Program Partner, MSME at Mastercard Foundation

Job Summary

The Program Partner, MSME will work with Program Leads and Partners to provide technical expertise in the development of programs and interventions, help partners build a shared understanding of key issues and opportunities related to growing MSME employment in the country, and contributes to the Foundation’s learning agenda.
Reporting to the Program Lead, MSME, the Program Partner will work collaboratively with colleagues within the country team to support a portfolio of existing programs and partnerships that promote financial inclusion, support MSMEs and the MSME ecosystem. They will interact effectively with program directors and managers of partner organizations to design, implement, monitor and review programs that involve enterprise development and growth, business development services, fin-tech solutions and incorporate appropriate MSME support services into the Foundation’s programs in the country.

WHO YOU ARE

• Preferably Master’s degree or equivalent experience in Finance, Business and Development Economics
• Minimum of seven (7) years of experience in business development support, financing and non-financial support to MSMEs or new enterprises is highly preferred. This should include experience in the private sector.
• Demonstrated experience in project design and management with focus on enterprise development and MSME support.
• Good understanding of MSME segments (from early stage startups to growth-stage SMEs) in Africa and the systemic challenges constraining their growth, with a particularly understanding of the Uganda context.
• Solid expertise and ability in designing and managing relevant and appropriate fin-tech solutions for MSMEs in various sectors and various stages of development.
• Experience working on MSME support programs in Uganda and knowledge of Ugandan and East African social, economic, regulatory, business and political contexts.
• Strong ability to capture, synthesize and communicate progress and learnings from projects to colleagues, partners and the wider network of practitioners.
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team with excellent prioritization and time management skills.
• Proactive, engaged, a self-starter, flexible, adaptable, and able to execute a range of job duties and changing priorities.
• Ability to travel up to 40%.
• 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.
• You 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.

Responsibilities

• Support and contribute to conducting due diligence of potential partners and projects, reviewing project design and appropriate documentation, reporting and data collection as well as budget reviews.
• Identify challenges and opportunities facing MSMEs, including those in the Agricultural, Construction/Housing, Tourism/Hospitality and Manufacturing sectors that can be unlocked through skilling, labour and financial systems to create work opportunities.
• Support partners to strengthen their MSME support system in their effort to identify barriers and co-design solutions.
• Support review of programs to distill insights and promote quality of program implementation.
• Strengthen the integration and co-implementation of interventions that involve direct or indirect support to MSME growth and development in the country portfolio.
• Provide perspective and expertise on emerging issues and trends in youth employment, MSME sector and entrepreneurship growth in Uganda and the region.
• Design fin-tech solutions and relevant digitization initiatives to support MSME grow and build resilience by addressing the barriers in the ecosystem including access to market and capital.
• Build relationships with like minded organizations, communities of practice, and global stakeholders to expand knowledge and contribute to the dialogue on MSME.
• Identify and overcome barriers to team effectiveness by sharing knowledge and learnings while offering insights and possible solutions to issues and/or program challenges.