Head of Brand & Business Growth

KLABU is on a mission to build the biggest sports club for refugees by building and operating community-driven clubhouses in refugee camps worldwide, powered by the sales of its unique sportswear brand. The Head of Brand & Business Growth significantly grows the KLABU brand awareness and converts that awareness into sportswear sales and project funding from organizations.

About KLABU

In 2004, something happened when Jan van Hövell, a young intern at the United Nations Refugee Agency UNHCR in Ghana, joined the refugees in their soccer game. People came together in a moment of spirited fun, hope, and connection that stuck with him long after. After working in law, he decided to give up his corporate job to make a long-lasting difference for the now over 114 million refugees worldwide. Inspired by his experience, he successfully pitched his idea to bring relief, pride, and happiness to refugees through sports to the UNHCR. The first KLABU sports club in Kenya is community-driven, run by locals and refugees who operate a library of sports equipment that people can borrow. Its success grew into the idea of a clubhouse where people could get together. KLABU, or “club” in Swahili, was born.

In 2019, after two years of meticulous preparation with Kelvin Govey, former design director at Nike, and Charlotte Jongejan, who had worked at the advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy, the KLABU organization launched in Amsterdam with the mission to build fifty clubhouses by 2030, powering sports for more than two million young refugees. Clubhouse by clubhouse, the organization is building the world’s biggest sports club for those who do not have one.

Significant social impact and a powerful brand
To go beyond donations and sponsors, KLABU operates a unique business model. The KLABU brand creates and sells colorful sportswear inspired by the communities around the clubhouses. Half of the profits go to the KLABU Foundation to build and maintain the sports clubs. The other half is reinvested into the brand to grow its impact.

KLABU’s unique mission and brand attract many partners who help improve, fund, and scale their operations. The organization works with the award-winning architecture firm MVRDV for the design of the clubhouses and with Wieden+Kennedy on their brand strategy and campaigns. Renowned soccer team Paris Saint-Germain joined KLABU to fund the clubhouse in Bangladesh and recently launched an exclusive KLABU x PSG jersey. Other NGOs like the Red Cross in Kenya use the clubhouses for their programs too, expanding the impact that the biggest club in the world can have. And with KLABU doubling its turnover year by year, the organization has only just started.

Vacancy: Head of Brand & Business Growth

The Head of Brand & Business Growth exponentially grows the KLABU brand awareness and converts that awareness into sales of the sportswear to teams and individuals and into project funding for the KLABU clubhouses from organizations such as companies and funds. Based on the brand strategy recently updated with Wieden+Kennedy, they identify and prioritize marketing and commercial opportunities aligned with the brand and set up targets and metrics to guide the organization in its decision-making. Leading their small team, they organize and run marketing and sales campaigns and manage communication across channels. The KLABU team creates clear business targets with the Head of Brand & Business Growth that they are expected to realize.

In this ambitious and thriving start-up, the Head of Brand & Business Growth works closely with the ten people in the organization, including Director Jan van Hövell, Creative Director Kelvin Govey, and Program Director Alexander Webb. They lead their team of a community and public relations manager, a storyteller, and an intern. Given the nature of their work, they will get a chance to jump on unexpected and significant opportunities with other brands, ambassadors, and supporters, and work on the ground in the refugee camps. Their flexibility and ability to prioritize will help KLABU select the right opportunities to pursue.

“We need someone who can live KLABU’s story with all the hope it entails. Someone who cares deeply about what we are doing and proactively goes after opportunities to grow our impact. Someone who is sensitive and keen to be part of our start-up with big plans.” – Jan van Hövell, Director and Founder

The Head of Brand & Business Growth continues to develop and execute the commercial strategy to increase sales of KLABU sportswear to teams, companies, and individuals. Regarding the day-to-day marketing, they will work with their team, freelancers, agencies, partners, ambassadors, and influencers to set marketing and sales conversion targets, execute campaigns, lead the content calendar and create powerful communication assets, and manage the online channels. They will also work with the media and organize events. The Head of Brand & Business Growth takes action with a hands-on, proactive, and ambitious approach.

This is an exciting opportunity for an energetic, purpose-driven professional eager to grow KLABU’s brand, and with it, its impact for the foundation. They thrive in a start-up with great ambitions and are flexible in handling the unforeseen. Given the work they do on the ground, they show sensitivity and empathy. Results-driven, organized, and hands-on, the Head of Brand & Business Growth finds, prioritizes, and proactively pursues opportunities that align with KLABU’s mission to become the biggest club for those who do not have one.

Interested?

KLABU is working with Top of Minds to fill this vacancy.
To express your interest, please contact Emily Olij at emilyolij@topofminds.com or Sophie Jansen at sophiejansen@topofminds.com