Application deadline: 6 December 2023

About Gatsby
 

Gatsby Africa is a private foundation set up and funded by Lord David Sainsbury to implement a commercially driven approach to supporting the transformation of high potential sectors of the East African economy.
 

East Africa urgently needs economic transformation – growth with depth that will radically change economies, rapidly create jobs and offer large numbers of people pathways to make a step-change in their income. To address this, Gatsby catalyses large-scale and lasting change in high potential sectors in East Africa in order to benefit many hundreds of thousands of people over the long term.
 

Gatsby Africa has a portfolio of five sectors across Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda:

In addition, Gatsby has been supporting work in the tea industry in Tanzania and Rwanda through The Wood Foundation.
 

The Gatsby Africa Team

The Gatsby Africa team consists of 120+ employees of 8+ nationalities. 89% of Gatsby Africa employees are based in East Africa. Most of Gatsby Africa's sector transformation staff come from the private sector, including some of the leading management consultancies and businesses in the region such as McKinsey & Company, Deloitte, PwC, Open Capital, Adam Smith International and Unilever.
 

Gatsby Africa Approach
 

Gatsby Africa is strongly focused on the commercial drivers of the sectors we work in. We think first and foremost about commercial realities, about what will drive competitiveness and investment, and building this as the platform for real change – rather than thinking too idealistically about impact. We are pragmatists and doers, and we like to work quickly and nimbly. We are lucky to have good levels of long-term funding from Lord Sainsbury. 
 

Our team structures tend to be flat and dynamic. This gives us the ability to be flexible and adaptive, and we can use any tools that are appropriate, from direct investment into business to technical assistance and research. With this flexibility, we empower team members to be entrepreneurial and to themselves identify and drive opportunities in the sector.
 

Why Aquaculture
 

Peter Drucker, the famous management expert, economist and Nobel laureate, who coined the term “culture eats strategy for breakfast”, has called aquaculture “the most promising investment opportunity of the 21st Century”. East Africa and the rest of the world demands an enormous increase in protein to feed a fast growing population. Wild fisheries everywhere are reaching their production limits; some, including in East Africa, are declining through over-fishing. Meanwhile, when compared with other traditional protein sources, aquaculture has the potential to be the most efficient, affordable and lowest carbon means to fill this widening protein gap.

 

Aquaculture
 

The private sector is responding. Globally, aquaculture has been the fastest growing food production sector for the past 50 years. In East Africa, the sector has grown 5x in 6 years – though there yet remains potential for far greater growth. Gatsby Africa is playing a central catalytic role in this aquaculture growth story in East Africa. Our work extends across investment, business model innovation, fish feed, technical assistance to operators, genetics, environmental sustainability, biosecurity, policy, regulations and beyond.

THE ROLE
 

Key Responsibilities
 

This is a Manager Role in the Aquaculture Team. Alongside catalysing the competitiveness and growth of aquaculture, supporting environmental sustainability and biosecurity in East African aquaculture is one of Gatsby’s key priorities. Some indicative responsibilities of this role will include;
 

Preferred Qualifications and Experience
 

An undergraduate degree in natural sciences (Environmental science, Climate Change and sustainability, Biology (zoology/botany/conservation biology), Chemistry, Engineering (Chemical engineering), Physics, and Oceanography) from a reputable institution; a master's qualification is preferable but not required. For this role, we are looking for individuals with 3 to 5 years of experience of professional experience in environmental sustainability, water resource analysis or management, natural sciences, veterinary areas, or a related area.
 

 

Location and Travel Requirements
 

The Manager (Environment) - Sector Transformation (Aquaculture) will be based in Nairobi, (Kenya). S/he must be willing to travel nationally and internationally from time to time.