Partner, Strategic Research (12 - 16 Months Contract)

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.

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 Strategic Research professional looking to increase your impact, read on!

THE OPPORTUNITY

Reporting to the Lead, Strategic Research, the Partner will contribute to the implementation of the strategic research pillar of the Mastercard Foundation’s research strategy. S/he will help design and manage partnerships that advances contextual and thematic understanding to further the Young Africa Works Strategy and other Foundation program objectives as well as support the team to address immediate research questions, providing quality assurance for diagnostic, Research & Development (R&D) and other research to enable our strategic planning and program design processes.

WAYS YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE

• Contribute to conducting, collating, commissioning and synthesizing research that advances contextual and thematic understanding to support strategic planning and program co-design & review processes.
• Under the guidance of the Research Heads and Leads, work with team members as subject matter experts for the Foundation’s strategic research work.
• Write and publish learnings on the Foundations programs and strategic direction to influence best practice internally and externally.
• Engage with local stakeholders, strategic and planning and Functional teams to determine priority research needs.
• Assist in ensuring quality control of internal & external commissioned strategic research outputs and content generated.
• Contribute to building a culture that encourages evidence-informed decision making.
• Support in the development of strong global and in-region relationships with external research partners.
• Contribute to developing the Research Strategy & build strategic research agenda and knowledge expertise to address long-term strategic questions on global development and youth empowerment.
• Collaborate across the Foundation to co-develop research partnerships that identify trends, risks, and opportunities relevant to the implementation of Young Africa Works.
• Support the design of systems, processes, and protocols for strategic research programs to ensure high-quality research design, implementation, and analysis.
• Develop research partnerships and/or commission studies and other knowledge products to advance the Foundation’s strategic research agenda and contribute to its thought leadership as well as enhance the global development field.
• Build and strengthen the capacity of others to deliver high quality research, analysis, publications, and documentation.
• Support the dissemination of relevant learnings and insights to internal and external audiences; and
• Collaborate with strategic and planning as well as programs teams to identify and address research questions to deepen the Foundation’s understanding of contextual issues relevant to the Young Africa Works strategy.

Who You Are

• Fluency in other languages relevant to the work; French would be desirable.
• Experience in education, the social sciences and humanities, development and/or public policy within non-profit organizations, international NGO’s and/or learning institutions.
• Ability to support multiple enterprise-wide initiatives with varying timelines in a fast-paced and fluid environment.
• Curious and enthusiastic about pursuing new avenues of research as well as open to the ideas of others and shares knowledge and insight from a place of humility.
• You have a commitment to Mastercard Foundation’s values and vision.
• Proven excellence in verbal, written, and presentation skills with the ability to articulate information to a variety of constituents across cultures and to distill complex information and data into accessible conversation and written pieces.
• Innovative and entrepreneurial individual.
• 7+ years' experience contributing to research in development, political, economic, cultural, and social issues across Africa.
• An understanding of research methodologies and approaches, especially in economic transformation/growth and development policy.
• Experience engaging with diverse constituencies.
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills as well as high level of attention to detail.
• Possess professional maturity, sensitivity with different cultures, and impeccable integrity that exemplify the Foundation’s values.
• Flexible, adaptable, and able to execute a range of job duties and changing priorities.
• Master’s/MBA in global development, economics the social sciences, education, Humanities, public policy, or another related field.
• Energetic, independent, and self-motivated individual with a solution-based approach while demonstrating innovation, integrity, quality, creativity, flexibility and resilience.
• Strong research skills with the ability to translate findings to technical and non-technical teams.