Program Partner, Gender and Safeguarding at Mastercard Foundation

ABOUT MASTERCARD FOUNDATION

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 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, young people, 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.

UNDERSTANDING CANADA PROGRAMS AT THE FOUNDATION

The Foundation has begun working within Canada in partnership with Indigenous communities and post-secondary institutions to listen, learn, and best understand how we can act in meaningful ways. The EleV strategy was co-created with Indigenous communities, young people, and partners to enable 30,000 Indigenous youth to complete their education and transition to dignified work aligned with their values and aspirations.

As reflected in Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action, education is a key driver of improved socio-economic well-being. Through building partnerships with Indigenous communities, we look to expand our initiative ultimately helping to support a generation of transformative Indigenous young leaders who will be change agents within their communities. We believe that by setting a bold target, we will encourage engagement across sectors and create momentum that will elevate the strengths and opportunities of Indigenous youth. In keeping with our approach, Indigenous communities and young people will be the drivers of this transformation. The program will promote innovations to address longer-term systemic change to achieve economic prosperity and social well-being within Indigenous communities.

The EleV team oversees current and emerging partnerships related to Indigenous education. Consistent with our overall vision and Youth Africa Works strategy, we will share learnings and opportunities to connect across the work of the Foundation. While operating in distinct contexts, the centrality of youth voice and vision, affirmation of culture and identity, and priority to enhance community capacity for self-determination are common threads upon which our work is strengthened and reinforced.

If you are an experienced gender and safeguarding professional looking to increase your impact, read on!

THE OPPORTUNITY

Reporting to the Lead, Gender and Safeguarding, the Program Partner Gender and Safeguarding will be responsible for building the safeguarding agenda into country programs by setting direction and engaging partners throughout program design and implementation. S/he will provide knowledge and insights on safeguarding dynamics and how they influence various opportunities for young women and young men, to ensure that programmatic interventions respond to the realities at the country level. S/he will be the subject matter expert on safeguarding matters, including strengthening the Foundation and its partner’s capacity to develop, review and implement safeguarding policies and tools, procedures and measures which meet both global and local standards.

WAYS YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE

• Providing safeguarding expertise to review proposals, shape diagnostics, strategic priorities outcomes, and develop impactful interventions.
• Work in collaboration with the Country Director, Lead, Gender and Safeguarding, Foundation Lead for Safeguarding and other Foundation technical experts including Impact Measurement, Thematic Research and Communication teams, Program Partners to integrate safeguarding across the Country Strategy, program cycles, and to advance the Foundation’s overall safeguarding outcomes.
• Work with country teams and partners to co-design country-level strategic outcomes and program roadmaps, proactively pursuing opportunities for program integration and innovation.
• Overseeing iterations and review of strategic outcomes, programs, and interventions for safeguarding.
• Develop means of measurement and evaluation as part of design in consultation with colleagues in Impact team.
• Lead planning to ensure adequate resources and budgeting to implement safeguarding approaches in country programs.
• Support the adaptation and development of safeguarding risk assessment and mitigation tools and approaches for the Foundation and provide technical and strategic guidance for applying them to various programs at the country level.
• Support the design of governance frameworks for safeguarding in country initiatives and events.
• Support regular Foundation safeguarding needs assessments and design a detailed support plan for all staff and partners, such as training and coaching programs, resource development, identifying support networks, etc.
• Support partners with implementation and identifying collaboration opportunities.
• Tracking program progress and collaborating with colleagues in Impact and Design and learning to collect and validate data and learnings.
• Raise programmatic safeguarding issues to Country Program Leads, Lead, Gender and Safeguarding and Country Director as they arise and leveraging Foundation resources to resolve these issues in accordance with Foundation safeguarding policies.
• Oversee research and evaluation of partners to ensure that they stimulate relevant, rigorous, and respective approaches to deepening the Foundation’s approach to gender equality and safeguarding in the Young Africa Works Strategy.
• Work with internal Knowledge Management team to identify, document, and mobilize gender-related insight, safeguarding and learning from the Foundation’s current and future portfolio of work.
• Contribute to a learning culture within the Foundation that is reflective, people-focused, and rooted in safeguarding and gender-sensitive evidence.
• Build and manage relationships with implementing partners in conjunction with Country Program Leads to ensure achievement of the safeguarding agenda.
• Build and maintain relationships with leaders in the field of safeguarding, particularly in identifying and helping to develop strategic partnerships.
• Identify and contribute to relevant learning networks and/or communities of practice and represent the Foundation at gender related events.

WHO YOU ARE 

• Master’s degree and/or combination of relevant experiences and qualification in social sciences, including gender/women/law/ international development or relevant discipline with a focus on economic empowerment.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in partnership management including capacity assessment and providing feedback, training, collaborations, and networking for effective safeguarding outcomes.
• Proficiency with MS Office applications (PowerPoint, Word, and Excel).
• Experience in planning and delivering safeguarding training for multiple audiences and translating knowledge, including synthesizing data and articulating key insights.
• Evidence of a high level of safeguarding training and practical experience.
• Recognized Safeguarding qualification or Counselling qualification will be an added advantage.
• Understanding of diversity, equal opportunities, and inclusion principles.
• Experience working in the field of Child Protection, a young people and with vulnerable communities all with relevant qualifications.
• Knowledge of and experience with the landscape of local, national, regional, and pan-African women’s and youth-serving organizations and networks as well as knowledge of the country-specific social, economic, and political contexts.
• Astute ability to provide expert technical advice to program managers and implementers on safeguarding.
• Strong ability to communicate progress and learnings from projects to colleagues and the wider development community.
• Possess demonstrated expertise in developing and applying gender and safeguarding risk analysis, design tools in multi-sectoral programs.
• Demonstrates strong analytical skills, the ability to think strategically and contribute as a thought partner in the Foundation’s strategy development.
• Excellent project management skills, including multi-stakeholder projects.
• Experience working with or in programs supporting refugee youth and people with disability is a strong asset.
• Results driven and motivated by a high sense of performance excellence with a sense of urgency.
• Intellectually curious and open and must be comfortable with ambiguity, receptive to new ideas, and willing to adapt.
• Excellent prioritization and time management skills with ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
• 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.

Deadline for Applications is May 03, 2023.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY