Strategic Operations Transformation Lead

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 have entered a very exciting time at the Foundation as we scale up our operations across Africa to realize our Young Africa Works strategy. Our role at the Mastercard Foundation is to be a catalyst. Our Young Africa Works strategy focuses on working with others to spur systemic change so young people have the opportunity to find work that is dignified and fulfilling.

The Foundation has opened offices in Rwanda, Kenya, Ghana, Senegal, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Uganda, building a broader leadership presence in Africa to develop specific strategies that support youth employment.  Within a country, we work with governments, the private sector, educators and other funders to improve the quality of education and vocational training, prepare young people for the work force, expand access to financial services for entrepreneurs and small businesses, and connect job seekers to dignified and fulfilling work.

We are ambitious and driven. Our values transcend and rise above everything else as our guide. We encourage you to bring your bold ideas, curiosity, and expertise to your work. We laugh at ourselves and with each other. We are a team. Our journey together makes our impact even more meaningful.

We have entered a very exciting time at the Foundation as we scale up our operations across Africa to realize our Young Africa Works strategy. If you are a Strategic Operations professional ready to build something new and increase your impact, read on!

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Transformation Lead will report to the Head of Strategic Operations and is responsible for leading the day-to-day delivery of the Enterprise Transformation Team by managing and supporting workstreams through problem-solving and facilitation; support on-the-ground implementation of new operating model on continent; and supporting the Head of Strategic Operations on key initiatives.

This role is open to candidates in any of our country offices in Africa (Kenya, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Uganda, Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal).

WAYS YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE

• Design, institute, and manage a rigorous transformation office structure to house, coordinate, and enable cross-functional, typically enterprise-level efforts that fundamentally expand the organization’s capabilities or substantive alter how the organization does its work.
• Scope, structure and develop workplans for individual workstreams with clear tracking of milestones and interdependencies, by engaging functional leadership.
• Structure, convene, and drive problem solving through facilitation and output synthesis to address process and content bottlenecks with workstream leaders as required.
• Create well-structured top-down documents to drive problem solving sessions, workstream management, quantify / clarify workstream progress and potential impacts.
• Proactively identify potential risks /roadblocks to execution timelines and design targeted hands-on interventions to solve challenges.
• Design and manage all transformation office infrastructure to enable core transformation functions, including, management structures and processes, tools, templates, systems, team, and resourcing.
• Create or utilize appropriate technologies to track and manage against integrative milestones with specific focus on complex workstream dependencies that impact ability to deliver.
• Develop KPIs and metrics to manage workstreams against to ensure timely delivery and dependency management.
• Maintain rigorous meeting cadence of workstreams and stakeholders (e.g., weekly transformation office stand-ups, bi-weekly retrospectives, problem-solving sessions).
• Work closely with Communications and senior leadership to develop and action communication and change management strategies in concert with transformation office, workstream leads, implementation efforts, and any other cross-functional activity in service of organizational transformation.
• Engage senior leadership as necessary to maintain execution pace and standards.

WHO YOU ARE

• 10+ years’ experience in designing and executing complex projects that are cross-functional and implicate multiple dependencies, and against stringent timelines
• Bachelor’s degree with strong preference for experience in management and strategy consulting
• Expertise in Microsoft Office applications (i.e., Excel, PowerPoint); familiarity with more advanced project management / planning platforms (e.g., Asana) also an asset
• Seasoned experience facilitating at C-level and Board-level to drive problem-solving and strategy dialogues
• Proven problem-solving skills, pragmatic (80/20) efficiency, with the ability to prototype approaches to different problem types
• Experience managing a global team with the willingness to drive and hold cross-functional workstream leaders accountable for KPIs/milestones
• Possess excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills with the ability to articulate information to a variety of constituents across cultures and at all levels
• Positive and proactive project / process management with an eye for detail and a strong ownership mentality
• Possess keen emotional intelligence, polished professional maturity, sensitivity with different cultures, and impeccable integrity that exemplify the Foundation’s values
• Resilient, flexible, adaptable, and able to execute a range of job duties and changing priorities
• Commitment to Mastercard Foundation’s values and vision and passion for the development and well-being of youth
• French language and/or local language skills are an asset

Deadline for Applications is April 16th, 2021.

The Mastercard Foundation values the unique skills and experiences each individual brings to the organization and we are committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and accessible environment for everyone.

Completion of satisfactory business references, background checks, and proof of education are essential conditions of employment.

If you require accommodation during the recruitment and selection process, please contact the People and Culture Department at [email protected]. We will work with you to provide a positive recruitment experience in a confidential manner.