Project Manager – Operational Excellence at Mastercard 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 funders 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 self-starter ready to build something new and increase your impact, read on!

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Foundation is evolving to a matrix approach of working to deliver on our Young Africa Works Strategy.  This is a unique opportunity to work in this matrix setting within the West, Central and North Africa hub.

This position formally reports to the Operational Excellence Lead; however, the Project Manager will take day-to-day direction from the hub’s Regional Head.  The Project Manager will serve as a business partner to the regional hub and work with the Regional Head to support the prioritized project and process requirements of the Ghana and Senegal country offices. This ranges from supporting the planning and execution of convenings and workshops, developing detailed workflows and artefacts to support and/or improve existing processes, supporting teams to meet timelines around country roadmap reviews, etc. The Project Manager will also liaise with the Regional Planning team on support required re: enterprise planning initiatives, program planning and process design, and as directed by the Regional Head.

As such, the Project Manager will work multiple complex, multi-track projects or workstreams balancing scope, time, cost, geography, and quality while maintaining a positive environment that promotes high performance.  The Project Manager must be comfortable with uncertainty and possess the flexibility to co-create with dynamic, cross-functional teams to deliver integrated solutions.

WAYS YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE  

• Successfully deliver project management support on prioritized initiatives within the West, Central and North Africa hub, managing multiple projects or workstreams concurrently.
• Support the development and/or continuous improvement of operational and programmatic processes.
• Develop and manage integrated plans and associated communication documents to report on progress; provide frequent verbal and written progress reports on the status of projects; and provide action plans or recommendations on project delivery to stakeholders.
• Develop, maintain and deliverables to track achievement milestones and overall project delivery within the constraints of scope, schedule, cost and quality.
• Dynamically engage stakeholders to problem-solve for solutions as needed to execute deliverables
• Support stakeholders to coordinate project delivery, change management and internal communication strategies through the lifecycle.
• Work with stakeholders to identify, document, assess, and monitor all project dependencies, risks, issues, and required decisions.
• Provide coaching on project management best practices, stand in as Operational Excellence resource for the hub in alignment with the Foundation’s Project Management Centre of Excellence.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as required

 WHO YOU ARE

• PMI certified with a University degree, preferably in business administration or a related field; Master’s Degree is an asset.
• 7 – 10 years of relevant business project management experience (as opposed to IT project management) and success in leading and managing complex projects in an official PM capacity, demonstrating PMO methodologies for planning, risk management and reporting.
• Advanced knowledge of project management tools and MS Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Project, Viso and Excel).
• Detail-oriented, methodical and process-oriented to consistently and effectively produce and deliver high quality results.
• Strong collaborator and relationship builder who can establish trust, respect and credibility to co-create solutions across a range of stakeholders.
• A highly analytical problem-solver and critical thinker who can define root cause, evaluate alternatives and find solutions effectively.
• Possess a ‘client’ focus mindset which enables effective business partnering and issue resolution.
• Fluent in French and English required. Ability to speak local language(s) is an asset.
• Flexible to travel to Country offices within Africa and Canada, as required.
• A team player, self-starter, and resourceful with the ability to work within a constantly changing and ambiguous environment with minimal supervision and resilience.
• 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.