Lead, Program Planning and Monitoring – WAEMU

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 program planning and monitoring looking to increase your impact, read on!

THE OPPORTUNITY 

Reporting to the Country Director, the Head, Country Programs will support the development and lead the WAEMU Country Programs Roadmap implementation. This role requires strategic vision, strong leadership, and the ability to build and lead a high-performing team to drive impact across various thematic areas, including entrepreneurship development, agrifood systems development, capacity building, digital economy, policies and systems change.

WAYS YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE 

• Lead the development of country strategies aligned with the Foundation’s mission, national priorities, and aspirations of young women and men.
• Oversee strategic and integrated program and portfolio planning processes, utilizing data-driven insights from diagnostics, ecosystem mappings, and foresight studies.
• Strengthen partner-level MEL systems, aligning theories of change and M&E plans, and developing mechanisms for reporting, feedback, learning, and adaptation.
• Build and maintain relationships with diverse stakeholders, providing tailored guidance and fostering collaboration to achieve impactful results.
• Oversee recording, analysis, and interpretation of monitoring data to support progress reporting and strategic decision-making.
• Develop and implement training, workshops, and peer-to-peer support mechanisms to enhance MEL capabilities within the Foundation and among partners.
• Ensure quality assurance for program implementation, aligning processes with best practices and optimizing efficiency.
• Work closely with internal teams and stakeholders on strategic initiatives, ensuring alignment and synergy across functions.
• Manage and develop the Program Planning and Monitoring team, driving performance excellence and fostering professional growth.
• Represent the Foundation at internal and external forums, showcasing expertise in program monitoring, learning, and strategic planning.

WHO YOU ARE

• Master’s degree in Development Studies, Social Sciences, Economics, Statistics, or an equivalent field.
• 10+ years of experience in planning, monitoring and evaluation (M&E), and reporting systems within private and non-profit sectors.
• Proven expertise in developing and managing strategic and operational plans to track roadmaps, partnerships, outcomes, and deliverables.
• Experience working with stakeholders in developing countries, including government ministries and NGOs, to design practical, results-based management systems.
• Familiarity with international stakeholders (e.g., donors) to create and manage complex programs that emphasize adaptation and learning.
• Proficiency in participatory approaches, with a demonstrated commitment to gender inclusion and youth engagement.
• Technical skills in data management, including using tech-enabled tools for collection, analysis, reporting, and communication.
• Strong knowledge of monitoring systems and evaluation methods, with experience conducting data quality assessments and creating feedback loops.
• Senior leadership experience, particularly managing programs or teams at a country level.
• Experience navigating research protocols and managing big data with government and academic institutions.
• 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, and demonstrate professional maturity, sensitivity to different cultures, and impeccable integrity.
• Commitment to Mastercard Foundation’s values and vision.

Deadline for Applications is December 12, 2024.

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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