with income-share, subscription, or hybrid education business models.

Who You Are

• 10+ years of professional experience, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership, management, or founder role.

• Strong operator mindset: bias for execution over planning; known for follow-through and accountability.

• Entrepreneurial in nature — has built or rebuilt a team, function, or business from a relatively early stage.

• Mission-aligned: genuinely invested in education, skills access, and economic opportunity for Africans — not just commercially motivated.

• Highly networked across the African tech and impact ecosystem — can open doors and convene stakeholders.

• Strong communicator: able to represent AltSchool credibly with funders, partners, and media.

• Collaborative with founders: emotionally intelligent, able to work within a founder-led culture without undermining it.

• Data-literate: comfortable using metrics to manage performance and make decisions.

• Resilient and adaptive — able to operate under pressure and pivot when conditions change.

What We Offer

• Equity - Competitive equity package commensurate with stage and seniority

• Compensation - Market-rate for seed-stage African tech

Why Join Us

AltSchool Africa is doing something genuinely meaningful — making high-quality technical education accessible to people across Africa, and opening pathways into international careers. The platform is proven, the community is engaged, and the ambition for the next chapter is significant.

For the right leader, this is a rare opportunity to take ownership of a growing business in one of the world's most dynamic education markets, with a strong product, an established team, and a clear mission to build on.