Lead, Program Planning and Monitoring

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 & monitoring looking to increase your impact, read on!

 THE OPPORTUNITY

Reporting to the Country Director, the Lead, Program Planning and Monitoring will provide leadership, guidance, and technical support to the Country program team on planning and monitoring. You will coordinate program and portfolio planning to align with the country/regional strategic agenda, develop and implement investment tracking systems and monitoring frameworks, and manage tasks and processes to monitor progress on key indicators.

WAYS YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE

• Coordinate strategic planning to align with the Foundation’s mission and national priorities, developing strategic plans using diagnostics and analysis.
• Lead strategy development processes, including root cause analyses and target setting.
• Manage program and portfolio planning with integrated programming processes and partnership mechanisms. Contribute to project design, including theories of change and implementation plans.
• Develop and implement monitoring standards and systems, strengthening partner-level M&E systems by aligning theories of change and implementing reporting processes.
• Build stakeholder relationships to provide guidance and support. Monitor KPIs and develop additional indicators to enhance impact.
• Provide strategic guidance for partner-level M&E plans, collaborate on monitoring requirements for MOUs, and support data collection, report writing, and documenting good practices.
• Lead data management, including recording, analyzing, and interpreting partner monitoring data. Advise on monitoring issues and program quality assurance.
• Develop learning mechanisms, conduct capacity assessments, support Monitoring Evaluation & Learning (MEL) capabilities, and participate in cross-functional initiatives.
• Manage the Program Planning and Monitoring team, including performance and staff development.
• Represent the team at internal and external events on monitoring and learning.

WHO YOU ARE

• Post-graduate degree in Development Studies, Social Sciences, Economics, Statistics, or equivalent, with knowledge of research methods, particularly for gathering data among Indigenous communities, youth, and vulnerable groups using cultural perspectives.
• 10+ years of experience in the private and non-profit sectors, leading planning, M&E, and reporting systems, managing strategic and operational plans, and overseeing roadmaps and partnerships.
• Experience working with stakeholders in developing countries and internationally to design and implement results-based management systems for complex programs, ensuring adoption and utility by local stakeholders.
• Experience training on M&E systems, introducing new methods, setting up computerized Management Information Systems, and applying tech-enabled data collection, analysis, and reporting tools.
• Experience in participatory approaches, gender inclusion, youth engagement, and data quality assessments using mixed methods.
• Senior leadership and management experience, including living or working in local communities, navigating research protocols, and managing big data with government and academic institutions.
• Extensive experience in strategic planning, portfolio management, and implementation, with expertise in measuring outcomes, monitoring systems, and local research methods.
• Strong cultural knowledge and affiliation with national communities, including membership in relevant networks and authorities.
• Skills in developing measurable outcomes, understanding systems thinking and theory of change, and tools for Indigenous communities, with experience in stakeholder engagement and policy influencing.
• Possess professional maturity, sensitivity to 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 October 10, 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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