Community Associate – Coworking

Job description

Job Title: Community Associate – Coworking

Reports to:  Growth and Partnerships (Coworking)

Location: Lusaka, Zambia

Terms: Full-time, 24-month renewable contract.

Deadline for Applications:  23:59hrs, Sunday, 22nd June 2025

About Hive Coworking

Hive Coworking is the physical home of Zambia’s premier innovation ecosystem. As a key pillar of the BongoHive Group, we provide more than just a workspace; we offer a dynamic and secure environment where entrepreneurs, freelancers, and corporate teams can connect, collaborate, and grow. Our unique value lies in our deep integration with BongoHive Consult and BongoHive Ventures, offering members unparalleled access to expertise and opportunities. With premium, reliable infrastructure and a curated community, we are the catalyst for building Africa’s next generation of leading enterprises.

Role Summary

The Community Associate is the heart of Hive Coworking. You are the primary point of contact for our members and the strategic driver of our community’s vibrant culture. This role is a dynamic blend of hospitality, strategic sales support, event programming, and operations management. You will be responsible for not only ensuring a seamless and exceptional member experience but also for owning the community engagement strategy to drive member retention and long-term growth.

You are a natural leader, a proactive connector, and a passionate advocate for the BongoHive brand, capable of developing and executing long-term community initiatives while leveraging the full expertise of the BongoHive group and its technology to create a world-class member experience.

Key Responsibilities

1. Community Growth & Sales Support

Lead Generation & Tours: Serve as the first point of contact for new leads, conducting engaging tours tailored to our key customer personas.
Membership Sales & Occupancy: Own the community-led sales process, driving the conversion of leads into members with the long-term goal of achieving and maintaining our occupancy target.
Strategic Product Promotion: Develop strategies to proactively promote and cross-sell our diverse offerings to new and existing members.
Marketing & Outreach: Collaborate with the BongoHive Marketing & Communications team, using generative AI tools as a creative partner to help draft engaging social media content, refine email campaigns, and brainstorm marketing ideas.
Sales Collaboration: Work closely with the Growth and Partnerships Team to develop and manage the sales pipeline, support corporate client onboarding, and cultivate and maintain strategic relationships with our Broker Partners.

2. Member Experience & Retention

Community Strategy & Curation: Design and implement a long-term community strategy focused on fostering a collaborative environment.
Proactively make strategic introductions between members to facilitate networking and business opportunities.
Event Programming & Execution: Develop, promote, and execute a member-exclusive event calendar designed to deliver consistent value.
Enhanced Member Feedback: Own the member feedback loop by administering the Net Promoter Score (NPS) survey. In collaboration with the Data & AI team, use AI tools to help summarise qualitative feedback to quickly identify key suggestions and themes, enabling faster, data-informed improvements to the member experience.

3. Workspace Operations & Excellence

Front Desk Management: Own the front desk experience, greeting members and guests with a warm, professional demeanor and acting as the central hub for all inquiries.
Operational Integrity: Ensure the space is always immaculate, fully stocked, and operational, maintaining our “premium infrastructure” promise.
Vendor & Building Management: Manage relationships with suppliers and service providers to ensure seamless operations, from coffee to cleaning services.
Efficiency & Process Improvement: Continuously look for opportunities to work smarter. Use AI-powered tools to streamline administrative tasks like creating schedules, drafting standard member communications, and organising information.

4. Ecosystem Integration

Ecosystem Connector: Act as the primary liaison between the coworking community and BongoHive’s expert teams. Proactively schedule meetings and facilitate collaborations between members and the BongoHive internal teams.
Ecosystem Cross-Promotion: Actively co-create and promote events, workshops, and “Office Hours” in partnership with these teams to deliver exceptional value to members and reinforce our unique value proposition.
Curiosity & Learning: Stay curious about new AI tools that can enhance community management or operations, and be willing to experiment and share your findings with the wider team.

Performance & Key Metrics

Your success in this role will be measured by your direct contribution to and ownership of:

Occupancy Rate: Achieving and maintaining the target.
Member Retention Rate: A primary KPI reviewed quarterly.
Net Promoter Score (NPS): Driving positive member feedback and loyalty.
Event Success: Measured by attendance, member feedback, and contribution to non-membership revenue goals.
AI Application: Demonstrated, practical application of AI tools to improve personal or team efficiency in marketing or operations.

Experience & Requirements

University graduate with a relevant degree (e.g., Business, Marketing, Hospitality).
A minimum of 2-3 years of proven experience in a customer-facing sales, hospitality, or community management role is required.
Demonstrable experience in developing and executing strategic event calendars.
Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to act as a brand ambassador and strategic leader.
Strong organisational and multitasking skills, with a keen eye for detail and long-term planning.
A creative and strategic self-starter with a passion for connecting people and building sustainable communities.
Technological Curiosity & AI Readiness: A strong comfort level with digital tools and a genuine curiosity about new technologies. Practical experience using common generative AI tools (like ChatGPT, Gemini, etc.) for tasks like writing, brainstorming, or summarisation is highly desired.
Adaptive Mindset: A proactive attitude toward learning and a willingness to experiment with new technologies to improve processes and deliver value.
Experience with developing and tracking metrics like customer satisfaction or retention.
A deep understanding of and passion for BongoHive’s mission and the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Zambia.