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 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 professional in agripreneurship looking to increase your impact, read on!
THE OPPORTUNITY
Reporting to the Head, Agrifood System & Manufacturing, the Lead, Agripreneur will be responsible for building impactful country programs that align with the Foundation’s commitment to creating dignified and fulfilling work opportunities for young women and young people in general. This role involves setting direction, engaging partners throughout agrifood system portfolio program design and implementation to ensure sustainable outcomes.
WAYS YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE
- Provide technical expertise to support Foundation country teams in conceptualizing, designing, implementing, and managing programs and scaling up agrifood systems and manufacturing investments to create jobs and grow.
- Identify challenges and opportunities to agripreneurship development to drive job growth with positive outcomes.
- Provide perspective and expertise on emerging entrepreneurial ecosystems on agrifood systems, agro-processing and marketing-related issues and trends for young people engagement. Identify and develop innovative opportunities for young people that promote sustainability and profitability.
- Identify challenges and opportunities facing agripreneurs and MSMEs focused on agriculture that can be unlocked through education, labour and financial systems to drive job growth.
- Contribute insights to the Foundation’s thought leadership on youth employment in Ethiopia.
- Develop and manage a portfolio of complex grants and contracts requiring high-level grant management skills, including applying and evaluating milestone-based performance objectives.
- Build relationships with partner organizations, government, private sector actors, communities of practice, and global stakeholders.
- Represent the Foundation and collaborate with key internal and external audiences.
- Capture and share lessons learned on agripreneurship and agri-focused enterprise development across country-wide programs and the wider Foundation community. Develop and disseminate learning reports on programs to provide insights and solutions. Communicate progress and lessons from programs to colleagues and strategic partners.
- Lead and supervise teams of colleagues and/or junior experts by providing coaching and support necessary for success and growth.
- Collaborate with country teams and other team members in developing or implementing new programs, including co-creating programs and due diligence practices, working together across programs and geographies.
WHO YOU ARE
- Master’s degree in business, development economics, and/or financial inclusion and a relevant professional qualification.
- Minimum of 10 years of relevant field-based experience in coordinating or managing complex projects in agripreneurship and MSME development with agriculture orientation in Ethiopia.
- Minimum of 5 years’ experience in leadership and management roles within the private sector.
- Strong understanding of agripreneurship and agri-focused enterprises, including the systemic challenges in Ethiopia and Africa.
- Experience with entrepreneurs and enterprises in various agriculture and manufacturing value chains and supply chain/logistics.
- Understanding the role of rural MSMEs and agripreneurship in economic transformation and job creation for rural youth.
- Strong budgeting skills with experience in managing a large portfolio of assets, including grant-making, project management, partner/stakeholder management, M&E, strategy development, and/or gender approaches to development.
- Strong analytical skills, thinking strategically, and contributing as a thought partner in the Foundation’s strategy development.
- Strong understanding of the Ethiopian economy and political economy, particularly in job creation, agriculture-focused investments, enterprises, and financial inclusion, with knowledge of global best practices as a plus.
- Strong management skills and experience with market systems development approaches.
- High-level proficiency in Business Amharic and English is required; strong written communication skills (reports, presentations) are a key advantage. The ability to speak other Ethiopian languages is an asset.
- Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to work transparently and constructively with various actors independently and as part of a team.
- Strong communication skills, with the ability to communicate progress and lessons learned from projects to colleagues and the wider development community.
- Demonstrates professional maturity, cultural sensitivity, and integrity, aligning with the Mastercard Foundation's values and vision.
Deadline for Applications is September 13, 2024.
Mastercard Foundation (the “Foundation”) values and respects your privacy. By submitting an application for this opportunity, you hereby agree to the Foundation’s collection, use and disclosure of your personal information in accordance with its Privacy Policy (available at https://mastercardfdn.org/privacy/). Please note that the Foundation may share your personal information with third-party agencies that support the Foundation’s recruitment activities, and such third-party agencies may contact you directly regarding this opportunity. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Foundation’s Privacy Officer at the address indicated in its Privacy Policy.
The Mastercard Foundation values the unique skills and experiences each individual brings to the organization and we are committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and accessible environment for everyone.
Completion of satisfactory business references and background checks are essential conditions of employment.
For more information and to sign up for the Foundation’s newsletter, please visit http://www.mastercardfdn.org/
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Last updated on Aug 23, 2024