Reporting to the Country Director, the Lead, Youth Engagement will be responsible for building impactful country programs by setting direction and engaging partners throughout program design and implementation. S/he will provide knowledge and insights on the inclusion of youth voices in the country and program management, as well as managing relationships with partners and program alumni communities. This role is the subject matter expert on youth engagement matters.

WAYS YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE

• Work to meaningfully engage and solicit input from young people and collaborate with the country team to ensure the inclusion of youth perspectives in portfolio and program design.
• Collaborate with the Country Head and the Foundation’s technical experts, including Impact Measurement, Thematic Research, communication teams, and Program Partners, to integrate youth engagement across the Country Strategy and program cycle.
• Work with country teams and partners to co-design country-level strategic outcomes and program roadmaps, proactively pursuing program integration and innovation opportunities.
• Lead planning to ensure adequate resources and budgeting to implement Youth engagement and approaches into their programs.
• Support implementing partners in building youth engagement and outreach mechanisms, ensuring youth remain at the centre of implementation efforts.
• Manage delivery of youth engagement program
• Oversee research and evaluation of partners to ensure that they stimulate relevant, rigorous, and respective approaches to deepening the Foundation’s approach to Youth in the Young Africa Works Strategy.
• Work with internal Knowledge Management team to identify, document, and mobilize -related insight and learning from the Foundation’s current and future portfolio of work.
• Contribute to a learning culture within the Foundation that is reflective, people-focused, and rooted in gender-sensitive evidence.
• Lead in-country initiatives and focus areas relating to the Foundation’s work on youth voice and agency, Youth impact associates’ country program, youth space initiatives, and the Youth advisory group.
• Lead the organization of youth forums and events and support establishing engagement platforms for Foundation alumni and young people.
• Build youth-focused partnerships with local organizations to enhance the impact of Country and Regional Programs.
• Manage relationships with government stakeholders.

Who You Are

• Bachers, Master’s degree and/or combination of relevant experiences and qualifications in social sciences, including education, gender/women or relevant discipline with a focus on economic empowerment.
• Relevant professional qualification and a member of a relevant professional body.
• A minimum of ten (10) years of relevant experience in partnership management, including capacity assessment and providing feedback, training, collaborations, and networking for effective gender outcomes.
• Experience planning and delivering gender training for multiple audiences and translating knowledge, including synthesizing data and articulating key insights.
• Knowledge of and experience with the landscape of local, national, regional, and pan-African women and youth-serving organizations and networks and knowledge of the country-specific social, economic, and political contexts.
• Astute ability to provide expert technical advice to program managers and implementers.
• Strong ability to communicate project progress and lessons learned to colleagues and the broader development community.
• Possess demonstrated expertise in developing and applying gender analysis and design tools in multi-sectoral programs.
• Demonstrates strong analytical skills and the ability to think strategically and contribute as a thought partner in the Foundation’s strategy development.
• Excellent project management skills, including multi-stakeholder projects.
• Proficiency with MS Office applications (PowerPoint, Word, and Excel).
• Experience working with or in programs supporting refugee youth and people with disability is a strong asset.
• Results-driven and motivated by high-performance excellence with a sense of urgency.
• Intellectually curious and open. Comfortable with ambiguity, receptive to new ideas, and adaptable.
• Excellent prioritization and time management skills with the ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Flexible, adaptable, and able to execute various job duties and changing priorities.
• Excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills with the ability to articulate information to various constituents across cultures.
• Professional maturity, sensitivity to different cultures, and impeccable integrity that exemplify the Foundation’s values.
• You have a commitment to Mastercard Foundation’s values and vision.