THE OPPORTUNITY

Reporting to the Director, Country Programs, the Head, Workforce Development will lead the workforce development portfolio within Kenya’s country program, leveraging education, skills development, and the digital economy to expand young people’s access to dignified and fulfilling work. The role will support delivery of the Young Africa Works Country Roadmap through program development, implementation, learning, reporting, and stakeholder management. It requires a visionary leader with a strong understanding of digital trends, a passion for workforce development, and the ability to advance innovation, skill-building, inclusion, and economic growth.

 

WAYS YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE

 

Strategy, program design, and delivery

  • Identify opportunities to create impact through education and skills interventions aligned with the Kenya Country Roadmap.
  • Develop and execute a programmatic approach that creates synergy, strategic coherence, and alignment across education, skilling, school-to-work transitions, and the preparation and placement of young people in work.
  • Set workforce development goals and targets—including internships, fellowships, job placement, entrepreneurship, and further education—and monitor and report on progress, results, and learning.
  • Integrate education and skills initiatives with transitions, youth engagement and inclusion, youth-led grassroots solutions, access to finance, and digital enablement.
  • Provide technical leadership to ensure country programs and partnerships respond to the current and emerging needs of young people, especially young women.
  • Prepare and present regular reports to senior leadership on key performance indicators, program effectiveness, learning, and areas for improvement.

Youth engagement and inclusion

  • Establish trusted and accessible forums that enable young people’s networks and groups, especially young women, to contribute to program design and implementation.
  • Support Country Programs colleagues during partnership co-creation to ensure a strong youth lens across education and skilling, access to finance, and digital enablement.
  • Support implementing partners to build effective youth engagement and outreach mechanisms that keep young women and men at the centre of their approach.
  • Drive inclusion by ensuring entrepreneurship and transition programs address the specific constraints faced by young people with different needs.
  • Facilitate innovation and locally led solutions that engage young people and unlock opportunities in emerging economic sectors.

Partnerships and stakeholder management

  • Identify collaboration opportunities within the existing partner network and develop new partnerships relevant to Kenya’s context.
  • Manage relationships with senior stakeholders, including educational institutions, mandated public offices, government ministries, private sector actors, and youth-led organizations.
  • Coordinate internal and external meetings involving country program partners on workforce development priorities.
  • Support the timely preparation of workforce development communications for internal and external audiences and approval.

Financial management and team leadership

  • Support development of the Workforce Development unit and country program budgets in line with established policies and processes.
  • Coach and mentor colleagues within the Workforce Development unit and across the wider country program.
  • Drive and inspire technical excellence within the team.
  • Lead the team to deliver results in line with Foundation goals and key performance indicators.

WHO YOU ARE

  • Master’s degree in Education, Management, Economic Development, or another relevant social sciences field, together with substantial relevant experience.
  • Minimum of 12 years of experience in a similar or related role within a fast-paced environment, including local and multinational experience.
  • Strong operational expertise in education policy and planning, with the ability to lead complex policy and strategy dialogue.
  • Demonstrated leadership and supervisory experience, with an established track record of managing and developing high-performing teams.
  • Proven ability to influence policy and dialogue across sectors without direct control or authority.
  • In-depth experience and a strong record of results working across educational practices, disciplines, and institutional boundaries.
  • Strong partnership management experience involving multiple stakeholders across the public and private sectors.
  • Excellent prioritization, managerial, interpersonal, communication, writing, presentation, critical thinking, and analytical skills.
  • Strong strategic judgement, including the ability to prioritize effectively and exit activities that no longer deliver sufficient value.
  • Flexible, adaptable, and agile, with the ability to manage multiple deadlines and changing priorities.
  • Ability to communicate complex information and data clearly to diverse audiences across cultures.
  • Professional maturity, cultural sensitivity, and impeccable integrity that exemplify the Foundation’s values.
  • Strong commitment to Mastercard Foundation’s values and vision.

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 and background checks are essential conditions of employment.

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