Lead, Associate Engagement and Services at Mastercard Foundation

The Lead, Associate Engagement and Services is responsible for ensuring seamless onboarding, engagement, and support for Associates throughout their program journey. This role focuses on implementing engagement initiatives, managing community interactions, and supporting program partners to enhance the overall Associate experience. The job holder will collaborate with the Alumni, Safeguarding, and Youth Engagement teams to ensure alignment and create opportunities for Associates to transition successfully into dignified and fulfilling work.

WAYS YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE

• Support the implementation of the Associate onboarding process, ensuring a smooth transition into and out of the program.
• Act as the primary liaison for implementing partners, providing coordination and support related to Associate experience and program operations.
• Ensure compliance with program timelines, budgets, and quality standards by managing day-to-day program activities.
• Execute engagement initiatives to enhance Associate participation in career development programs, such as networking events, mentorship sessions, and check-ins.
• Support the development and coordination of one-year development plans for Associates in collaboration with key stakeholders.
• Facilitate ongoing support systems that provide guidance and career transition resources to Associates.
• Implement and manage engagement strategies for the Transitions LinkedIn community, ensuring content, discussions, and events align with career development objectives.
• Monitor engagement levels, track impact, and adjust community initiatives to optimize support for members.
• Coordinate engagement efforts with program partners, cross-functional teams, and external stakeholders to provide consistent Associate support.
• Work closely with the Alumni, Safeguarding, and Youth Engagement teams to ensure that Associates and Foundation alumni benefit from Transitions programs.
• Track, collect, and analyze program data to measure Associate engagement, program effectiveness, and transition outcomes.
• Prepare reports and insights to inform program improvements and engagement strategies.
• Maintain documentation of best practices and lessons learned to ensure knowledge continuity and program efficiency.
• Support program evaluations, identifying opportunities for process improvements and enhanced impact.

WHO YOU ARE

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, public policy, international development, social sciences or related field from a recognized university;
• Relevant professional qualification;
• Member of a relevant professional body.
• Minimum of ten years’ progressive experience in youth engagement, community development and management, alumni engagement, program management, or strategic partnership roles, preferably within workforce development, or a related sector.
• Experience in engaging with youth groups, online communities, civil society organizations, government, private sector etc., as well as young people.
• Managing multiple projects and delivering results in a fast-paced and fluid environment. 
• Experience in designing and delivering leadership development programs for young people, in Africa.
• Experience with global grant making. This experience may come from working in another funding organization, corporation or an NGO. 
• Experience working across cultures and geographies, living and working in Africa is highly desirable
• Fluent in English. Fluent in local languages as the role demands e.g. French for West Africa
• Deep knowledge of key issues and emerging trends and barriers in education and youth employment in Africa.
• Excellent analytical skills, the ability to think strategically and contribute as a thought partner in the Foundation’s strategy development.
• Experience and sensitivity to issues of inclusion; experience delivering programs for women, people with disabilities, and/or refugees and displaced youth highly desirable.
• Exceptional interpersonal and listening skills with the ability to build effective partnerships across all levels of the Foundation.
• Excellent verbal, written and presentation skills with the ability to articulate information to a variety of constituents across cultures.
• Proficiency with MS Suite (Word, Excel and PowerPoint).
• Passionate about youth education and employment in Africa
• Commitment to engaging and empowering young people, particularly women, and other marginalized groups such as refugees and displaced youth, and young people with disabilities.
• Excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to plan and act strategically over long timeframes, patience and persistence to achieve goals; and ability to balance immediate executional needs with longer term visioning.
• A team-player with a high degree of emotional intelligence.
• Entrepreneurial mindset to build a new function in a dynamic environment
• Service Mindset and striving towards becoming a trusted business partner to drive common Foundation goals.
• Results-driven and motivated by a high sense of performance excellence and urgency.
• Demonstrated ability to handle multiple priorities and respond to urgent situations in a fast-paced, fluid environment.
• Drive to continually experiment and innovate, building and leveraging best-in-class expertise and learnings.
• Commitment to the values of co-creation, humility and deep listening.
• Flexible, adaptable, and able to execute a range of job duties and changing priorities.
• Possess professional maturity, sensitivity with different cultures, and impeccable integrity