Mastercard Foundation Job Recruitment (3 Positions)

The Opportunity

• The role reports to Senior Director, Corporate Communications. The Mastercard Foundation seeks a dynamic and values-driven Director, Corporate Communications and Brand to help shape, steward, and amplify the Foundation’s voice and brand across Africa and globally.
• This role leads the integration of brand strategy, digital engagement, employee communications, and storytelling to strengthen our impact, connect with diverse audiences, and advance our mission of enabling young people, especially young women to access dignified and fulfilling work.
• You will lead a talented team, working across the Foundation to develop and deliver strategies that deepen understanding of who we are, what we do, and why it matters.
• You will ensure our communications reflect the voices of our partners and the young people we serve, while positioning the Foundation as a trusted, influential voice in development and philanthropy in Africa.
• The successful candidate will be based in any of our offices in Canada or Africa (Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana)

About the Role
Strategic Leadership:

• Develop and implement unified corporate communications and brand strategy that advances the Foundation’s mission and priorities.
• Oversee brand management, ensuring alignment with the Foundation’s values, purpose, and desired impact.
• Guide the Foundation’s digital presence—including strategy, content, and audience engagement across all channels—to build meaningful connections with key audiences.
• Lead employee communications that strengthen connection, trust, and shared purpose—helping colleagues feel informed, engaged, and inspired by the Foundation’s mission and values-led culture.

Content and Storytelling:

• Champion powerful, authentic storytelling that reflects the voices of young people, partners, and communities.
• Drive creative campaigns that inform, inspire, and influence, using digital, media, and other channels.
• Oversee content development that ensures the Foundation’s voice is consistent, clear, and compelling.
• Strategic Influence
• Use communications as a lever for influence—helping to shape conversations, elevate ideas, and catalyze change across the development ecosystem.
• Collaborate with colleagues in Thought Leadership to connect communications and influence strategies.

Team Leadership and Collaboration:

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team across brand, digital, and employee communications functions.

Requirements

• Master’s Degree in Communications, Public Affairs, or related field.
• A strategic communications leader with at least 15 years of experience in development, philanthropy, or related fields in Africa.
• Experienced in digital strategy and audience engagement, with a deep understanding of channels, platforms, and analytics.
• Skilled in campaign design and storytelling that drives engagement and influence.
• Strong writer and editor, with a proven ability to convey complex ideas clearly and compellingly.
• Experienced in employee communications and fostering organizational engagement.
• Demonstrated experience in brand strategy and management.
• People management experience, with a collaborative, inclusive, and empowering leadership style.
• Adept at working across cultures, geographies, and diverse stakeholder groups.
• 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.

Application Closing Date
27th August, 2025.

Click here to download the Editable CV Template

The Opportunity

• As the operational anchor within the HECSI platform, the Head, Program Operations ensures the coordinated execution of program plans, partnership processes, and operational learning across multiple countries and initiatives.
• Acting as a key deputy to the Director of Program Operations, this role leads platform-wide portfolio management, pipeline acceleration, and execution governance, supporting platform leadership and country teams to deliver high-quality, inclusive outcomes.
• This position will lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of integrated planning processes, operational frameworks, and programmatic quality standards to enhance portfolio execution and impact delivery across geographies.
• The incumbent will also foster a culture of disciplined program execution, knowledge sharing, and operational innovation across the Platform.
• The successful candidate will be based in any of our offices in Canada and Africa (Ethiopia, Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana, Rwanda, Kenya, or Uganda)

Responsibilities
Strategic Business Partnering & Program Governance:

• Serve as a strategic thought partner to the Executive Director and Program Directors on platform-wide planning, program design, and performance oversight.
• Provide high-level guidance and advisory on pipeline development, investment readiness, portfolio performance, and program execution health.
• Lead quarterly and annual strategic and operational planning cycles across the platform, ensuring strong alignment with the Foundation’s priorities and country-level strategies.
• Facilitate coordination across multi-country initiatives and workstreams to ensure synergy, coherence, and learning across the platform.

Program Operations & Execution Oversight:

• Oversee the implementation of operational frameworks and execution standards that improve delivery discipline, quality, and accountability.
• Monitor program implementation end-to-end through integrated dashboards and portfolio trackers; proactively flag risks and coordinate course corrections with HECSI and Country teams.
• Lead the development and institutionalization of key performance indicators, operational trackers, and turnaround time (TAT) measures for all major operational milestones.
• Ensure all platform processes, policies, and tools are regularly reviewed, standardized, and optimized for greater efficiency and learning.

Program Planning & Portfolio Management:

• Drive the formulation and updating of multi-year, platform-level operational plans and portfolios, ensuring integrated and adaptive program delivery.
• Lead forecasting and portfolio planning in collaboration with Program Finance and HECSI teams, ensuring appropriate resourcing and milestone alignment.
• Oversee the tracking and coordination of programmatic priorities and implementation calendars across the Platform to ensure timely execution.
• Facilitate program proposal reviews and platform governance engagements, ensuring due diligence and alignment with planning frameworks.

Process Excellence & Capability Building:

• Champion operational excellence by embedding process discipline, structured project management approaches, and continuous improvement methodologies (e.g., Lean Six Sigma).
• Lead capacity building efforts across program teams through targeted training, knowledge-sharing, and cross-functional workshops, in collaboration with Learning & Development and Foundation Academy.
• Act as a change agent by driving adoption of systems, tools, and ways of working that improve decision-making, performance management, and accountability.

Cross-Team Integration & Knowledge Management:

• Drive collaboration across country offices, program teams, and integrated functions to break down silos and promote knowledge exchange.
• Support the design and delivery of cross-platform learning events, retreats, and planning sessions to strengthen shared accountability and performance monitoring.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, curiosity, and operational innovation across the Platform.

Requirements

• Minimum 12 years of work experience in Planning, Strategy and/or Project/Program management in both the private and public sectors.
• Master’s Degree in Business Administration, International Development, Public Policy, Public Health, Education, Economics, or other relevant fields.
• Professional certifications in Project Management (PMP, PRINCE2), Change Management, Process Improvement (Lean Six Sigma) or related disciplines preferred.
• Proven track record in strategic planning, portfolio management, and large-scale program implementation across multiple countries or functions.
• Deep experience managing operational systems, processes, and tools to drive program performance and governance.
• Demonstrated ability to influence senior leaders, manage cross-functional stakeholders, and lead strategic initiatives with high degrees of complexity and ambiguity.
• Experience in designing and facilitating high-impact learning, planning, or review sessions involving diverse stakeholders.
• Strong knowledge of inclusive development principles and experience integrating gender, youth, or marginalized group lenses into operational frameworks.
• Strategic thinker with strong execution and delivery orientation.
• Demonstrated excellence in problem-solving, system thinking, and change leadership.
• Advanced stakeholder management, negotiation, and facilitation skills.
• Resilient and adaptive leader comfortable navigating ambiguity and complexity.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to inspire and influence without authority.
• High emotional intelligence, professional maturity, and cultural sensitivity.
• Deep commitment to the Foundation’s mission, values, and youth-centered approach.
• A highly analytical problem-solver and critical thinker who can define root cause, evaluate alternatives and find solutions effectively.
• Service mindset for responsiveness to requests and striving towards becoming trusted business partners to drive common Foundation goals.
• A team player with strong self-direction balanced with a collaborative and creative approach, with the ability to work under minimal supervision.
• Agile, 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 and support a culture of change.
• Possess professional maturity, sensitivity with different cultures, and impeccable integrity.
• Alignment and commitment to Foundation mission and values.
• Aptitude for and keen interest in learning new information design and communication technology.
• Flexible, adaptable, and able to execute a range of job duties and changing priorities.

Application Closing Date
21st August, 2025.

Click here to download the Editable CV Template

The Opportunity

• Reporting to the Director, Legal and Compliance Shared Services, the Legal Counsel will provide strategic legal support on non-charitable projects, vendor contracts, and regulatory compliance.
• This role offers the opportunity to shape compliance programs, streamline legal processes, and partner with teams across the Foundation to deliver impact.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal support on non-charitable projects and transactions related to the Foundation’s operations.
• Participate in various operational projects as legal support for the Foundation.
• Proactively identify, analyze and respond to legislative developments affecting the Foundation’s operations.
• Negotiate and review vendor contracts and communicate feedback appropriately.
• Collaborate with Legal and Compliance team members in providing support to country and functional teams on operational regulatory compliance, including privacy and data protection-related regulatory compliance requirements.
• Ensure contracts are in line with the Foundation policies, procedures and strategic objectives.
• Collaborate with Legal and Compliance Team members to maintain and upgrade vendor contract templates.
• Support the continuous improvement of legal processes and procedures.
• In partnership with the business leaders and external partners co-create the design and support the implementation of compliance programs.
• Build and maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in law (LLB or JD) is required.
• Member in good standing of a Law Society (Bar).
• Minimum of 5 years of experience working in a reputable firm or in-house position with a demonstrated record of success in Africa.
• Experience working in charitable and non-profit sectors is preferred.
• Experience working in a start-up or ‘build’ environment.
• Strong contract drafting and negotiation skills.
• Must be fluent in English.
• Ability to exercise appropriate and sound judgement and discretion in dealing with legal matters.
• Innovative and entrepreneurial; can formulate and develop new or creative approaches to problems and inspires others on the team to do so as well.
• 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.

Application Closing Date