Program Manager, Leaders in Teaching (Rwanda)

About Mastercard Foundation

Mastercard Foundation is a global foundation based in Toronto, Canada with several offices in Africa. Our programs promote financial inclusion and advance education and learning in Africa, primarily for young people, and in Canada for Indigenous youth. The Foundation was established in 2006 through the generosity of Mastercard when it became a public company. From inception, the Foundation was designed to be a separate entity and independent from Mastercard. Our policies, operations, and funding decisions are made by our President and Board of Directors.  

The Foundation believes that youth employment is key to unlocking prosperity, both for youth and their societies. Enabling young women and men from disadvantaged communities to secure dignified and fulfilling work will ensure inclusive development and economic growth in Africa.  

Values are timeless, they transcend and rise above all. They guide everything we do, as employees of the Foundation.  We share a common vision of a world where everyone has the opportunity to learn and prosper. We make mistakes, we reflect, and we grow so that we can impact our world – it’s why we are here. We are ambitious and driven. 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.  

LEADERS IN TEACHING

Improving the quality and relevance of secondary education, so that it equips young women and men with the skills and knowledge that they need to succeed, is core to the Foundation’s Young Africa Works strategy.

The Foundation believes that teachers are the key to improving the quality of secondary education. Beyond any other school-based factor, research has shown that teacher effectiveness is the single most significant predictor of student learning. However, there are a number of challenges impacting the quality of teaching and learning across Africa in terms of teacher recruitment, motivation, training and professional development.

In response to these challenges, Mastercard Foundation launched the Leaders in Teaching (LIT) Initiative in 2018. This multi-country initiative is comprised of a portfolio of partner programs, each focused on addressing challenges across the teacher lifecycle, including the recruitment of qualified teachers, strengthening pre and in-service teacher training, ensuring teachers receive effective support and mentorship from school leaders and elevating the status of the teaching profession. LIT was first established in Rwanda in 2018 and will be adapted to other country contexts across the continent. Read more about Leaders in Teaching.

THE POSITION

The Program Manager, Leaders in Teaching in Rwanda, will report to the Country Representative at Mastercard Foundation’s Rwanda office in Kigali. The Program Manager will be responsible for supporting the management of the LIT initiative in Rwanda, which includes a portfolio of partner programs.

The Program Manager will support the Foundation’s overall education work in Rwanda and will work closely with the Senior Program Manager and the Rwanda team to ensure effective engagement with government stakeholders, development partners, donor organizations and other relevant education stakeholders. They will contribute to the Foundation’s thought leadership in education in Rwanda and will collaborate closely with Foundation colleagues in Rwanda and across Africa to share learning. As part of the Foundation’s country strategy implementation in Rwanda, the Program Manager will also support the Senior Program Manager on the development and management of new partnerships and programs under the initiative.

The successful candidate will work primarily on the Leaders in Teaching initiative but may be assigned to other additional responsibilities.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Support the Senior Program Manager in the management of the Foundation’s Leaders in Teaching initiative in Rwanda, including management of partner programs.
• Review regular program reports and undertake partner/site visits to monitor progress and capture program learning.
• Support the coordination of partner activities, including the planning and management of monthly coordination meetings.
• Develop internal and external program reports, summaries, briefing materials and presentations.
• Support the Rwanda team on the planning and management of bi-annual Technical Working Group meetings and bi-annual Advisory Committee meetings.
• Engage with partner organizations, government stakeholders and other key education stakeholders at the country-level to ensure program activities are aligned and coordinated.
• Support the development of new programming and partnerships.
• Provide education expertise to support Foundation colleagues’ design and management of programs in other priority countries.
• Collaborate on the design and delivery of appropriate mechanisms to monitor effectiveness and impact of teacher development interventions in close collaboration with the Strategy and Learning team, initiative Learning Partners and Leaders in Teaching colleagues. Contribute to thought leadership in education and share learning.
• Plan and manage annual learning events and partner coordination workshops.
• Other duties as assigned.

 QUALIFICATIONS

• Graduate degree in education or a youth development-related field.
• Five (5) plus years’ relevant experience in programming interventions with partner organizations/grantees; education sector experience is desirable.
• Understanding of the key issues, challenges and trends in basic education.
• Experience in global grant-making in education and/or managing education-focused programs in the non-profit or public sectors.
• Excellent project management skills, including in multi-stakeholder projects.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to be flexible and adaptable and comfortable with ambiguity.
• Demonstrated written, presentation and spoken communication skills in English required. Fluency in other languages relevant to the work, particularly French or Kinyarwanda, would be an asset.
• Proactive, engaged and a self-starter.
• Exceptional organizational skills and demonstrated ability to handle multiple tasks.
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
• Proficiency with MS Suite (Word, Excel, Powerpoint)
• Experience living and/or working in Rwanda is highly desirable.
• Willingness and ability to travel internationally.

 TO APPLY

Please email your resume along with a cover letter explaining your interest in the position to humanresources@mastercardfdn.org, indicating “Program Manager, Leaders in Teaching (Rwanda)” in the subject line of your email. We appreciate your interest, and advise that only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted directly.

Mastercard Foundation values the unique skills and experiences each individual brings to the Foundation and are committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and accessible environment for everyone. We appreciate your interest, and advise that only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted directly.

 Completion of satisfactory business references, background checks (criminal and credit) 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. We will work with you to provide a positive recruitment experience in a confidential manner.