Head, Impact Digital Economy at Mastercard Foundation

THE OPPORTUNITY

• Reporting to the Senior Impact Resident, Pan African Programs, the Head, Impact Digital Economy will be responsible overseeing the development and management of the Digital Economy Impact Workstream in a Pan-African context. S/he will shape strategies aligned with Young Africa Works, employ impactful measurement approaches, and enhance the Foundation's Impact function. This role will drive transformative change, amplifies the voices of African youth, and ensures high-performance outcomes.
• The successful candidate will be based in any of our listed offices in Africa (Ghana, Senegal, Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, Ethiopia, or Uganda). 

WAYS YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE

• Contributes to the development and evolution of the overall Pan-African Programs (PANA) Impact Framework and Measurement Strategy.
• Develops, guides, and manages the work of the Digital Economy Impact Partner Organization (IPO) in the design and implementation of impact measurement plans from strategy to partner level.
• Leads the co-creation, with relevant members of Impact and PANA teams, of evidence-informed planning for impact, as well as an impact measurement and evaluation approach, roadmap and workplans for the Digital Economy Impact Workstream.
• Fosters a conducive environment for collaboration with the PANA team to establish evidence-informed design and refinement of Digital Economy related strategies, portfolios and partner initiatives based on insights from impact work.
• Provides technical impact expertise and advice on Digital Economy related impact matters to relevant Directors and Heads in the PANA team.
• Advises the Senior Impact Resident, Pan-African Programs, on approaches and progress in Digital Economy programming, and the implications for the work of the Impact team.
• Stays abreast of state-of-the-art advances in fields of work relevant to the Digital Economy Impact Workstream.
• Collaborate with Senior Impact Resident, Global Advisors, and multiple teams to facilitate discussions, develop narratives, methodologies, and strategies to harness impact work for understanding, promoting, and evaluating systemic and transformative change in the Digital Economy.
• Works closely with relevant Impact Directors and Heads, as well as IPOs to:
  • Develop capacities, tools, and approaches consistent with the Foundation’s Impact Strategy.
  • Advance thinking and methods for the assessment of impact with an African orientation.
  • Oversee the implementation of relevant evaluative practices that are valued by key stakeholders.
  • Develop new approaches to elevate in reviews and evaluations the voices and interests of young women and men, and of African stakeholders more broadly.
  • Integrate insights around decolonization and Africa-rooted evaluation in the work of the Workstream.
  • Develop synergies and coherence across programming and impact work.
  • Ensure a shared understanding of reporting requirements and processes.
  • Test, refine and scale new approaches to impact work, including evaluations, in line with the Foundation’s aspiration and values.
• Develops or connects with groups of advisors, think tanks, IPOs, and other partners to support the goals of Workstream, focusing on areas such as foresight, horizon scanning, evidence-based programming, and adaptive management.
• Ensures curation and sharing of highly relevant resources in support of the work of the Workstream.
• Serves as the primary representative for Impact within continental and global platforms, driving the progress of Digital Economy impact initiatives in external forums and networks.
• Ensures alignment and coordination between the Impact team, Country, and HCD Programs engaged in the Digital Economy, fostering coherence in planning and impact efforts.
• Manages the recruitment and onboarding of IPOs, oversees their work implementation, and assembles a skilled team of African specialists to drive excellence in the Workstream.
• Provides technical expertise and leadership in the development of impact measurement and narrative frameworks in line with the requirements of the Workstream, and in line with the aspirations and values of the Foundation and the Impact Strategy.
• Leads collaborative efforts with PANA Portfolio Planning and Learning Head, Foundation units, and advisors to synthesize evidence and insights for enhancing performance in Digital Economy programming, aiming for transformative impacts.
• Works with IPOs, Impact team, Program, and Operations colleagues to establish a learning approach and processes that incorporate evaluative findings and evidence to guide decision-making at partner, thematic, Country, Pan-Africa, and Foundation levels.
• Continuously evolve the Workstream in line with requirements, assess existing capacities and fill gaps that emerge.

WHO YOU ARE

• A master’s or PhD degree in International Development, Measurement and Evaluation, or any of the thematic areas or special areas of interest to the Foundation.
• 15 years of full-time work experience in systems-informed measurement, evaluation and other impact related work in complex programming and development contexts, preferably in Africa.
• A minimum of 5 years of senior management experience is required in the international development, philanthropy, or impact investment sectors, including extensive experience at the regional or Pan-African level, and working closely with governments, mandated institutions, and the private sector.
• An astute people leader with minimum 5 years of experience in a senior management role in an African context, with proven experience attracting, onboarding, developing, and engaging diverse teams in multiple locations in different contexts and cultures.
• Significant proven leadership in areas related to Digital Economy thematic area requiring understanding of cross-border and cross-regional contexts in Africa, including experience in establishing relevant Pan-African programs and/or evaluation strategies.
• Understands state-of-the-art technical subject matter relevant to the work of the Workstream, and able to innovate based on mastery of specific areas of interest.
• Understands how to embed evidence-informed planning and adaptive management in programming and impact work.
• Proficient in employing diverse techniques such as systems-informed theories of change, landscape mapping, root cause analysis, network mapping, and intersectional analyses to comprehend the impact and experiences of different population segments within systemic change.
• Experienced in providing guidance in the development of systems-informed theories of (transformative) change and their application in impact work.
• Experience in establishing relevant Pan-African programs and/or evaluation strategies.
• Excellent networks of connections to high quality persons and organizations in Africa and beyond, relevant to the Digital Economy thematic area.
• Demonstrated commitment to vulnerable and marginalized populations in Africa, and to youth voice and agency.
• Deep sense of curiosity and clear efforts to stay abreast of state-of-the-art developments in the field.
• Social impact measurement background with demonstrated expertise in both quantitative and qualitative research or evaluation methods and tools.
• Understands systems thinking and capable of driving systemic and transformative change, utilizing various practices and insights pertaining to systems-level change, including foresight and trends scanning.
• Strong commitment to equity and social inclusion, in both technical and management contexts.
• A relationship builder who fosters strong and productive relationships across organizational functions, effectively partnering with others and adeptly addressing conflicts.
• Strong problem-solving skills combined with a track record of pivoting in response to opportunities and challenges.
• Willing to travel across Africa.
• Flexible, adaptable, and able to execute a range of job duties and changing priorities.
• 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.
• Possess professional maturity, sensitivity with different cultures, and impeccable integrity that exemplify the Foundation’s values.
• You have a commitment to Mastercard Foundation’s values and vision.