Lead, Education and Skills at Mastercard Foundation

THE OPPORTUNITY

• Reporting to the Country Head, the role will be responsible for leading the Education and Skills team in the development and design of education and skills development programs aligned with nationally identified priorities and Foundation strategies in support of youth employment, particularly in the agriculture sector.

WAYS YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE

• Identify issues and trends that affect the quality of secondary education and TVET, as part of the Foundation’s country strategy and program development processes.
• Identify skills and workforce development gaps, issues and trends relevant to education and economic development during strategy and program development processes.
• Lead on the development of new education and skills programming as part of Young Africa Works Ghana, identifying and engaging with potential implementing partners for country-based Secondary Education/TVET interventions.
• Participate in local Secondary Education/TVET partner coordination working groups, task forces and other meetings where relevant.
• Lead the Education and Skills team and provide guidance and support to Program Partners, Analysts and Interns in the achievement of team objectives.
• Manage the current/future Education and Skills program portfolio in Ghana, including ensuring that program objectives are achieved, facilitating partner coordination, reviewing narrative and financial reporting, undertaking regular partner/site visits and distilling program learning.
• Lead adaptation of the Foundation’s programming and learning related to secondary education and to specific country contexts, leveraging country diagnostics and learning from our portfolio of partners.
• Provide support in the design and delivery of appropriate mechanisms to monitor effectiveness and impact of education and skills development interventions.
• Provide education and workforce development expertise to support Foundation colleagues’ design and management of programs in Ghana and other priority countries as required.
• Build and maintain relationships with partner organizations, senior government representatives and other key stakeholders at the country-level, in addition to contributing to communities of practice and knowledge sharing at the global level.

WHO YOU ARE

• Graduate degree in education, economics or a youth development-related field is required.
• Minimum 7-10 years of relevant experience leading program interventions with partner organizations/grantees; education sector experience is desirable.
• Strong understanding of issues, challenges and trends in the design and implementation of TVET programs in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Program development and execution in the non-profit or public sectors with a focus on Secondary Education/ TVET and workforce development training.
• Education and Skills program development and execution, focused on low-income youth.
• Demonstrated ability to lead diagnostic and analytic work as well as project design, partner identification and implementation.
• Experience working with or in partnership with non-profit, private or public sectors, particularly in a role relating to education and skills development in Africa.
• Experience managing teams.
• Command of quantitative and qualitative education and labour market analysis techniques.
• Excellent project management skills, including multi-stakeholder projects with senior levels of government and the private sector.
• Understanding of the key challenges, opportunities and players in the education sector, particularly at the secondary level and in TVET.
• Knowledge of skills and workforce development, particularly in agriculture and adjacent sectors, would be an asset.
• Solid experience and knowledge in skills development issues relevant to vulnerable groups (e.g. rural young women, refugee or displaced youth, youth with disabilities etc.).
• Able to effectively manage and develop a team to achieve strategic objectives.
• Flexible, adaptable, and able to execute a range of job duties and changing 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.