COUNTRY DIRECTOR ACCELERATE PROSPERITY in PAKISTAN
Candidate Pack 2026
Summary
The Aga Khan Development Network’s (AKDN) Accelerate Prosperity initiative (AP), founded in 2016, provides integrated technical support — including incubation, acceleration, and networking – and facilitates or offers “patient” capital to new,small or growing enterprises with seed and growth potential. Accelerate Prosperity’s ultimate goal is to catalyse entrepreneurship, consequently generating employment opportunity and increasing incomes towards broader development objectives.
AP operates in Pakistan, Tajikistan, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Afghanistan, with plans to launch its services in Syria in 2026. It also provides technical assistance to local incubators and accelerators in Uzbekistan. The initiative is governed jointly by the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) and the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development’s Industrial Promotion Services (AKFED-IPS).
AP’s Country Director is broadly responsible for the initiative’s success in Pakistan and will be based in Islamabad, Pakistan, with frequent travel to other target areas.
The ideal candidate will have significant experience in promoting entrepreneurship/ enterprise development including strategic, analytical, relationship-building and management skills; the ability to thrive in dynamic or ambiguous contexts; a reasonable track record in dealing with risk and investment portfolio management preferrably in small and early-stage enterprise space; sound business acumen; fluency in English, Urdu languages. Deeply committed to youth and women’s active participation in the economy as a catalyst for economic growth and for women’s economic empowerment, AKDN welcomes interest from those driving this agenda.
The deadline is midnight (23:59 Pakistan Standard Time) on Thursday, 12th March 2026.
The Aga Khan Development Network
Founded and guided by His Highness the Aga Khan, the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) brings together several development agencies, institutions, and programmes that work primarily in the poorest parts of Asia and Africa. A central feature of AKDN’s approach to development is to design and implement strategies in which its different agencies participate in particular settings to help those in need, achieve a level of self-reliance and improve their quality of life.
Accelerate Prosperity
Accelerate Prosperity (AP) is a joint initiative of the Aga Khan Foundation and Industrial Promotion Services of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development. It is one of the new initiatives of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) in Central and South Asia and Syria, which provides a formal structure to catalyze enterprises, where economic opportunities remain insufficient. AP’s mission is to inspire rising entrepreneurs (especially youth and women) in emerging regions to grow new markets, create sustainable employment and strengthen communities. Through patient capital and tailored business advisory to startups, small and growing businesses (SGBs), AP inspires entrepreneurship, offering lean startup incubation and facilitating mentorship from industry leaders, getting promising enterprises investment-ready, and creating linkages to angel and investment financing.
In Pakistan, AP is spread across all provinces with footprint in Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (mainly Chitral and Peshawar), Islamabad, Punjab (mainly Lahore and Rawalpindi), Sindh (mainly Karachi and Hyderabad) as well as some presence in Balochistan (Gwadar). So far, it has provided pre-financing technical assistance to around 1,600 startups, small and growing businesses (SGBs), out of which 177 businesses have received its patient financing as well as unlocked external financing and investments from other investors.
Aga Khan Foundation
The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), alongside its sister AKDN agencies, has implemented innovative, community-driven solutions to development challenges for over 50 years. The Aga Khan Foundation brings together human, financial and technical resources to address some of the challenges faced by the poorest and most marginalised communities in the world. Special emphasis is placed on investing in human potential, expanding opportunity and improving the overall quality of life, especially for women and girls. AKF’s main programme areas: Agriculture and Food Security; Economic Inclusion; Education; Early Childhood Development; Health and Nutrition; and Civil Society.
Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development – Industrial Promotion Services
The Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) works with governments, international corporations, international financial institutions and donors to create solutions to pressing infrastructure needs, including power generation, telecommunications, and water supply services. AKFED has invested in, and manages, over 40 industrial project companies in Africa and Asia.
In the early 1960s, a group of companies was set up under the corporate name of Industrial Promotion Services (IPS). Each company was created to provide venture capital, technical assistance and management support to encourage and expand private enterprise across countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Growth, privatisation and a re-orientation away from import substitution and towards export promotion resulted in adjustments to IPS’ approach.
Expansion into areas such as agribusiness, packaging and infrastructure in Sub-Saharan Africa was accompanied by the need for new investments in the emerging economies of Central Asia in the 1990s and 2000s, in particular, in Tajikistan and Afghanistan. Today, IPS companies play a vital role in local and regional economies.
Ambitions for 2026-30
AP has three key ambitions over the next 5 years:
- to be the top “impact investor” in the entrepreneurship space in Pakistan and the region, by becoming the leading platform for new and existing businesses which solve or contribute towards solving key development challenges being faced by the people in the target geographies and create jobs for youth and women.
- become the leading accelerator and start-up investor in the green economy, by promoting new and innovative green solutions, unlock growth for existing green businesses and enable traditional businesses green its operations, products and services.
- Serve as the platform that promotes innovation, digital inclusion, technology based and enabled solutions and export of services as a priority while continuing to support the unbanked entrepreneurs primarily youth and women
Role Description
With an entrepreneurial disposition, the Country Director is responsible for overall management and running of AP in Pakistan. The Country Director identifies his/her in-country team structure to achieve intended results, and in line with generally accepted Key Performance Indicators.
The AP Country Director reports to the AP Executive Director (Global) on management and operational matters including (but not limited to) business planning, strategy, mandate alignment, overall performance, quality of the programs, investments and the associated matters. Whereas he/ she reports to the AP Committee (AP’s local governance) on governance matters mainly on financing and investment activities (per the investment policy), legal/ regulatory compliance, budgeting, operational performance, local stakeholder management, relationship management with donors and the government.
The main objectives of the Country Director are fourfold:
- Management of AP in Pakistan, including strategy, program, investment portfolio management and operations.
- Timely management and governance reporting on progress.
- Donor and grant management, including resource mobilization, oversight and compliance.
- Strategic engagement with donors, government and the private sector, including local partnerships and legal compliance.
As noted above, the oversight of the Country Director toward these objectives is shared between the Chairman of AP Comittee (on governance) and the AP Executive Director (Global) on management matters.
Based in Islamabad or Karachi, he/she will be required to travel extensively to AP program areas, regions and to other AP country units as needed.
Key Responsibilities
Objective 1: Management of AP in Pakistan, including Strategy, Program and Investment Portfolio
- Oversee overall design of the business pipeline development programmes in Pakistan and investment due diligence, patient financing and portfolio management. Craft new partnerships and instruments in order to improve the quality and reach of AP services especially in rural/ remote regions and vulnerable communities.
- Ensure delivery of business plan and annual work plan targets, fulfilling the overall commitments and expectations of the management, governance and funding partners.
- Facilitate access to new sources of capital and technical assistance for pipeline/ portfolio businesses from partners, including banks, startup and SME funds and business service providers.
- Develop systems and processes for effective portfolio management and oversight.
- Improve financial, human resources and operational structures that are consistent with AKDN’s internal policies and ethical standards and that meet current laws and regulations of Pakistan and donor agencies.
Objective 2: Management & Governance Reporting
- Ensure effective and timely management reporting, including progress updates on programmes, investments and operations, financial reporting and other associated requirements.
- Ensure effective governance management with AP Committee (national board), keeping them updated at all times on the overall progress against the plans and ensure all their information requests and requirements are completed on time. Organise monthly and quarterly AP Committee meetings for investment and overall progress reviews, respectively.
Objective 3: Donor and Grants Management, including resource mobilization, oversight and compliance
- Lead AP’s resource mobilization efforts in Pakistan, including co-designing new projects for partner donors and corporate sponsors, with support of AKF Pakistan and AP global management.
- Ensure effective grants management, compliance in multiple donor funded projects and ensure there are no disallowances.
- Establish and ensure adherence to effective data management, MERL and insights practices, fulfiling all reporting requirements of the management, governnace and funding partners.
Objective 4: Strategic Engagement, including local partnerships and legal compliance
- Ensure improved internal and external audit ratings, driven by complete compliance with the policies and approved processes.
- Lead AP’s engagement and coordination with AKDN stakeholders in Pakistan – AKF (Pakistan), AKRSP (Pakistan), AKFED (IPS), Aga Khan University (AKU), HBL and others.
- Lead AP’s engagement of external stakeholders – International Donor Community, Government of Pakistan, International Partners.
- Represent AP Pakistan in National and International forums.
- Engagement with other stakeholders – Startup and SME Funds and global technical partners in consultation with AKF leadership and AP Executive Director (Global).
Any other task: as may be required and/or given by Chairman AP board and Executive Director (Global).
Location
Islamabad, Gilgit, or Karachi, Pakistan with frequent travel to other target regions.
Person Specification
The ideal candidate will have significant enterprise-related experience including strategic, analytical, relationship-building and management skills; the ability to thrive in dynamic or ambiguous contexts; a track record in dealing with risk, investment, and business model analysis in early-stage enterprises; sound business acumen; fluency in English and Urdu languages. Deeply committed to women’ and youth’s active participation in the economy as a catalyst for economic growth and for women’s economic empowerment, AKDN welcomes interest from those driving this agenda.
- Bachelors or Master’s degree or equivalent in business, finance, economics, or relevant fields.
- Minimum of 8-10 years of relevant experience, 3-5 years preferrably in management.
- International academic or professional exposure, with demonstrated experience engaging global stakeholders, donors or investors is highly desirable.
- Sound business acumen and entrepreneurial disposition.
- Possess excellent leadership, communication, interpersonal, analytical, writing, partner relations skills, and keenness to visit and oversee the quality of program in the field
- Must be client-oriented, proactive, creative, results-oriented and meet tight timelines.
- Familiarity with Pakistan demography, business environment and investment opportunities.
- The ability to align to broader considerations institutionally, including carefully managing risks.
- Proficiency in English and Urdu languages is required.
Appointment Details and How to Apply.
Applicants should submit a CV (max. 2 pages) and a short cover letter (max. 1 page–explaining why he/she is the best candidate) via email with the subject line “Country Director” to: hr@accelerateprosperity.org.
The deadline for the applications is, 12th March 2026.
Stages:
- Q&A session for all interested candidates
- Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a series of job-related tests, case studies and interviews taking place in March/ April 2026.
An appointment will be made subject to receipt of satisfactory references. The appointed candidate will be offered a salary that is commensurate with their experience and the seniority of their new role.
AP Safeguarding Statement
AP is committed to acting ethically and upholding safeguarding standards towards all staff, volunteers and beneficiaries of the organisation.
It is the responsibility of all AP staff, representatives, and visitors to ensure that they serve the needs and protect the well-being of children and vulnerable adults to whom they have a special duty of care, including those with whom they work, are in contact with or who are affected by their activities.
This post is subject to a range of vetting checks including a criminal records disclosure.
Appendix: Accelerate Prosperity – Overview
Background and Rationale
| Pilot Launched | October 2016 |
|---|---|
| Countries | Tajikistan (2016), Pakistan (2017), Kyrgyz Republic (2018) and Afghanistan (2021) |
| AKDN Commitment | AKDN financed the 2016-17 pilot phase and is now building partnerships to scale up regionally. |
| Services/Products | Incubation and acceleration programs, with an emphasis on business modeling and entrepreneur-led mentoring, Investment-readiness, start-up and growth financing, and post-financing TA |
| Loans & Investments |
Start-up capital: Up to US$20,000
Growth capital: Up to US$50,000
Intermediated capital: < US$500,000
|
| Impacts Promoted |
|
| Sector Focus | Innovative and disruptive ideas from any industry are accepted, with a focus on high-potential sectors such as agri-business, commercial services, digital content, textiles and tourism. |
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are vital economic drivers that create jobs, boost productivity, and encourage innovation. In fragile states, the success of SMEs is critical for development – helping foster socio-economic stability, reduce migration, and enable self-employment and work opportunities for youth, women and men. Yet the support needed for firms to grow and scale is largely absent, leaving many aspiring entrepreneurs without access to technical support and risk-tolerant, affordable capital.
In 2015, the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) began to assess the landscape of SMEs, with a focus on financing and technical assistance in four countries where it has operated for decades: Pakistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and the Kyrgyz Republic. The AKDN began initiating SME ecosystem assessments and consultations with women and men business managers and owners. The assessments found that, despite risk-mitigating schemes, existing financial institutions are still not providing the kind of financing required for SMEs to grow and thrive in these countries, with terms that are too short (maximum three years), collateral that is too high (100-120%), and standard, inflexible repayment terms based on predictable cash flows and short grace periods. As a result, most start-ups still fail, while existing SMEs get stuck in a low-growth trap, limited by a lack of longer-term investment capital and customized technical assistance.
AKDN’s Response: Accelerate Prosperity
Accelerate Prosperity (AP) is part of a new global initiative of the AKDN aimed at developing more formal structures to support and catalyse sustainable small and growing businesses. Started in 2016 as a joint initiative of the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) and the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development’s Industrial Promotion Services (AKFED IPS), AP aims to inspire entrepreneurship, facilitate innovative business models, coach promising entrepreneurs, create networks and mentorship opportunities, and accelerate business growth.
Participation in the program is competitive, and participants pitch their business idea to a panel of experts in to pass each stage. Investment decisions are based on set criteria, including a clear market niche, competitive advantage, strong revenue and profit models, potential for growth and employment creation, and potential to promote gender equality. For investment-ready enterprises, AP offers “patient” capital, even if uneven cash flows render them poorly suited for traditional bank financing, together with customized pre- and post-financing technical assistance.
Progress to Date
Since 2016, AP has been working across Tajikistan, Pakistan, Kyrgyz Republic and Afghanistan, and has recently launched services in Uzbekistan and Syria. AP is gaining business expertise in these geographies and has built a network of mentors in the most promising industries, including commercial services, agri-business, tourism, ICT and textiles.
The approach has been widely embraced in its initial years, engaging over 25,000 people through inspirational workshops and speakers, entrepreneurship competitions and business model reviews. AP works with partners – like the University of Central Asia’s School of Professional and Continuing Education entrepreneurship programme – to link graduates to mentors and provide prospective facilitation or provision of financing.
AP has received over 20,000 applications from entrepreneurs for its incubation, acceleration programmes and financing services: 8,000 of these entrepreneurs have accessed intensive incubation and acceleration services; and 700 are financing recipients of about US $25,000 on average, enabling supported businesses to unlock almost an equal amount from local banks, new investors and partners including AKDN’s financial institutions. The financed businesses have in turn created over 10,000 new full-time jobs almost half by women, and benefiting tens of thousands along their value chains.
The Way Forward
Over the next 5 years, AP is looking to support over 7,000 startups and SGBs through technical and financial services across 7 countries across Central and South Asia and MENA regions, with a focus on youth and women-led businesses who are promoting innovation, creating jobs and actively pursuing and providing “green solutions” in their respective geographies. More specifically, it aims to invest directly in over 1,000 businesses which will potentially create and sustain more than 30,000 jobs directly and benefit more than 40,000 existing jobs through backward and forward supply chain linkages..
