Head, Impact Entrepreneurship At Mastercard Foundation , Kampala , Uganda

Job Description

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 Head, Impact Entrepreneurship professional looking to increase your impact, read on!

THE OPPORTUNITY

Reporting to the Senior Impact Resident, Pan African Programs, the Head, Impact Entrepreneurship will be responsible for developing and managing the Entrepreneurship Impact Workstream within the Pan-African Programs. This includes designing the strategic direction, implementing effective impact measurement approaches, and building the Foundation’s capabilities in impact assessment. The role involves shaping strategies and initiatives at a Pan-African level, aligned with the Foundation’s Young Africa Works and Impact Strategies, with a focus on transformative change and empowering young individuals in Africa. The position requires leadership, expertise, and accountability for people management, capability development, and achieving Workstream results.

The successful candidate will be based in any of our listed offices in Africa (Ghana, Senegal, Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, Ethiopia, or Uganda).

WAYS YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE

Contributes to the development and evolution of the overall Pan-African Programs (PANA) Impact Framework and Measurement Strategy.
Leads the co-creation, with relevant members of Impact and PANA teams, of evidence-informed planning for impact, as well as an impact measurement and evaluation approach, roadmap and workplans for the Entrepreneurship Impact Workstream.
Develops, guides, and manages the work of the Entrepreneurship Impact Partner Organization (IPO) in the design and implementation of impact measurement plans from strategy to partner level.
Fosters a conducive environment for collaboration with the PANA team to establish evidence-informed design and refinement of Entrepreneurship related strategies, portfolios and partner initiatives based on insights from impact work.
Provides technical impact expertise and advice on Entrepreneurship related impact matters to relevant Directors and Heads in the PANA team.
Advises the Senior Impact Resident, Pan-African Programs, on approaches and progress in Entrepreneurship programming, and the implications for the work of the Impact team.
Contributes to maintaining coordination and alignment between the Impact team and relevant Country and Human Capital Development (HCD) Programs in the Entrepreneurship thematic area, ensuring coherence in planning and impact efforts.
Stays abreast of state-of-the-art advances in fields of work relevant to the Entrepreneurship Impact Workstream.
thematic area, including in areas of special interest such as inclusive markets.
Work closely with the Senior Impact Resident, Global Advisors, PANA, Country, and Impact teams, as well as IPOs, to advance discussions, methodologies, and narratives regarding the use of impact work for comprehending, promoting, and evaluating systemic and transformative change within the Entrepreneurship thematic area.
Works closely with relevant Impact Directors and Heads, as well as with IPOs to:Develop capacities, tools, and approaches consistent with the Foundation’s Impact Strategy.
Advance thinking and methods for the assessment of impact with an African orientation.
Oversee the implementation of relevant evaluative practices that are valued by key stakeholders.
Develop new approaches to elevate in reviews and evaluations the voices and interests of young women and men, and of African stakeholders more broadly, and
Integrate insights around decolonization and African-rooted evaluation in the work of the Workstream.
Develop partnerships with consortia, networks of advisors, think-tanks, IPOs, and other relevant partners to support the priorities of the Workstream. This includes areas such as foresight, horizon scanning, evidence-informed programming, and adaptive management, ensuring a systematic and informed approach.
Serves as Impact focal point for the Foundation in continental and global platforms relevant to the Workstream and contributes to the advancement of Entrepreneurship impact work in relevant external forums and networks.
Works with Impact team members, advisors, and consultants to ensure Impact capacities for the work of the Workstream, including advancing the portfolio approach and furthering understanding of systemic and transformative change.
Recruits and onboard relevant IPOs and provide oversight for implementation of their agreed scope of work as well as build talented team of African specialists for the Workstream.
Provides technical expertise and leadership in the development of impact measurement and narrative frameworks in line with the requirements of the Workstream, and in line with the aspirations and values of the Foundation and the Impact Strategy.
Spearheads the collaborative synthesis of evidence and insights with PANA Portfolio Planning and Learning Head, Foundation units, and advisors to enhance the performance of Entrepreneurship programming and implementation, driving transformative impacts.
Works collaboratively with IPOs, Impact team, Program and Operations colleagues to develop a learning approach and processes to ensure that evaluative findings and evidence inform decisions at partner, thematic, Country, Pan-Africa, and Foundation levels.
Develops a nurturing yet high-performance oriented Workstream team culture, with effective performance management processes to ensure delivery of goals.
Develops processes for and manages the effective implementation of the work plans for the Workstream.
Continuously evolve the Workstream in line with requirements, assess existing capacities and fill gaps that emerge.
WHO YOU ARE

A master’s or PhD degree in International Development, Measurement and Evaluation, or any of the thematic areas or special areas of interest to the Foundation.
15+ years of full-time work experience in systems-informed measurement, evaluation and other impact related work in complex programming and development contexts, preferably in Africa.
A minimum of 5 years of senior management experience is required in the international development, philanthropy, or impact investment sectors, including extensive experience at the regional or Pan-African level, and working closely with governments, mandated institutions, and the private sector.
An astute people leader with minimum 5 years of experience in a senior management role in an African context, with proven experience attracting, onboarding, developing and engaging diverse teams in multiple locations in different contexts and cultures.
Significant proven leadership in areas related to entrepreneurship, inclusive markets, financial inclusions etc. with good understanding of cross-border and cross-regional contexts in Africa.
Understands state-of-the-art technical subject matter relevant to the work of the Workstream, and able to innovate based on mastery of specific areas of interest.
Understands how to embed evidence-informed planning and adaptive management in programming and impact work.
Proficient in employing diverse techniques such as systems-informed theories of change, landscape mapping, root cause analysis, network mapping, and intersectional analyses to comprehend the impact and experiences of different population segments within systemic change.
Experience in establishing relevant Pan-African programs and/or evaluation strategies.
Excellent networks of connections to high quality persons and organizations in Africa and beyond, relevant to the work of this position.
Demonstrated commitment to vulnerable and marginalized populations in Africa, and to youth voice and agency.
Deep sense of curiosity and clear efforts to stay abreast of state-of-the-art developments in the field.
Social impact measurement background with demonstrated expertise in both quantitative and qualitative research or evaluation methods and tools.
Understands systems thinking and capable of driving systemic and transformative change, utilizing various practices and insights pertaining to systems-level change, including foresight and trends scanning.
Strong commitment to equity and social inclusion, in both technical and management contexts.
A relationship builder who fosters strong and productive relationships across organizational functions, effectively partnering with others and adeptly addressing conflicts.
Flexible, adaptable, and able to execute a range of job duties and changing priorities.
Proven excellence in verbal, written, and presentation skills with the ability to articulate information to a variety of constituents across cultures and to distill complex information and data into accessible conversation and written pieces.
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.