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 have entered a very 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 have the opportunity to 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, young people, and other funders to improve the quality of education and vocational training, prepare young people for the work force, 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.

UNDERSTANDING CANADA PROGRAMS AT THE FOUNDATION

The Foundation has begun working within Canada in partnership with Indigenous communities and post-secondary institutions to listen, learn, and best understand how we can act in meaningful ways. The EleV strategy was co-created with Indigenous communities, young people, and partners to enable 30,000 Indigenous youth to complete their education and transition to dignified work aligned with their values and aspirations.

As reflected in Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action, education is a key driver of improved socio-economic well-being. Through building partnerships with Indigenous communities, we look to expand our initiative ultimately helping to support a generation of transformative Indigenous young leaders who will be change agents within their communities. We believe that by setting a bold target, we will encourage engagement across sectors and create momentum that will elevate the strengths and opportunities of Indigenous youth. In keeping with our approach, Indigenous communities and young people will be the drivers of this transformation. The program will promote innovations to address longer-term systemic change to achieve economic prosperity and social well-being within Indigenous communities.

The EleV team oversees current and emerging partnerships related to Indigenous education. Consistent with our overall vision and Youth Africa Works strategy, we will share learnings and opportunities to connect across the work of the Foundation. While operating in distinct contexts, the centrality of youth voice and vision, affirmation of culture and identity, and priority to enhance community capacity for self-determination are common threads upon which our work is strengthened and reinforced.

If you are an experienced Digital Economy professional looking to increase your impact, read on!

THE OPPORTUNITY

Reporting to the Program Lead Digital Economy, the Program Partner, Digital Economy will support design and implementation of activities related to the Digital Economy space. The job holder will work collaboratively with Country Program staff to integrate digital solutions in the Foundation’s Young Africa Works programs with the aim of enabling dignified and fulfilling work for young women and young people in general. She/he will provide expertise and interact effectively with partner organizations and ecosystem stakeholders to advance the development and delivery of the Foundation’s country strategy.

WAYS YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE

• Support the design of programs and partnerships in the digital economy area and all other relevant program areas and economic sectors.
• Manage a portfolio of grants and contracts requiring high-level grant management skills, including applying and evaluating milestone-based performance objectives.
• Identify challenges and opportunities in the digital technology and ecommerce platform, amongst others, areas to drive job growth.
• Collaborate with program leads / partners and other relevant internal teams to review proposals, develop strategic outcomes and program roadmaps
• Contribute to evolution in thinking and new approaches needed to get to scale.
• Support integration of digitalization of the value chains in selected priority sectors (e.g. Agriculture and agrobusiness, manufacturing, and other sectors) based on a comprehensive analysis of each phase of value creation.
• Support in coordinating activities on the digital entrepreneurship space and digital skills of young entrepreneurs’ development through establishing partnership with training centers and business development service (bds) providers including the foundation’s facilities (e.g. Youth co-creation lab platform).
• Integrate impact considerations to ensure the needs of young women and young people in general are addressed within the program design.
• Support the adaptation of the foundation’s programming and learning related to digital to specific country contexts, leveraging country diagnostics and learning from our portfolio of partners.
• Manage current and future programs, as appropriate, which may include facilitating implementing partner coordination, reviewing narrative and financial reporting, undertaking regular partner/site visits and distilling learnings for the country and foundation digital economy staff.
• Support the design and delivery of appropriate mechanisms to monitor effectiveness and impact of digital interventions in close collaboration with the impact colleagues.
• Participate in digital partner coordination working groups, task forces and other meetings where relevant.
• Engage key thought leaders across other program areas such as in the digital agriculture and agribusiness, MSMEs, financial inclusion, education and others to increase the foundation’s knowledge base and communicate progress and learnings.
• Build and maintain relationships with partner organizations, relevant government representatives and other key stakeholders at the right level in the country, communities of practice and global education stakeholders.
• Support collaboration with communications team to document and distill learnings and best practices, share and engage with stakeholders about the program.

Who You Are

• Master’s degree or equivalent experience in education, business, or a technology-related field is required.
• Minimum 7 years’ experience in a commercial function in at least one relevant digital technology industry focused on low-income customers – e.g. product management, strategy, design.
• Familiarity with relevant technologies and sectors with potential for emerging markets – software solutions, app or platform providers, venture capital, incubators, digital financial services providers, e-government, EdTech, data analytics, etc.
• Demonstrate experience in project design and management with focus on digital technology.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Ethiopian social, economic and political contexts.
• Strong understanding of Digital Economy in Africa and the systemic challenges constraining growth, with a particularly understanding of the Ethiopian context. Understanding of the role Digital can play in economic transformation and job creation; Strong budgeting skills with the ability to manage a portfolio of commitments.
• Knowledge of digital inclusion policy is an asset.
• Good organizational skills and demonstrated ability to handle multiple tasks.
• Excellent presentation and listening skills.
• Proficiency in English written and oral is required. Proficiency in Amharic and other Ethiopian languages is desirable.
• 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.