The Mastercard Foundation seeks a world where everyone has the opportunity to learn and prosper. All people, no matter where their starting point in life, should have an equal chance to succeed. We believe that with access to education, financial services, and skills training, people can have that chance.

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Director Strategic Delivery Pan African Programs

Job Type

Full Time

Qualification

BA/BSc/HND

Experience

10 years

Location

Nairobi

Job Field

Project Management

This role is responsible for shaping and driving the strategic direction, programmatic execution, and operational excellence of the Pan-African Program platform. It oversees three key functional areas—Strategy & Planning, Program Design & Development, and Program Delivery & Operations—ensuring alignment with organizational goals and fostering innovation, impact, and coherence across thematic areas and delivery platforms. The Director also promotes collaboration across Pan-African, and with all other platforms, while modelling and championing the Foundation’s values and culture.

Ways You Can Contribute

Strategic Leadership:

• Lead the development and execution of the organization’s strategic plan across all programmatic areas.
• Provide thought leadership on scaling impact and drive exponential change through innovative approaches.
• Support the Executive Director in identifying synergies across sector strategies and co-creating new Pan-African initiatives.
• Prepare strategic materials that the ED presents in different platforms, including the Board and the Executive Committee.

Program Design & Delivery

• Drive excellence in program design and delivery through Pods, integrated team approaches and cross-functional resource mobilization.
• Ensure effective co-creation with partners and stakeholders, prioritizing exceptional partner and youth experiences.
• Codify and adapt program models for diverse partnership archetypes.

Program operations:

• Oversee planning, coordination, monitoring, reporting, learning, and quality assurance across Pan-African programs.
• Resolve operational bottlenecks escalated by the Head of Program Delivery and Operations.
• Ensure enterprise-wide coordination and a holistic view of program operations.

Strategy & Innovation Planning

• Collaborate with sector teams to embed innovation into program design and delivery.
• Partner with the Impact team to develop and apply a Theory of Change and impact measurement framework.
• Contribute to thought leadership in collaboration with the PAC team.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Identify and cultivate strategic relationships to enhance the Foundation’s Pan-African work.

Leadership & Culture

• Lead the Strategic Delivery team.
• Promote collaboration, accountability, and professional growth across the Pan-African program team.
• Champion the Foundation’s values and culture across all programmatic engagements.

Who You Are

• Advanced degree in Public Policy, International Development, , agrifood systems, life sciences or related field.
• Finance and management education background and experience in digital strategies will be an asset
• Minimum 10 years of senior leadership experience in strategy, programming, or program operations within a mission-driven organization.
• Proven expertise in strategic planning, program design, and organizational development.
• Proven track record in strategy development at a regional or continental level
• Experience with Design for Scale and exponential change methodologies.
• Strong understanding of performance management and risk mitigation.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Fast-paced, collaborative, and impact-driven.
• Occasional travel required for convenings, stakeholder engagement, and program oversight.
• Creative in solving problems and generating innovative solutions.
• Strong Project Management skills and experience: ability to manage multiple high-profile projects and effectively leverage all resources to achieve results.
• Experience in coordinating diverse programs and functions for a very diverse department.
• Well-honed written, verbal, and creative communication skills, including the ability to translate insight into content, create slide or written presentations, and create overall communication plans.
• Professional maturity, sensitivity to different cultures, and impeccable integrity that exemplify the Foundation’s values.
• Flexible, adaptable, and able to execute a range of job duties and changing priorities.
• Strong communication skills, both in English and other local languages.
• Knowledge of the non-profit sector and the context in which non-profit organizations operate.
• Strong functionality with computers and software, particularly Microsoft Office Suite (e.g., Access, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and any specialized PM&E software.
• Strong facilitation skills.
• Excellent organizational skills

• Lead the development and execution of the organization’s strategic plan across all programmatic areas.
• Provide thought leadership on scaling impact and drive exponential change through innovative approaches.
• Support the Executive Director in identifying synergies across sector strategies and co-creating new Pan-African initiatives.
• Prepare strategic materials that the ED presents in different platforms, including the Board and the Executive Committee.
• Drive excellence in program design and delivery through Pods, integrated team approaches and cross-functional resource mobilization.
• Ensure effective co-creation with partners and stakeholders, prioritizing exceptional partner and youth experiences.
• Codify and adapt program models for diverse partnership archetypes.
• Oversee planning, coordination, monitoring, reporting, learning, and quality assurance across Pan-African programs.
• Resolve operational bottlenecks escalated by the Head of Program Delivery and Operations.
• Ensure enterprise-wide coordination and a holistic view of program operations.
• Collaborate with sector teams to embed innovation into program design and delivery.
• Partner with the Impact team to develop and apply a Theory of Change and impact measurement framework.
• Contribute to thought leadership in collaboration with the PAC team.
• Identify and cultivate strategic relationships to enhance the Foundation’s Pan-African work.
• Lead the Strategic Delivery team.
• Promote collaboration, accountability, and professional growth across the Pan-African program team.
• Champion the Foundation’s values and culture across all programmatic engagements.

• Strategic planning
• Program design
• Organizational development
• Design for Scale methodologies
• Exponential change methodologies
• Performance management
• Risk mitigation
• Communication skills
• Stakeholder engagement skills
• Problem-solving
• Innovation
• Project Management skills
• Coordination of diverse programs and functions
• Written communication skills
• Verbal communication skills
• Creative communication skills
• Facilitation skills
• Organizational skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Access, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
• Proficiency in specialized PM&E software
• English language proficiency
• Local language proficiency

• Advanced degree in Public Policy, International Development, agrifood systems, life sciences or related field.
• Finance and management education background and experience in digital strategies will be an asset
• Minimum 10 years of senior leadership experience in strategy, programming, or program operations within a mission-driven organization.
• Proven expertise in strategic planning, program design, and organizational development.
• Proven track record in strategy development at a regional or continental level
• Experience with Design for Scale and exponential change methodologies.
• Strong understanding of performance management and risk mitigation.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Fast-paced, collaborative, and impact-driven.
• Occasional travel required for convenings, stakeholder engagement, and program oversight.
• Creative in solving problems and generating innovative solutions.
• Strong Project Management skills and experience: ability to manage multiple high-profile projects and effectively leverage all resources to achieve results.
• Experience in coordinating diverse programs and functions for a very diverse department.
• Well-honed written, verbal, and creative communication skills, including the ability to translate insight into content, create slide or written presentations, and create overall communication plans.
• Professional maturity, sensitivity to different cultures, and impeccable integrity that exemplify the Foundation’s values.
• Flexible, adaptable, and able to execute a range of job duties and changing priorities.
• Strong communication skills, both in English and other local languages.
• Knowledge of the non-profit sector and the context in which non-profit organizations operate.
• Strong functionality with computers and software, particularly Microsoft Office Suite (e.g., Access, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and any specialized PM&E software.
• Strong facilitation skills.
• Excellent organizational skills