Head, Entrepreneurship & Enterprise Development

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 are currently in an exciting period at the Mastercard Foundation as we intensify the implementation of the Young Africa Works strategy, aiming to empower 30 million young people throughout Africa to access dignified and fulfilling employment.

To ensure the Foundation's accessibility to our partners and program participants, we have established offices in Rwanda, Kenya, Ghana, Senegal, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Uganda. These offices provide strong in-country support for the implementation of Young Africa Works. We collaborate with governments, the private sector, educators, and other funders to enhance the quality of education and vocational training, equip young individuals with the necessary skills for the workforce, expand access to financial services for entrepreneurs and small businesses, and facilitate connections between job seekers and meaningful employment opportunities.

Our values serve as our guiding principles, transcending and surpassing all other considerations. We wholeheartedly encourage you to bring your bold ideas, curiosity, and expertise to your work.

If you are an experienced private sector focused Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development professional looking to increase your impact, read on!

THE OPPORTUNITY

Reporting to the Country Director, the Head, Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development will lead and manage activities in Ethiopia. S/he will design the strategic direction and manage the team to ensure successful delivery of the country roadmap as well as translate strategies into an implementation plan and oversee entrepreneurship & enterprise development programs in the Country, covering areas like Digital Entrepreneurship, Access to Finance, MSME, Business Development, and Capacity Enhancement.

WAYS YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE

• Drive Entrepreneurship and Enterprise development component of the country roadmap.
• Provide strategic direction to the country's entrepreneurship and enterprise development efforts, ensuring the achievement of the country's ambition, aligning with the country's priority, and reflecting the Foundation’s ways of working.
• Oversee the delivery of country Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development focused programs and partnerships.
• Ensure strategic cohesion, coordination of programming efforts, and knowledge sharing of entrepreneurship and enterprise development activities across the country program.
• Manage risks related to Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development programming and propose mitigation plans.
• Develop an all-embracing access to Finance approach to create coherence and continuity in advancing financial inclusion for youth and enterprise growth.
• Provide expertise on MSME to support the thoughtful design and intentional implementation of inclusive access to finance, skills, capacity enhancement, and market interventions by the country team.
• Provide support to existing and upcoming partners to strengthen/deepen implementation of inclusive access to financial services.
• Lead conversations with partners throughout program design & delivery by providing insight and expertise on the digital economy.
• Ensure clarity to effectively leverage the power and potential of digital technology as a growth sector to create jobs and as an enabler to ensure efficiency and effectiveness.
• Design and manage programs and initiatives that enable work opportunities for young people in priority sectors.
• Manage relationships with key partners, mandated institutions, and stakeholders.
• Facilitate sharing of expertise and lessons learned across program, teams, and area experts through coordinated convenings.
• Develop strong relationships with Federal and Regional entrepreneurial communities and entrepreneurship support institutions to strengthen impact-oriented platforms for entrepreneurs to increase the participation and growth of Ethiopian youth-led and young women-led enterprises.
• Promote a culture of innovation and agility that facilitates the development of partnerships that create impact on a scale.
• Document insights and experiences and share them with partners and the wider Foundation team through various platforms (internally and externally)
• Model and reinforce the Foundation’s values during engagements and interactions both internally and externally.
• Coach and empower direct reports to be productive, efficient and deliver the Foundation’s promise to young people.
• Set immediate and longer-range Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development priorities and goals.
• Align design choices for programming and partnership within these areas in accordance with Foundation values and priorities.
• Lead performance management for the Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development team and contribute to performance management for business partners.
• Collaborate with colleagues across functions, countries, programs, and senior leadership to deliver and enhance the Foundation’s Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development expertise.

WHO YOU ARE

• Master’s degree or equivalent in Business Administration, Economics, Entrepreneurship, or related field.
• Minimum of fifteen (15) years of experience in Entrepreneurship & Enterprise Development/Business Development with a private sector focus, along with five (5) years of experience leading and managing a team.
• Demonstrated expertise and established networks and relationships in Entrepreneurship & Enterprise Development /Business Development or related sectors in Ethiopia.
• Deep knowledge of the Country’s employment, job creation, and innovation landscape.
• Proven track record of working with and mentoring successful entrepreneurship endeavors.
• Experience in initiating new initiatives, preferably in Enterprise/Business development.
• Proven experience effectively engaging and collaborating with high-level government officials, key partners, media, business leaders, and other network influencers.
• Experience with public speaking at conferences and other forums including media interaction. Formal media training would be an asset.
• Experience with entrepreneurship or intrapreneurship.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Ethiopian economic, and political context, public sector priorities, and the evolving nature of the emerging private sector.
• Exposure to systems thinking with an ability to understand and engage with stakeholders in Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development and design programming that addresses root causes and critical needs.
• Substantive knowledge of key issues and emerging trends and barriers in Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development integration and a strong understanding of Country policy, practices, and priorities.
• Strategic thinker, Innovative with strong influencing skills.
• Ability to interact with diverse and senior stakeholders.
• Demonstrates strong organizational skills with excellent prioritization and attention to detail.
• Excellent leadership and team management skills.
• Comfortable and highly effective when faced with ambiguity and/or complexity.
• Able to formulate and develop new or creative ideas and approaches.
• Flexible, adaptable, agile, and able to execute a range of job duties with multiple deadlines 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 to different cultures, and impeccable integrity that exemplify the Foundation’s values.
• Demonstrate a commitment to the Mastercard Foundation’s values and vision.

Deadline for Applications is April 20, 2024.

Mastercard Foundation (the “Foundation”) values and respects your privacy. By submitting an application for this opportunity, you hereby agree to the Foundation’s collection, use and disclosure of your personal information in accordance with its Privacy Policy (available at https://mastercardfdn.org/privacy/). Please note that the Foundation may share your personal information with third-party agencies that support the Foundation’s recruitment activities, and such third-party agencies may contact you directly regarding this opportunity. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Foundation’s Privacy Officer at the address indicated in its Privacy Policy.

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.

For more information and to sign up for the Foundation’s newsletter, please visit http://www.mastercardfdn.org/
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