Program Lead, Agriculture at Mastercard Foundation: (Deadline 15 March 2022)

Program Lead, Agriculture at Mastercard Foundation: (Deadline 15 March 2022)

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 program lead, agriculture professional looking to increase your impact, read on!

THE OPPORTUNITY

Reporting to the Country Head, the Program Lead, Agriculture will be responsible for a portfolio of agriculture and Agri-processing programs that provide solutions to address the constraints preventing agricultural systems from functioning effectively and focused on the Foundation’s Young Africa Works priorities and commitment to enable dignified and fulfilling work for young women and young people in general. She/he will provide expertise and interact effectively with senior levels of partner organizations and ecosystem stakeholders to advance the development and delivery of the Foundation’s country strategy.

WAYS YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE 

• Lead the origination and design of interventions across the agricultural space and related value chains.
• Engage with mandated institutions, private sector/industry stakeholders and young people to co-create opportunities linking/ enabling young people access to dignified and fulfilling work.
• Integrate impact considerations to ensure the needs of young women and young people in general are addressed within the program design.
• Work collaboratively with Country Program team in development of strategies relevant to Young Africa Works in Rwanda and their interlinkages to agricultural, agri-business and agri-finance programs.
• Lead implementation of portfolio of partnerships in the agricultural space and related value chains.
• Extract, capture and communicate details to elaborate progress and learnings from programs to colleagues and the wider development community.
• Collaborate with Country Program team to leverage synergistic opportunities to enhance Impact/outcomes of Young Africa Works programs.
• Represent the Foundation’s interest in programing governance activities, such as investment committees, advisory committees, or other stakeholders to provide oversight or elevate and leverage learnings.
• Working closely with implementation partners and beneficiaries to contribute towards systematic learning and reflection processes to enable for continuous adaptive management of the program.
• Partner and guide implementation partner in identifying and overcoming barriers to team effectiveness by sharing knowledge and learnings while offering insights and possible solutions to issues and/or program challenges.
• Provide perspective and expertise on emerging issues and trends in the agricultural, agribusiness and Agri-finance sector, including climate change in Rwanda.
• Identify challenges and opportunities facing MSMEs in Rwanda that can be unlocked through education, labour and financial systems to drive job growth.
• Stay on top of developments in the MSME and financing space in Rwanda – new concepts, key partner, new information being generated, policy movements, important upcoming events, etc.
• Lead matrixed/cross functional team in myriad of activities related to co-design and implementation phase.
• Supervise colleagues and/or junior staff experts by providing timely coaching and support necessary for success and growth.
• Identify and help overcome challenges and other barriers to team effectiveness.
• Build relationships with partner organizations, communities of practice, and global stakeholders.
• Represent the Foundation and collaborate with key internal and external audiences.

WHO YOU ARE

• Master’s degree or equivalent experience in Finance, Business, Agricultural Economics and/or Financial Inclusion.
• Minimum ten (10) years of relevant experience in agricultural companies, agribusiness, agri-finance and agriculture value chains is required with special focus in Rwanda..
• Minimum 5 years of leadership and management experience.
• Experience working in commercial agricultural companies operational in Africa.
• Demonstrates a strong understanding of the agriculture market system and the role of system players including financial inclusion in economic growth and development and the lives and livelihood of smallholder farmers.
• Understands market and systemic challenges of the agriculture, agri-food system and agribusiness in Rwanda , the EAC and Africa and best practices for addressing them.
• Experience and understanding in a variety of value chains (cash and food crops), the small businesses and SMEs along the value chain, and supply chain / logistics in the agri-food system.
• Understanding of the role agri-food and rural SMEs can play in economic transformation and job creation for youth.
• Demonstrates a strong understanding of agricultural markets in Africa and the systemic challenges leading to stagnant growth.
• Demonstrates strong analytical skills, the ability to think strategically and contribute as a thought partner in the Foundation’s strategy development.
• Demonstrates strong budgeting skills with the ability to manage a large portfolio of assets.
• Command of quantitative and qualitative business analytics.
• Excellent project management skills, including multi-stakeholder projects.
• Possess excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills with the ability to articulate information to a variety of constituents across cultures.
• Excellent people skills, ability to coordinate technical and cross-functional teams.
• Excellent listening and interpersonal skills required.
• Bilingual English oral and written language skills preferred. Ability to speak a local language is highly preferred.
• 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 March 16, 2022.

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