Lead, Strategy & Planning

ABOUT MASTERCARD FOUNDATION

Mastercard Foundation seeks a world where everyone has the opportunity to 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 are currently in an exciting period at the Mastercard Foundation as we intensify the implementation of the Young Africa Works strategy, aiming to empower 30 million young people throughout Africa to access dignified and fulfilling employment.

To ensure the Foundation's accessibility to our partners and program participants, we have established offices in Rwanda, Kenya, Ghana, Senegal, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Uganda. These offices provide strong in-country support for the implementation of Young Africa Works. We collaborate with governments, the private sector, educators, and other funders to enhance the quality of education and vocational training, equip young individuals with the necessary skills for the workforce, expand access to financial services for entrepreneurs and small businesses, and facilitate connections between job seekers and meaningful employment opportunities.

Our values serve as our guiding principles, transcending and surpassing all other considerations. We wholeheartedly encourage you to bring your bold ideas, curiosity, and expertise to your work.

If you are an experienced professional in strategy & planning looking to increase your impact, read on!

THE OPPORTUNITY 

Reporting to the Country Director, the Lead, Strategy, & Planning will support the overall effectiveness of country program delivery, alignment & review, planning and programming processes, performance tracking against Young Africa Works goals at country levels, cross-pillar coordination and support to country programs planning and monitoring teams. You will also support the Country Director in strategic opportunity identification and analysis and in developing strategic recommendations aligned to the country context and overall Young Africa Works Strategy.

WAYS YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE

• Design and lead the program planning framework, including forecasts, program budget planning, and the program-wide annual calendar of priorities and activities.
• Monitor timelines for the annual program planning cycle and ensure team alignment.
• Track and collate program-wide portfolio implementation plans, progress, and status at all levels in close collaboration with country, Pan-African, and E&T program operations heads.
• Facilitate planning and coordination sessions within programs to ensure effective implementation and alignment.
• Review and revise the program planning framework to align with evolving program needs.
• Embed a common planning framework across programs through training and cross-program team engagement initiatives.
• Adapt planning and budgeting frameworks to reflect program evolution and emerging priorities.
• Collate program performance data and prepare dashboards for each program (forecasts, targets, commitments, disbursements, impact metrics, etc.) with the impact, finance, and BI teams.
• Prepare management performance reports, key analyses, and trends reporting for strategic decision-making.
• Develop and present analyses and insights for Country Leadership reviews and discussions.
• Identify, document, monitor, assess, report, and escalate dependencies, risks, issues, and decisions related to country programming as appropriate.
• Collaborate with Operational Excellence and BI teams to design dashboards and insights for program-wide performance monitoring.
• Facilitate access to high-level program-wide performance data and information to support executive-level performance reporting.
• Support the development of strategic reports and recommendations based on insights for internal and external stakeholders.
• Provide support for short-term and long-term country planning initiatives.
• Prepare management reports for the Country Head and Country Programs Head to support operational and strategic objectives.

WHO YOU ARE

• University degree, preferably in business administration or a related field; a Master's Degree is an added advantage.
• PMP or relevant Project Management Certification with strong coordination and project management skills.
• Mastery of Microsoft Office suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel).
• Minimum of seven (7) years of experience managing projects and programs, preferably those related to education, youth employment and entrepreneurship, the digital economy, and/or agriculture and food systems.
• Proven experience engaging and collaborating with stakeholders in non-governmental and multilateral organizations, educational institutions, government, Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), the private sector, and young people.
• Proven experience designing programs and building partnerships.
• Experience integrating gender equality and inclusion outcomes in programs and operations.
• Exposure to systems thinking, with an ability to engage with stakeholders in different ecosystems and design programming that addresses root causes and critical needs.
• Substantive knowledge of key issues, emerging trends, and barriers in youth and work across Africa.
• 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.
• Possess professional maturity, sensitivity with different cultures, and impeccable integrity that exemplify the Foundation’s values.
• Demonstrate a commitment to Mastercard Foundation’s values and vision.

Deadline for Applications is January 6, 2025.

Mastercard Foundation (the “Foundation”) values and respects your privacy. By submitting an application for this opportunity, you hereby agree to the Foundation’s collection, use and disclosure of your personal information in accordance with its Privacy Policy (available at https://mastercardfdn.org/privacy/). Please note that the Foundation may share your personal information with third-party agencies that support the Foundation’s recruitment activities, and such third-party agencies may contact you directly regarding this opportunity. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Foundation’s Privacy Officer at the address indicated in its Privacy Policy.

The Mastercard Foundation values the unique skills and experiences each individual brings to the organization and we are committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and accessible environment for everyone.

Completion of satisfactory business references and background checks are essential conditions of employment.

For more information and to sign up for the Foundation’s newsletter, please visit http://www.mastercardfdn.org/
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