Co-Founder

Company Description

Deutsch Connect is a Germany-based, award-winning organisation building an ethical and sustainable talent bridge between Africa, Germany and Austria.

Founded in 2018, Deutsch Connect turns eight years old in October 2026. During this journey, the organisation has developed trusted relationships with candidates, employers, training institutions, business partners and stakeholders across Africa and Europe.

Deutsch Connect identifies, assesses, trains and prepares African talent for international opportunities through several pathways, including:

• Skilled migration and direct employment
• The Chancenkarte pathway
• Apprenticeships in Germany
• Healthcare, hospitality, transport and skilled-trade careers
• Cruise ship careers
• Football development and vocational pathways
• German-language and workplace-integration training

In 2026 alone, 12 candidates have received visas, while another 35 candidates have secured cruise ship employment contracts. Deutsch Connect has also built a pipeline of more than 150 pre-assessed candidates, including a strong pool of skilled professionals who already speak German at B1 or B2 level.

Beyond talent mobility, Deutsch Connect facilitates B2B partnerships, market linkages and cross-border cooperation between African, German and Austrian businesses and institutions.

Our work is guided by fairness, transparency, traceability and social impact. We believe international recruitment can be commercially successful while protecting candidates, serving employers and creating long-term value for communities.

Role Description

Deutsch Connect is looking for a Germany-based Co-Founder to help lead the organisation through its next phase of growth.

This is a full-time, founder-level position with remote flexibility and regular engagement with employers, partners and stakeholders in Germany and Austria. The successful candidate will work closely with Kumbirai Chipadza and the Deutsch Connect team in Africa and Europe.

The Co-Founder’s primary responsibility will be to strengthen Deutsch Connect’s position within the German and Austrian HR and recruitment ecosystems and convert its established candidate pipeline into sustainable employer partnerships.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Developing and executing the company’s recruitment and commercial growth strategy
• Building relationships with employers, recruitment companies, industry associations and institutional partners in Germany and Austria
• Securing structured employer partnerships for skilled workers and apprentices
• Developing sponsored German-language and job-readiness training cohorts
• Supporting the placement of qualified B1- and B2-level German-speaking candidates
• Establishing fair, transparent and scalable international recruitment processes
• Expanding recruitment pathways across healthcare, hospitality, transport, skilled trades and other shortage occupations
• Supporting apprenticeship, skilled-migration and football-development pathways
• Developing B2B partnerships and market-linkage opportunities between Africa and Europe
• Representing Deutsch Connect at meetings, conferences, industry events and employer engagements
• Contributing capital and helping secure additional investment or strategic funding
• Strengthening internal systems, operations, governance and long-term commercial sustainability
• Working collaboratively with the African team to ensure that employer requirements and candidate preparation remain aligned

This is not a conventional employee position or a passive advisory role. We are looking for someone who wants to share ownership, responsibility and accountability for building the next chapter of Deutsch Connect. The final commercial and ownership structure will be discussed with shortlisted candidates.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate should have:

• Professional fluency in German and strong English communication skills
• Proven experience in HR, recruitment, talent acquisition or workforce solutions in Germany and/or Austria
• A credible track record within the German or Austrian recruitment ecosystem
• An established network of employers, recruitment partners, industry associations or institutional stakeholders
• Strong knowledge of the German labour market and employer recruitment requirements
• Experience in business development, sales, strategic partnerships or startup growth
• The ability to turn relationships and opportunities into structured commercial partnerships
• An entrepreneurial mindset and willingness to work hands-on in an evolving business
• The willingness and capacity to contribute capital to the company’s growth
• Strong leadership, negotiation, communication and cross-cultural collaboration skills
• The ability to work independently while remaining closely connected to teams across Africa and Europe
• A genuine passion for ethical, transparent and fair international recruitment
• A commitment to protecting candidates while delivering measurable value to employers

Experience recruiting for healthcare, hospitality, transport, skilled trades, apprenticeships or other shortage occupations would be a strong advantage.

Experience with international recruitment compliance, skilled migration, German-language training, candidate integration or African talent markets would also be beneficial.

A relevant university degree may be helpful, but proven experience, industry credibility, networks, integrity and the ability to deliver results are more important.

The right person will join a passionate, resilient, driven and results-oriented team. We work hard, move quickly, solve problems creatively and remain deeply committed to the people and partners we serve.