Hackathon Facilitator
Lead and facilitate enterprise AI hackathons that generate millions in validated business value. You'll guide cross-functional teams through structured innovation sprints, ensuring every event produces actionable, investment-ready outcomes.
About the Role
Otinga's hackathons are not casual coding events -- they are structured, high-stakes innovation programmes that consistently produce millions in validated business value for Fortune 500 clients. As a Hackathon Facilitator, you are the linchpin that makes this happen.
You will lead teams of executives, engineers, data scientists, and business analysts through our proven 48-hour innovation methodology. Your job is to keep teams on track, challenge weak thinking, push for concrete outcomes, and ensure every participant leaves with actionable next steps.
What You'll Do
- Facilitate enterprise hackathons from start to finish, managing 8-15 teams of 6-8 people through structured innovation sprints
- Run pre-event preparation including challenge definition workshops with client stakeholders, team formation, and logistics coordination
- Coach teams in real-time on business case development, helping them quantify value, assess feasibility, and create compelling investment narratives
- Manage executive engagement by orchestrating C-suite check-ins, judging panels, and strategic feedback sessions
- Drive post-event follow-through by supporting top teams in developing full business cases and pilot plans
- Contribute to methodology improvement by providing feedback and suggestions based on field experience
What Makes a Great Facilitator at Otinga
The best facilitators we work with share a few characteristics:
- Comfortable with ambiguity: Enterprise innovation is messy. You need to help teams navigate uncertainty and make progress without perfect information.
- Diplomatically direct: You know how to challenge a VP's weak idea without causing offence. You push for rigour while maintaining psychological safety.
- Energy management: A 48-hour hackathon is a marathon. You know how to keep energy high, manage breaks, and recognise when teams need support versus space.
- Business acumen: You understand enough about business strategy, unit economics, and enterprise operations to ask the right questions and spot weak business cases.
Engagement Structure
This is an ongoing contract role. We typically run 2-4 hackathon events per month, each requiring 3-5 days of facilitator time (including preparation and follow-up). You can expect a minimum commitment of 8-12 days per month, with potential for more during peak periods.
Requirements
- 3+ years of experience facilitating workshops, hackathons, or innovation programmes in enterprise settings
- Demonstrated ability to manage group dynamics and keep diverse teams focused and productive under time pressure
- Strong understanding of design thinking, lean startup methodology, or structured innovation frameworks
- Excellent presentation and public speaking skills with experience addressing senior executive audiences
- Familiarity with AI and machine learning concepts sufficient to guide non-technical participants through AI use case development
- Willingness to travel within the UK and occasionally internationally for on-site events
Nice to Have
- Background in management consulting, corporate strategy, or innovation consulting
- Experience with agile coaching or scrum facilitation
- Certification in design thinking (IDEO, Stanford d.school, or equivalent)
- Experience in regulated industries (financial services, healthcare, pharmaceuticals)
- Multilingual capabilities for international engagements