Program Partner, Innovation - Mastercard Foundation

Mastercard Foundation seeks a world where everyone could learn and prosper. Through its Young Africa Works strategy and Canadian EleV program, the Foundation works with partners to ensure that millions of young people, especially young women, access quality education, financial services, and dignified work. Mastercard Foundation was established in 2006 through the generosity of Mastercard when it became a public company. The Foundation is independent with its own Board of Directors and CEO.

THE WORK AT THE FOUNDATION

We have entered an exciting time at the Foundation as we scale up our operations across Africa to realize our Young Africa Works strategy. Our role at the Mastercard Foundation is to be a catalyst. Our Young Africa Works strategy focuses on working with others to spur systemic change so young people could find work that is dignified and fulfilling.

The Foundation has opened offices in Rwanda, Kenya, Ghana, Senegal, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Uganda, building a broader leadership presence in Africa to develop specific strategies that support youth employment. Within a country, we work with governments, the private sector, educators, and other funders to improve the quality of education and vocational training, prepare young people for the workforce, expand access to financial services for entrepreneurs and small businesses, and connect job seekers to dignified and fulfilling work.

We are ambitious and driven. Our values transcend and rise above everything else as our guide. We encourage you to bring your bold ideas, curiosity, and expertise to your work. We laugh at ourselves and with each other. We are a team. Our journey together makes our impact even more meaningful.

If you are an experienced Program Partner, Innovation professional looking to increase your impact, read on!

THE OPPORTUNITY

Reporting to the Program Lead, Innovation, the Program Partner, Innovation engages with external partners for successful program design and implementation. This individual supports the development of the Foundation’s program strategies and the development of initiatives that advance the delivery of the Young Africa Works Strategy for the Region/country.

 WAYS YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE

• You will contribute to the design of the innovation portfolio through the delivery of insights into emerging opportunities and sectors.
• Design approaches to test identified opportunities through the development of programs.
• Ensure integration of innovative solutions and analysis in strategy development, program design, partnership development, implementation and monitoring, and learning.
• Provide support to implementing partners to strengthen their effort in specific sector intervention areas.
• Elevate portfolio work during design, implementation, and monitoring of the country program.
• Identify needs, co-design solutions, and facilitate the implementation of training and coaching programs for team and partner staff.
• Identify, document, and mobilize sector-related insights and learning from the Foundation’s current and future portfolio of work in the Country.
• Support country team and partners to feature portfolio sectors at events, either as participants or speakers.
• Capture and document insights and learnings to ensure that we are adapting consistently to create sustainable and guided programs and approaches.
• Engage with partners/grantees to review opportunities, challenges, and advances interventions through collaboration, learning, exchange and strategic partnerships.
• Develop new partnerships, including identifying and working with prospective partners to design proposals, undertaking due diligence of potential partners and projects
• Manage, monitor, and coordinate a portfolio of partners, including reviewing financial and narrative reporting from partners
• Communicate progress and learnings from projects to colleagues and partners within and beyond the Foundation.
• Recommend and participate in evaluation and learning activities to guide the evolution of programmatic work, working with the in-country and Toronto-based teams.
• Provide perspective and expertise on emerging issues and trends in various sectors, with a particular focus on the respective country
• Build partnerships with local African-based organizations to advance the objectives of the alumni strategy and country programs.
• Manage day-to-day communication and needs of partners while implementing strategic activities.
• Collaborate with leads and partners in various functional areas including Program, Impact and Measurement, Research, and Communications to ensure integration of gender-sensitive approaches.

 WHO YOU ARE

• Bachelor’s degree related to Engineering or Business required. A Master’s degree is an asset.
• Minimum5 years’ experience actively participating in the design and deployment of creative solutions to problems within the industry of work.
• Solid experience in creating a network and managing strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders in service of project delivery.
• Intellectually curious and flexible, is comfortable with ambiguity, receptive to new ideas, and open to change, when presented with the best options.
• Strong coordination skills and understanding of project management.
• Excellent English written and spoken communication skills, proofreading skills with high attention to detail.
• Excellent organizational skills and demonstrated ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Fluency in local language(s) is an asset.
• Ability to communicate effectively with a broad range of stakeholders, including both internally and externally.
• Ability to interact across functional, organizational, and cultural lines and capable of working comfortably with all levels of individuals.
• Flexible, adaptable, and able to execute a range of job duties and changing priorities.
• Possess excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills with the ability to articulate information to a variety of constituents across cultures.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite (Word, PowerPoint, and Excel).
• You have a commitment to Mastercard Foundation’s values and vision.