Senior Manager, Strategy and Learning - Mastercard Foundation

Mastercard Foundation is a global foundation based in Toronto, Canada with several offices in Africa. Our programs promote financial inclusion and advance education and learning in Africa, primarily for young people, and in Canada for Indigenous youth. The Foundation was established in 2006 through the generosity of Mastercard when it became a public company. From inception, the Foundation was designed to be a separate entity and independent from Mastercard. Our policies, operations, and funding decisions are made by our President and Board of Directors.  

The Foundation believes that youth employment is key to unlocking prosperity, both for youth and their societies. Enabling young women and men from disadvantaged communities to secure dignified and fulfilling work will ensure inclusive development and economic growth in Africa.  

Values are timeless, they transcend and rise above all. They guide everything we do, as employees of the Foundation.  We share a common vision of a world where everyone has the opportunity to learn and prosper. We make mistakes, we reflect, and we grow so that we can impact our world – it’s why we are here. We are ambitious and driven. 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.  

THE OPPORTUNITY

Reporting to the?Associate Director, the?goal of?the Senior Manager is to catalyze learning and evidenced-based decision-making?across the Foundation and within our networks of stakeholders. Working?within the Strategy & Learning department and?closely with the?Thought Leadership,?Communications,?and People & Culture?departments, as well as?the Program Team, this role has primary responsibility for?mobilizing knowledge?using a wide range of?processes, products?and tools.

WAYS YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE

• Conduct quality assessment of statistical data generated by national data collection agencies and identify opportunities for capacity support.
• Identify local and/or regional learning partners to support learning activities when possible and identify opportunities to strengthen institutional capacity.
• Support the development and implementation of the Foundation-wide research framework.
• Commission research projects and partners, including drafting Request for Proposals, managing proposal and partner selection, and contracting processes.
• Manage ongoing research projects with a wide variety of research partners with a wide range of experience, expertise, and capacity.
• Contribute to regular updates of the evidence map informing our work, scanning the emerging literature and practice for relevant evidence to guide our programs and investments.
• Contribute to and lead the effective internal and external use of research-related evidence, including the uptake of research results by Foundation teams, both in Toronto and Africa.
• Contribute to a learning culture within the Foundation that is reflective, people-focused, and rooted in evidence.

• Assist with development and maintenance of internal research guidance, including tools, processes, and information management.
• Support the development and revisions of the ‘Evaluation Policy’ and approaches.
• Lead the planning, design and implementation of mixed-method approaches of evaluations, including but not limited to, impact evaluations.
• Develop a process for procuring, reviewing and selecting contractors for external evaluations.
• Other duties as assigned.

WHO YOU ARE

• Post-graduate degree and/or equivalent experience in a development-related discipline (Economics, Sociology, Anthropology, Political Science, International Affairs, etc.)
• Minimum of 10 years working experience in social impact measurement with demonstrated technical expertise in both quantitative and qualitative research methods, tool design, validation and data analysis.
• Experience working within the international development sector with subject matter expertise in labour market analysis, financial inclusion, education and technology.
• Knowledge and experience on private sector development and job growth, especially related to business environment.
• Bilingual in English and French languages.
• Experience with knowledge translation, including synthesizing data and information for different audiences and articulating key insights.
• Demonstrated experience in operational M&E to measure both project and systems level change using a variety of approaches and methods including contribution analysis.
• Demonstrated experience in delivering training on research and evaluation methods.
• Professional maturity and impeccable integrity with sensitivity to working within different cultures.
• Flexible, adaptable and detail-oriented with the ability to manage multiple tasks in a dynamic environment
• High tolerance for ambiguity and change, and ability to adapt to changing priorities  within a fast-paced work environment with a “roll up the sleeves” attitude.
• Strong problem-solving skills combined with a track record of pivoting in response to opportunities and challenges.
• Exceptional cross-cultural skills and lived experience with youth employment issues in Africa is highly valued.
• Demonstrated knowledge of African social, economic and political contexts.
• Proficiency with MS Office applications (PowerPoint, Word, and Excel).

Mastercard Foundation values the unique skills and experiences each individual brings to the Foundation and are committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and accessible environment for everyone. We appreciate your interest and advise that only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted directly. 

Completion of satisfactory business references, background checks (criminal and credit) and proof of education are essential conditions of employment.

If you require accommodation during the recruitment and selection process, please contact the People and Culture Department. We will work with you to provide a positive recruitment experience in a confidential manner.