Program Partner, Entrepreneurship Development

ABOUT MASTERCARD FOUNDATION

The 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 entrepreneurship and enterprise growth programs looking to increase your impact, read on!

THE OPPORTUNITY

Reporting to the Head, Entrepreneurship, the Program Partner will be responsible for designing and implementing programs to enable dignified work for the youth. You will support the Program leads and partners in program development, foster an understanding of entrepreneurship and employment issues, and contribute to the Foundation’s country strategy. The role includes engaging with ecosystem stakeholders to advance the Young Africa Works strategy and representing the Foundation at events.

WAYS YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE 

• Assist with identifying and selecting implementing partners aligned with the Mastercard Foundation partnership process.
• Cultivate and strengthen relationships with implementing partners in Ghana, focusing on entrepreneurship and youth employment in key sectors.
• Conduct organizational assessments (virtual and in-person) with partners to evaluate implementation capacity and identify gaps for Technical Assistance (TA).
• Collaborate closely with enabling and implementing partners to design and execute high-quality projects/programs that meet targets, align with local contexts, and fulfill deliverables outlined in agreements.
• Support program leads in managing current and future programs, partner coordination, and reporting.
• Represent the Foundation in collaborative efforts, including learning networks, stakeholder engagements, and gender inclusion events.
• Plan and execute field visits to integrate program design with partnership strategies and local insights.
• Support partner learning exchanges and workshops focused on youth entrepreneurship and employment.
• Contribute insights to the Foundation’s thought leadership on youth employment in sectors such as agriculture, tourism, artisanal, creative industries, and hospitality.
• Provide expertise on enterprise growth environments and policy to inform strategy and partnership development.
• Support the adaptation of Foundation programming, particularly MSME/financing initiatives, to specific country contexts.
• Manage financing programs and learning processes across agriculture, tourism, artisanal, creative industries, and hospitality sectors.
• Enforce effective data collection and management to monitor partnership reach and impact.
• Provide partners with advice, research support, and tool development to assess and enhance program outcomes.
• Build partner capacity to engage with diverse youth groups, including women, people with disabilities, refugees, and displaced youth, and integrate these considerations into program design.
• Develop and implement the Country Gender Action Plan and inclusion work plans to amplify impact.
• Integrate insights, data, and impact considerations into program design and implementation.

WHO YOU ARE

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, business, development studies, or a related field.
• Relevant professional qualification and membership in a relevant professional body.
• Minimum of five (5) years of relevant experience in a similar organization.
• Expertise in designing and managing entrepreneurship solutions across various sectors and stages of development.
• Experience in Ghana's youth entrepreneurship and employment programs, with knowledge of local social, economic, regulatory, business, and political contexts.
• Demonstrated experience in project design and management, particularly in enterprise development and MSME support.
• Excellent understanding of MSME segments in Africa, from early-stage start-ups to growth-stage SMEs, and the challenges limiting their growth, specifically in Ghana.
• Understanding MSMEs’ economic role in job creation and economic transformation.
• Strong budgeting skills and ability to manage commitments effectively.
• Project management proficiency, including handling multi-stakeholder projects.
• Flexibility, adaptability, and agility in executing diverse job duties with multiple deadlines and shifting 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 that exemplify the Foundation’s values.
• Demonstrate a commitment to Mastercard Foundation’s values and vision.

Deadline for Applications is January 6, 2025.