Community Engagement Associate

About the position

Community Engagement Associate (twelve month contract) with innovative NPO
OceanHub Africa (OHA) is the continent’s leading enabler of ocean-impact entrepreneurship. Headquartered in Cape Town at the V&A Waterfront, we support, connect, and invest in African ventures and ecosystem actors working at the intersection of ocean health, climate resilience, and sustainable livelihoods.
 
Through our venture support programs, knowledge partnerships, and convening platforms such as the Ocean Innovation Africa Summit, we build bridges between innovation and inclusion, science and entrepreneurship, grassroots communities and global capital. We are committed to shaping a just, regenerative, and blue economy, from coastal villages to regional venture ecosystems.
 
We seek to appoint a Community Engagement Associate on a twelve month contract to lead and scale OceanHub Africa’s Communities of Practice (CoPs) and drive the content strategy for our online and in-person convenings, including Ocean Innovation Africa.
 
You will also support our Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) systems and maintain strong relationships with Entrepreneurship Support Organisations, trainers, funders, investors, and other strategic partners.
 
This role is ideal for someone who is a bridge-builder, a skilled facilitator, and a strategic communicator, able to work across diverse stakeholder groups—from grassroots actors to institutional investors.
 
To be considered for the role, you will need to have:

• Bachelor’s degree in Community Development, Environmental Studies, Business, Social Innovation,

or a related field

• 2–3 years of experience in stakeholder engagement, ecosystem coordination, program facilitation,

or community-building roles

• Experience with event content design and speaker coordination (online and in-person)
• Strong communication and facilitation skills with the ability to engage diverse audiences with

empathy and clarity

• Familiarity with innovation ecosystems, entrepreneurship support, and/or community

development—especially in Africa

• Basic understanding of MEL principles and tools; ability to translate learning into program

improvement

• Be proficient in tools such as Google Suite, Zoom, Notion, and Slack
• Self-starter, collaborator, and systems-thinker passionate about ocean sustainability and inclusive

innovation

• Familiarity with event and CRM platforms is a plus as is your ability to speak conversational French

 
In addition to flexible, hybrid working arrangements and a market related salary, this role is a unique opportunity to join a group of people who are focussed on making a real difference in the lives of individuals and communities whilst positively impacting sustainability, the environment and ocean economy. You will be exposed to and have the opportunity to create relationships with key industry players and thought leaders from around the world.

Desired Skills:

• Community Engagement
• Entrepreneurship
• Stakeholder support