Mastercard Foundation recruits 01 Program Lead, Digital Economy

Mastercard Foundation recruits 01 Program Lead, Digital Economy, Dakar, Senegal

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 founders 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 a Digital Economy specialist ready to build something new and increase your impact, read on!

Digital technologies in Africa

Digital technologies are transforming every aspect of life for billions of people. Digitally-enabled businesses – local and global, small and large – create new work opportunities that require new skills and mechanisms to link appropriately-skilled workers with opportunities. Youth who currently use digital technologies can anticipate a lifelong journey to ensure their skills remain relevant to evolving needs and opportunities. Those who have yet to benefit from digital inclusion need support and encouragement to begin to climb the ladder of basic digital literacy and skills. Lack of meaningful progress towards digital skills leaves millions of young Africans at risk of exclusion from opportunities in an increasingly digital world. It limits the ability for teachers or students to use digital solutions effectively within the educational systems, as well as the competitiveness of workers wishing to join local, regional and global ICT labor markets. Ultimately, this constrains the ability of firms to implement new technology and create new jobs.

The opportunity

The Program Lead, Digital Economy will report to the Country Head in Senegal. In this role, the Program Lead will also work collaboratively with other Foundation staff, such as Program Country team members who are developing country strategies and other program team members in other technical areas (e.g. education finance, agriculture, MSME, etc.).

Ways you can contribute

Work closely with the Country Team staff to achieve team goals.
Provide digital technology expertise to support the design and management of programs that leverage technology to scale country-level inclusive education, financial and labor systems in Africa.
Diagnose and contribute expertise on digital enabling environment and policy to inform country strategy design, partnership development, and monitoring processes.
Work closely with the program and country teams to leverage synergies across programs and across geographies.
Support and/or Manage current or future programs as appropriate, distilling learnings for the country and technical teams as well as wider Foundation staff.
Contribute insights to the Foundation’s thought leadership on digital skills development in Africa by writing blogs, attending and presenting at conferences and identifying other opportunities to share and deepen learning.
Assist in expanding the Foundation team’s capacity relating to digital skills development and digital policy, by sharing learning, facilitating training and supporting country teams.
Support the design and delivery of appropriate mechanisms to monitor effectiveness and impact of skills development interventions in close collaboration with the Impact Learning team.
Participate in governance activities related to programs, such as investment committees, advisory committees or other stakeholder fora to provide oversight or elevate and leverage learnings.
Build and maintain relationships with partner organizations, key stakeholders at country-level, communities of practice and global stakeholders.

Who you are

You have a Master’s degree or equivalent experience in education, business, or a technology-related field.
You have 10+ years of experience working with the private and non-profit sectors, particularly in a role relating to digital technology and skills development in Africa.
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, data analytics, etc.
Experience successfully procuring and managing consultants and technology vendors and suppliers to achieve goals.
Excellent project management skills, including multi-stakeholder projects.
Command of quantitative and qualitative business analytics.
Experience working with the non-profit or public sectors, particularly in a role relating to digital technology.
Experience with entrepreneurship or intrapreneurship.
Demonstrated knowledge of African social, economic and political contexts.
Experience living and/or working in Africa.
You are a proactive, engaged and a self-starter with excellent prioritization and time management skills.
Ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
Proficiency with MS Suite applications (PowerPoint, Word and Excel).
High emotional intelligence and comfort with ambiguity.
Knowledge of digital inclusion policy is an asset.
Strong written and spoken communication skills in English, French and Wolof required.
You are flexible, adaptable, and able to execute a range of job duties and changing priorities.
You possess excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills with the ability to articulate information to a variety of constituents across cultures.
You possess professional maturity, sensitivity with different cultures, and impeccable integrity that exemplify the Foundation’s values.
You have a commitment to Mastercard Foundation’s values and vision.

Deadline for Applications is April 20, 2020

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.

Pour voir l’offre en entier cliquer ICI

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