HyperionDev is one of the largest providers of accelerated tech education in EMEA and one of the oldest providers of 'coding bootcamps' in the world. We work with top universities such as Imperial College London, The London School of Economics, The University of Edinburgh, and Stellenbosch University to deliver structured technical courses and bootcamps that accelerate people into fulfilling tech careers. We have been recognised as one of the top education technology scaleups in the world and gained the financial backing of Meta (previously Facebook) which recognised us as the most socially impactful startup operating in Africa, where we initially started our work.
We are dedicated to closing the global tech skills gap and we achieve this by integrating tech education with human mentorship and expert code review powered by a workforce in Southern Africa, which lowers the cost of an accessible education in technology. This model has been successful, allowing us to reach millions of learners a year from over 60 countries. We have also partnered with government bodies such as the UK's Department for Education who provide scholarships for students to study on our bootcamps and gain employment at companies such as AstraZeneca and the United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS).
We're backed by nearly 2000 investors, having raised the largest crowdfunding round of funding for an edtech company in history. As a primarily bootstrapped, profitable, and scale up tech business join us as we play our part in making the world a more stable, safer, and fair place.
About The Role
The key outcome of the Chief Operating Officer is to secure the functionality of business to drive extensive and sustainable growth. In this executive level position, you will report to and work closely with the CEO to oversee our company's ongoing operations and procedures, and be responsible for the efficiency of business. You'll have to maintain control of diverse business operations, so we expect you to be an experienced and efficient leader. You will also have excellent people skills, business acumen and exemplary work ethics
You will also assist with the phase in of new business, especially relating to the management of government projects for bootcamps and larger scale operational implementations as we continue to grow at a >400% rate year on year.
You will manage and be supported by a strong team of Department Leads (Director of Partnerships, Head of Legal & Finance, Director of Graduate Outcomes, and Director of Education) as you establish and ensure adherence to policies and processes that promote the company vision and culture, and equip the internal systems of a rapidly-growing edtech company to scale. You will collaborate with the CEO and senior management in translating the company strategy into actionable goals, and drive our operational delivery of bootcamps, strategy, partnerships and financial planning to support that.
We are looking for someone with a demonstrable track record in acquiring commercial partnerships, and in building and leading successful teams across multiple functions in high-growth, high-performance workplaces. To succeed in this role, you should be relentless in your pursuit of outcomes, possess or develop a deep understanding of what drives our business and how it operates, and be able to think about talent acquisition and people management in a strategic & proactive manner.
This is a unique opportunity to join one of the largest education technology startups in Africa and directly support our management team in key decision making.
Responsibilities
Leading university partnerships
- Design and implement expansion strategies, plans and procedures
- Work closely with the senior management in setting and implementing the company-wide strategy on university & commercial partnerships, fundraising, financial planning, and management.
- Set comprehensive goals for performance and growth, particularly with regards to government funded projects for bootcamps
- Oversee daily operations of the company and the work of department leads (University Partnerships, Finance & Legal, Education Delivery, Graduate Outcomes etc.)
- Manage our financial planning and capital deployment, working with Divisional Leads to ensure that operational growth targets are met within budget.
- Manage relationships with partners, government, universities, clients and employer partners
- Ensure compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements and protect the company from legal and financial risks
- Manage relationships with existing shareholders and investors, ensuring compliance with reporting requirements, compliance and ensuring high shareholder engagement
- Collaborate with the CEO on raising capital, liaising with and pitching to investors, negotiations and due diligence, and reporting to investors.
Minimum
- At least 1+ years of experience managing large complex projects at scale and operational teams, with a record of exceeding targets in such projects
- 4+ years of experience leading commercial operations, business development or corporate finance, preferably at a fast-scaling company
- At least 1 years of experience in tech scaleup fundraising on a debt, equity, or secondaries basis either as part of team raising substantial capital (>5mil + ) or leading such a team or function
- 4+ years of experience in building and leading successful teams across multiple functions in high-growth, high-performance workplaces
- Prior experience in raising capital and managing investor relationships
- Extremely strong business and legal acumen
- Extremely skilled at strategic analysis, problem solving, negotiation and conflict resolution
- Strong leadership and people management skills
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Undergraduate qualification in business, management, law or a relevant field
- Experience working in a fast moving, fast growing organisation
- Exceptional attention to detail
- High level of planning and organisation skills
- Ability to handle sensitive, confidential information
- 1+ years of executive-level experience as a Vice President of Operations, Chief Commercial/Business Officer, Chief Operating Officer or similar position
- Experience of leading financial compliance and reporting for a UK business with >1mil turnover, including VAT reporting, optimising and the like
- Prior experience in a high-growth, tech-focused environment
- Prior experience in education or education technology
- At least 1 years of experience working in tax law and/or equivalent experience in advising on corporation tax structuring and compliance with HMRC tax regulations in international group structures
Equity: As a senior leadership role within the company, you may be eligible for direct ownership in the business through our stock option scheme. The company has been approached for acquisition by a number of billion dollar leaders in the tech education space, is backed by investors from the US, UK and South Africa, and we want you to directly share in the success of the business.
Flexible & remote working: We are a remote-friendly organisation and offer flexible work options.
Annual leave and medical benefits: We provide up to 25 annual leave days as part of our leave policy, as well as health insurance or medical aid benefits for our staff.
Join the heart of tech in Africa, the US, and Europe: You'll work with the best of the best and rub shoulders with the world leaders in edtech, developer education, and developer assessments. Join one of the most ambitious and highest performing tech companies in the space, with a founding team that draws their former experience from companies such as Google, Amazon, GetSmarter/2U, & Yoco.
Life-changing work: Solve real problems that make education and tech careers accessible to those who need it most: you're allowed to brag about it.
OUR VALUES
We're a people-forward company with a purpose that underlines everything we do. We're obsessed with the potential in people and challenge them to do their best work. We embrace a culture of growth and learning to deliver on our vision and ours is a relentless quest for improvement.
