Program Lead, TVET at Mastercard Foundation

THE WORK AT THE FOUNDATION – VOCATIONAL EDUCATION  

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is a critical pathway to ensure young people acquire skills and competencies demanded by the labour market and make a successful transition to work or self-employment. High functioning TVET systems are a key component to achieve the targets set by the Young Africa Works Strategy.  To date, across multiple countries, the Foundation has supported TVET curricula development and instructor training. In addition, through our partners, we have provided institutional support for TVETs to engage with the private sector, develop work-based learning and deepen their administrative support, as well as provided workforce readiness training for out-of-school youth.  

To support broader skills needs as identified in Country Strategies as part of the Young Africa Works, an Education and Skills Technical Expertise Group (TEG) has been established to build a shared understanding of key issues and opportunities related to skill development, secondary education, TVET and workforce readiness training. The TEG contributes to the Foundation’s country diagnostic and country programing process as well as impact and thought-leadership agenda.  

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Program Lead, TVET, will report to the Head, Education and Skills on the Programs Team. The Lead will work collaboratively with other Foundation staff such as country team members; Impact and Finance team members as well as other team members in the Skills TEG or other technical teams (e.g. gender; youth engagement).  

The Lead will provide thematic and programmatic expertise to support the design of TVET related priorities as part of Foundation strategies. In addition, the Lead will assist in the design and implementation of a portfolio of TVET focused partnerships and draw insights on key questions in the Foundation’s learning agenda. The successful applicant will also support the Foundation in developing perspectives regarding effective TVET policies and approaches in Africa that can contribute to thought leadership. 

WAYS YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE  

• Provide expertise in the Education and Skills Technical Expertise Group, with a particular focus on TVET, to support Foundation colleagues’ design and management of programs in priority countries  
• Identify issues and trends that affect the quality of TVET, as part of the Foundation’s country strategy and program development processes. 
• Lead oversight of consultancies focusing on scoping research, learning and program design. 
• Lead the adaptation of the Foundation’s programming and learning related to TVET to specific country contexts, leveraging country diagnostics and learning from our portfolio of partners. 
• Identify and engage with potential implementing partners for country-based TVET programming and support the development of program proposals.
• Support and/or manage current or future programs as appropriate, which may include facilitating implementing partner coordination, reviewing narrative and financial reporting, undertaking regular partner/site visits and distilling learnings for the country and TEG teams as well as wider Foundation staff. 
• Assist in expanding the Foundation team’s capacity relating to TVET and training and development, by sharing learning and supporting country teams. 
• Support the design and delivery of appropriate mechanisms to monitor effectiveness and impact of TVET interventions in close collaboration with the Impact team. 
• Participate in TVET partner coordination working groups, task forces and other meetings where relevant.  
• Build and maintain relationships with partner organizations, government representatives and other key stakeholders at the country-level, communities of practice and global education stakeholders. 

WHO YOU ARE

• Graduate degree in education, or a youth development-related field.    
• Minimum 10+ years of relevant experience leading program interventions with partner organizations/grantees; education sector experience is desirable.  
• Minimum 5 years of leadership and management experience including managing staff and coaching, mentoring and providing feedback. 
• Strong understanding of key issues, challenges and trends in TVET in Sub-Saharan Africa.  Experience working in an education-focused program or policy context in the non-profit or public sectors with a focus on TVET and workforce development training.  
• Knowledge of, and experience designing and implementing, best practices in TVET.   
• Solid familiarity with the key organizations, development partners, donors, international organizations and other actors relevant to TVET in Africa. 
• Knowledge of education policy and reform across multiple African contexts. 
• Demonstrated ability to lead diagnostic and analytic work as well as project design, partner identification and implementation.  
• Excellent project management skills, including multi-stakeholder projects with senior levels of government and the private sector. 
• Experience living and/or working in a developing country, particularly on the African continent.  
• Demonstrated written, presentation and spoken communication skills in English required 
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to be flexible and adaptable and comfortable with ambiguity.  
• Proactive, engaged and a self-starter. 
• Excellent prioritization and time management skills. 
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team. 
• Good organizational skills and demonstrated ability to handle multiple tasks. 
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite (Word, PowerPoint and Excel). 
• Fluency in French and/or another African language is an added advantage. 
• Is willing to travel up to 20 – 30%.
• You are flexible, adaptable, and able to execute a range of job duties and changing priorities.
• You possess excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills with the ability to articulate information to a variety of constituents across cultures.
• You possess professional maturity, sensitivity with different cultures, and impeccable integrity that exemplify the Foundation’s values.