Mastercard Foundation Recruitment for Impact Lead, Education and Transitions 2024

The Mastercard Foundation is in a dynamic phase, pushing forward its Young Africa Works strategy, which aims to empower 30 million young Africans with dignified and fulfilling employment opportunities.

To make sure they are close to the communities they serve, the Foundation has established offices in several African countries, including Rwanda, Kenya, Ghana, Senegal, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Uganda. These offices play a critical role in supporting the Young Africa Works strategy by collaborating with governments, the private sector, educational institutions, and other partners.

Together, they work to improve the quality of education and vocational training, equip young people with skills for the workforce, expand financial services for entrepreneurs and small businesses, and help job seekers connect with meaningful employment opportunities.

As the Impact Lead for Education and Transitions, you’ll be reporting to the Senior Director of Programs Impact Support & Advisory.

Your job will be to turn the Foundation’s impact strategy into results that benefit the communities and partners they work with. You’ll work closely with different teams and partners to develop a framework that measures how well programs are performing against the Foundation’s goals.

You’ll also help onboard new partners, review and assess current programs, and ensure they are making a meaningful impact on Africa’s development.

The role will be based in one of the Foundation’s African offices, in Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Ghana, or Senegal.

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Key Responsibilities:

Work with program teams to set clear, measurable outcomes for programs and partnerships, ensuring they align with the Foundation’s overall mission.
Lead the development and implementation of impact assessments to guide strategic decisions and program improvements.
Support program design by identifying the root causes and challenges young Africans face when seeking meaningful work, then helping translate those challenges into actionable goals.
Create impact measurement tools that are tailored to the local context and sensitive to cultural differences across various regions.
Analyze program data to track progress, maintain data quality, and help inform adjustments to ensure the programs are meeting local needs.
Oversee the work of external partners involved in monitoring and evaluation, and engage government and private sector stakeholders to highlight the Foundation’s successes.
Document and share the positive impacts of the programs, working to communicate success stories and achievements across the organization and its networks.

Who We’re Looking For:

You have a postgraduate degree or equivalent experience, with connections to relevant professional networks.
You bring at least 10 years of experience in program evaluation and impact measurement, particularly in both the private and non-profit sectors.
You’ve spent at least 3 years working in public policy with government institutions, and 5 years living or working in Africa, especially with youth-focused programs.
You have a strong track record of creating tools for measuring outcomes and impact, and you’re skilled at adapting methods to suit local needs.
You’re experienced in gathering data from diverse communities, including Indigenous and vulnerable groups, and you understand how to use mixed methods to evaluate program success.
You have worked with institutions focused on education, employment, and empowerment, and have a deep understanding of African research methodologies and cultural contexts.
You’re comfortable navigating complex policy environments and have experience building capacity for state and non-state actors.
You believe in participatory approaches and are passionate about promoting gender inclusion and youth engagement.
You’re flexible, adaptable, and thrive in fast-moving environments, always ready to solve challenges and adapt to change.

This role is a great fit for someone who is passionate about creating lasting change for young people in Africa and is excited to help drive the impact of the Foundation’s initiatives across the continent.

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