Head, Country Programs – WAEMU

Description de l'offre

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 agrifood systems and entrepreneurship development professional looking to increase your impact, read on!

The opportunity

Reporting to the Country Director, WAEMU, the Head, Country Programs will support the development and lead the implementation of the WAEMU Country Programs Roadmap. Focused on Entrepreneurship Development and Agrifood systems, this role requires strategic vision, strong leadership, and building a high-performing team to drive impact across various thematic areas, including access to markets, finance, financial inclusion, and capacity building.

Ways you can contribute

• Interpret and cascade the Agrifood and Entrepreneurship thematic areas from the WAEMU roadmap to enable the execution of a comprehensive program portfolio supporting Young Africa Works.
• Lead developing and implementing a cohesive strategy that integrates agrifood systems and entrepreneurship development, ensuring alignment with the Foundation’s goals and regional priorities.
• Oversee the design, delivery, and scaling of programs in agrifood systems and entrepreneurship development, ensuring they align with the Foundation’s values and priorities.
• Translate strategies into actionable plans, focusing on fostering innovation, agility, and sustainable impact within WAEMU.
• Develop and manage partnerships with key stakeholders, including program partners, government entities, the private sector, and global networks, to drive scale and impact across thematic areas.
• Collaborate with internal thematic teams and regional programs to provide timely and context-aligned support, fostering cross-functional collaboration and knowledge sharing.
• Lead efforts to collect, synthesize, and integrate lessons learned from program implementations, feeding these insights into future development and co-creation processes.
• Establish and lead communities of practice for agrifood systems and entrepreneurship to support internal and external learning agendas.
• Serve as the senior spokesperson for the Foundation’s agrifood and entrepreneurship programs in WAEMU, representing the Foundation at key conferences, workshops, and media events.
• Cultivate relationships with thought leaders, donors, and influential figures to strengthen the Foundation’s brand and public profile.
• Lead, motivate, and develop a multidisciplinary team across agrifood systems and entrepreneurship, ensuring they have clear objectives and are regularly assessed against performance metrics.
• Manage risks associated with the agrifood and entrepreneurship portfolios, developing and implementing mitigation plans to ensure program success while ensuring strategic cohesion across all program initiatives.

Who you are

• Master’s degree or equivalent experience in education, business, or a technology-related field.
• Minimum of fifteen (15) years of experience in the agriculture or related sector, with seven (7) years of experience leading and managing a team.
• Demonstrated expertise and established networks in agriculture and development, particularly in Africa, West Africa, or the WAEMU region.
• Experience initiating and managing operations in the agriculture and food processing sectors, with a deep understanding of employment, job creation, and the innovation landscape across Africa.
• Proven track record of working with and mentoring successful entrepreneurship endeavours, including experience in entrepreneurship or intrapreneurship.
• Strong ability to engage and collaborate with high-level government officials, key partners, media, business leaders, and other influencers; experience with public speaking and media interaction (formal media training is an asset).
• Demonstrated knowledge of the WAEMU’s economic and political contexts and the ability to engage with stakeholders in an education ecosystem, designing programs that address root causes and critical needs.
• Substantive knowledge of key issues, trends, and barriers in education and technology integration, with a strong understanding of education policy and practice across Africa.
• Strategic thinker with solid influence skills, capable of interacting with diverse and senior stakeholders.
• Strong organizational skills with excellent prioritization and attention to detail.
• Comfortable and effective in dealing with ambiguity and complexity, with the ability to formulate and develop new or creative ideas and approaches.

Deadline for Applications is September 19, 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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