Market Launcher - Egypt & UAE

About Yaga

Yaga is a fast-growing person-to-person marketplace for pre-loved goods, connecting buyers and sellers across Europe and now expanding into the Middle East and North Africa. With the goal of becoming the largest marketplace for second-hand fashion in Africa and the Middle East, the company aims to create economic opportunities for sellers and promote sustainable fashion at scale.

Founded in Estonia in 2017, Yaga has grown into the market-leading resale platform in South Africa and is expanding into new markets, with over 2 million users, more than 6 million items sold, and over 12 million visits each month. 

Your Mission

You'll be Yaga's first person on the ground in MENA. Based in Cairo, you'll work across two markets launching in parallel: Egypt, where most of your energy will go, and the UAE.

Your role has two distinct dimensions. First, you'll fully own the commercial and logistics pillars of both launches; from recruiting Yaga's first sellers to collaboratively designing the most appropriate last-mile delivery infrastructure. Second, you'll be our local point of contact for legal, compliance, public affairs, and customer success topics, supporting HQ teams who lead those workstreams but need a trusted person who knows exactly how to navigate the terrain.

This is a role for a doer; someone who is equally comfortable defining a strategy and personally executing it. You will be planting the seed for any of the new markets to become the largest market in Yaga, while building Yaga’s launch playbook for the ambitious expansion roadmap to come.

Responsibilities

Commercial; Seller acquisition

• Recruit Yaga's first wave of sellers in both markets through local resellers, thrift communities, and second-hand ecosystems to seed organic supply-side growth.
• Onboard these local second-hand sellers into the platform, be their first point of contact within the launch period, understand their motivations and concerns, and build the local playbook to retain them over time. 

Logistics; Last-Mile & UX setup

• Identify, evaluate, and negotiate partnerships with last-mile delivery providers in Egypt (e.g. Bosta, Mylerz, Pargo) and the UAE (e.g. Aramex, iMile), suited to Yaga's C2C shipping model.
• Own the logistics setup in each market: partner onboarding support platform integration, COD reconciliation processes, SLA definition, and ongoing performance management.
• Track logistics KPIs across both markets (e.g,, delivery success rate, COD rejection rate, transit time, cost per shipment) and drive continuous improvement with partners.

Other support areas

• Legal Entity setup: Serve as Yaga's local point of contact for corporate registration (GAFI in Egypt, free zone setup in the UAE), coordinating with local legal counsel and supporting the HQ-led process on the ground.
• Compliance & Public Affairs: Support HQ in navigating local regulatory requirements (consumer protection, data privacy, e-commerce laws) and help establish relationships with relevant authorities and industry stakeholders in both markets.
• Customer Success: Contribute to the initial design of local customer support processes, ensuring the buyer and seller experience is adapted to the expectations and language needs of each market.
• Competitive Landscape: Support the marketing team map out all the players in the market (even if minor) and synthesize useful relevant information (what needs to be replicated/avoided, risks, advantages, etc.).

What You'll Bring

• 7–10 years of experience in commercial, business development, logistics, or marketplace operations, with a track record of building and delivering in fast-moving, early-stage environments.
• Knowledge on how to navigate Egypt's last-mile delivery ecosystem; you are business savvy and can reach out to the key players, understand their capabilities, and define how to structure and negotiate partnerships with them.
• Solid commercial instincts and a relevant local network; you've driven seller, partner, or customer acquisition before and know how to open doors in the Egyptian market.
• Comfortable operating at the intersection of strategy and hands-on execution, managing multiple workstreams without a local team beneath you, at least initially.
• Familiarity with legal, regulatory, or compliance processes in Egypt; not necessarily as the owner, but enough to navigate them and support HQ effectively on the ground.
• Egyptian Arabic (native or near-native, written and spoken) is a hard requirement; essential for community building, product localization, and institutional relationships.
• Fluent in English; you'll collaborate daily with a remote, international HQ team.
• A genuine interest in sustainability, circular economy, or pre-loved commerce. You believe in the high potential of the P2P second-hand fashion marketplace business model in MENA. 

Nice to Have

• Prior experience at a marketplace, e-commerce, or logistics, start-up in Egypt or the wider MENA region.
• Existing network within Egypt's start-up, e-commerce, retail, or second-hand communities.
• Familiarity with the UAE market; its logistics providers, regulatory landscape, and consumer dynamics.

What We Offer

• A rare opportunity to build something from zero; with the backing of a proven product and an experienced international team behind you.
• Direct visibility and access to Yaga's senior leadership, with real influence over how the region takes shape.
• A remote-friendly, international working culture built on trust and autonomy.
• The opportunity to grow with Yaga's MENA expansion; where this role leads will depend on how the region evolves, but the upside is real for the right person.
• Be part of a mission-driven company transforming the second-hand fashion space.