Lead, Workforce Development

THE OPPORTUNITY

As a Workforce Development Lead, you will play a pivotal role in supporting the end-to-end process of designing and implementing a comprehensive workforce development strategy for the Mastercard Foundation’s work in Rwanda. The successful candidate will be responsible for analyzing labor market needs, supporting partners to devise tailored training programs, and establishing strategic partnerships to bridge the skills gap and enhance employability. This role demands a combination of strategic thinking, project management skills, and a deep understanding of workforce development principles. 

The Lead, Workforce Development, will leverage their technical expertise in the Workforce Development and Education Systems Strengthening and other complementary areas. The position includes (but not limited to) the following roles and responsibilities:

WAYS YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE

Program Design

• Design evidence-driven and scalable programs to enable millions of young people in dignified and fulfilling work.

• Conduct a thorough analysis of local and national labor markets to identify current and future skills demands leading to the development of ideas for program development.

• Work with country teams and other platforms to identify opportunities, codevelop ideas, and design partnerships that respond to the country’s big questions.

• Connect the various programs at the Foundation (Access to finance, Entrepreneurship, digital, Agrifood Systems etc.,) early on in the design stage to ensure complementarity, leverage existing assets and create synergy.

• Use young women centric and inclusive deign to prioritize young women, vulnerable young people, young people with disabilities, refugees and internally displaced people, and those in remote and hard to reach contexts.

• Design disruptive and innovative programs which challenge the status quo and are informed by local communities and their solutions to cater for diverse target groups, including in-school students and out-of-school youth and encompassing technical, soft, and digital skills, as well as entrepreneurship education and upskilling.

• Collaborate with potential partners to align their resources, expertise, and networks with the goals of the workforce development initiative.

• Leverage groundbreaking program design models (e.g., sandboxes, catalytic vehicles) to incentivize innovation and entrepreneurship among partners and communities.

Program Delivery

• Onboard partners to ensure effective implementation of programs and partnerships through work with colleagues across functions (legal, finance, safeguarding, impact, etc.,)

• Ensure the Workforce Development, entrepreneurship, and ecosystem pillars are connected, and meaningfully supporting the achievement of employment outcomes in the priority sectors identified by the country strategy.

• Work with country teams and other program platforms to regularly review programs, share feedback, and unlock the challenges partners and program participants may face.

• Work with program operations to streamline plans and strategy to effectively monitor, to support implementation, synthesize learning, and to ensure impact at scale.

• Collaborate with Impact and Research function to develop and implement monitoring and evaluation frameworks that can assess program outcomes and impact.

• Serve as a strategic though partner to senior leadership to improve employment outcomes in priority sectors.

Ecosystem Stakeholders Engagement

• Identify and establish strategic partnerships with educational institutions, industry associations, government agencies, and non-profit organizations to enhance program effectiveness.

• Build relationships with youth, civic, governmental, and business leaders, and program alumni to scope new ideas, seek counsel, and support programming efforts.

• Engage with key stakeholders, including government officials, community leaders, and industry representatives, to garner support and ensure the program's integration into broader economic development initiatives.

• Develop, build and maintain relationships within the workforce development space and cross functional teams.

• Represent, as required, the Mastercard Foundation at relevant meetings, conferences, and forums, contributing to our thought leadership role as a Foundation. 

• Establish and strengthen relationships with other stakeholders and related agencies relevant to the health strategy pillar.

• Facilitate integration, collaboration and convening relevant actors to drive impact at scale.

WHO YOU ARE

• A minimum of 10+ years of relevant experience in program management in varied portfolios: Workforce Development, and related programs.

• Minimum of 7 years of experience at a senior level in a global organization with strong leadership experience.

• A master’s degree in a relevant field, including education, management, economic development, or related social sciences, along with relevant professional qualifications and membership.

• Demonstrated expertise in education and skills development, workforce development, or related fields, with a deep understanding of Ghana’s education and skills landscape.

• Experience in public policy within nonprofit organizations, international NGOs, or educational institutions, effectively engaging with senior government officials, key partners, media, business leaders, and other influential individuals.

• Experience in educational technology assessment and evaluation, youth and adult learning and development, curriculum development, and teacher training strategy is advantageous.

• Excellent operational skills covering education policy and planning and the ability to lead complex policy and strategy dialogue.

• Ability to think and work in an integrated and holistic way, keeping the Young Africa Works strategy at the centre.

• Ability to effectively engage and manage relationships with senior external stakeholders, particularly implementing partners.

• Strong networking and collaborative service orientation towards the country, its young people, and colleagues across the foundation.

• Ability to facilitate nuanced conversations and guide disparate views towards shared outcomes in ambiguous situations.

• Mastery of Microsoft Office suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel).

• Substantive knowledge of critical 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.

• Professional maturity, sensitivity to different cultures, and impeccable integrity that exemplify the Foundation’s values.

• Possess excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills with the ability to articulate information to various constituents across cultures.

• You have a commitment to Mastercard Foundation’s values and vision. 

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.

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