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 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 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.

If you are passionate and ready to build something new and increase your impact, read on!

THE OPPORTUNITY

Reporting to the Country Head in Rwanda the Program Lead, Leaders in Teaching (LIT), will be responsible for managing the LIT initiative  including overseeing a portfolio of partner programs, developing new education programming and partnerships, contributing to the development of initiatives in other priority countries and ensuring collaboration with government, development partners and implementing organizations. This is a 12 month fixed term contract.

WAYS YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE

• Lead the Foundation’s Leaders in Teaching initiative in Rwanda, overseeing a portfolio of Education programs and ensuring objectives are achieved.
• Lead the Rwanda Leaders In Teaching team.
• Responsible for representing the Foundation on local government, donor and development partner task forces, working groups and coordination platforms relevant to the education sector, particularly in secondary education.
• Engage on a regular basis with senior government representatives at the Ministry of Education and the Rwanda Education Board.
• As assigned, contribute to the Foundation’s thought leadership in education as directed by the Country Head, Rwanda from time to time.
• Represent the Foundation as education lead in Rwanda, build and maintain relationships with partner organizations, government stakeholders and other key education stakeholders at the country-level.
• Deepen the Foundation’s education work, identifying teacher development gaps, issues and trends that affect the quality of teaching and learning as part of the Foundation’s country strategy and program development processes.
• Participate and contribute actively to local education and development partner coordination working groups.
• Contribute to the strategic direction of the Foundation’s work in education in Rwanda and the adaptation of the Leaders in Teaching initiative in other country contexts as part of the Foundation’s country strategy implementation in Rwanda.
• Responsible for the development and management of new partnerships and programs focusing on education in support of the Foundation’s Young Africa Works strategy in Rwanda.  Undertake regular partner/site visits to monitor progress and capture program learning.
• Facilitate the coordination of partner activities and ensure ongoing coordination with government education initiatives and other donor-funded programs in education.
• Collaborate closely with Foundation colleagues in Toronto and across the continent, to share program learnings.
• Plan and co-chair bi-annual initiative Technical Working Group meetings and coordinate with the Country Representative and program colleagues on the planning and management of bi-annual Advisory Committee meetings.
• Provide education expertise, with a particular focus on secondary education, to support Foundation colleagues’ design and management of programs in other priority countries.
• Assist in expanding the Foundation team’s capacity relating to teacher training and development, by sharing learning.
• Support the design and delivery of appropriate mechanisms to monitor effectiveness and impact of teacher development interventions in close collaboration with the Impact team, initiative Learning Partners and LIT colleagues.
• Oversee the planning and management of annual learning events and partner coordination workshops.
• Other duties as required.

WHO YOU ARE 

The ideal candidate will have the following qualifications:

• Graduate degree in Education and a youth development-related field.
• Expertise on the key issues, challenges and trends in education, particularly secondary education in Sub-Saharan Africa and teacher development.
• Significant experience in global grant-making in education and/or leading education-focused programs in the non-profit or public sectors.
• Solid familiarity with the key organizations, development partners, donors, international organizations and other actors relevant to education globally and particularly in Africa.
• Excellent project management skills, including in multi-stakeholder projects.
• Knowledge of education policy and reform in one or more African contexts, preferably Rwanda.
• Experience managing and coaching small teams.
• Able to confidently engage with a range of stakeholders, including senior government representatives.
• Exceptional organizational skills and demonstrated ability to handle multiple tasks.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office 365 applications (PowerPoint, Word and Excel).
• Demonstrated written, presentation and spoken communication skills in English required. Fluency in other languages relevant to the work, particularly French or Kinyarwanda, would be an asset. 
• 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.
• Experience living and/or working in Rwanda is highly desirable.
• Willing and able to travel internationally when required.
• You have a commitment to Mastercard Foundation’s values and vision.

Deadline for Applications is August 20, 2020.

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/Follow the Foundation on Twitter at @MastercardFdn

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