Mastercard Foundation Recruitment for Lead, Regional Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning in ICT (RCITL)

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.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Lead, Regional Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning in ICT (RCITL)

Location: Nigeria

The Work at the Foundation
We have entered a very exciting time at the Foundation as we scale up our operations across Africa to realize our Young Africa Works strategy. Our role at the Mastercard Foundation is to be a catalyst. Our Young Africa Works strategy focuses on working with others to spur systemic change so young people have the opportunity to find work that is dignified and fulfilling.

The Foundation has opened offices in Rwanda, Kenya, Ghana, Senegal, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Uganda, building a broader leadership presence in Africa to develop specific strategies that support youth employment. Within a country, we work with governments, the private sector, educators and other funders to improve the quality of education and vocational training, prepare young people for the work force, expand access to financial services for entrepreneurs and small businesses, and connect job seekers to dignified and fulfilling work.

We are ambitious and driven. Our values transcend and rise above everything else as our guide. 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.

We have entered a very exciting time at the Foundation as we scale up our operations across Africa to realize our Young Africa Works strategy. If you are an experienced ICT program management professional ready to build something new and increase your impact, read on!

Understanding the Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning Program Area at the Foundation:

• The Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning in ICT seeks to spark innovation and promote promising practices in the use of ICT for teaching and learning and to catalyze significant improvements in secondary education across Africa.

The Centre has three key outcomes:

• Demand-driven EdTech innovations that close the gap in access and quality, relevant learning for the most disadvantaged secondary education students.
• Better evidence of what works in ICT for school and system leaders in Africa
• An active network of ICT leaders in secondary education and beyond, advancing the integration of technology in education policies and practices across Africa.

Working at the intersection of EdTech entrepreneurs and Governments, the Regional Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning in ICT will support entrepreneurs with growth-stage EdTech models to scale up technology innovations to improve teaching and learning in secondary education at scale. The Centre will:

• Identify key challenges in secondary education to be addressed through EdTech solutions.  The Centre will engage Government leaders to identify key challenges or constraints in secondary education teaching and learning that EdTech solutions can help resolve.
• Issue a competitive call for proposals for EdTech solutions with potential to scale.  The Centre will issue a series of competitive calls for EdTech entrepreneurs to address key problems/challenges identified by country governments.
• Support EdTech entrepreneurs to design, test and validate their innovations.  Selected EdTech entrepreneurs will be provided a number of supports to enhance and grow their models.
• Test and validate approaches with Government, teachers and students.  The Centre will develop a network of test schools across the Continent in which to test and refine EdTech innovations and to engage with Government leaders to validate innovations and provide feedback on potential for scale.
• Advance research and share best practices. The Centre will synthesize available evidence of “what works” in each of the problem or challenging areas identified by policymakers and will contribute to the evidence-based in these areas.  The Centre will help define and scale the EdTech market in Africa to catalyze investment and address key barriers in the EdTech ecosystem.
• Support the scaling up of EdTech solutions. The Centre will explore the potential to scale policymakers, entrepreneurs, investors and other key stakeholders and serving as a neutral broker between them.

The Opportunity

• Reporting to the Head, the Lead, Regional Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning in ICT will be responsible for the design and implementation of the partnerships between the Centre and key strategic partners including various governments/Ministries of Education and other likeminded organizations in West Africa.
• He/She builds knowledge for the Centre to make it an important resource for all education stakeholders in all things EdTech.  He/She is an eLearning expert resource for the Centre and the Foundation.
• You will also work and collaborate with other Centre staff, as well as the other Foundation staff in the countries where the Centre operate, as well as at our regional hubs. This role is open to be located in Ghana, Senegal or Nigeria.

Ways You Can Contribute

• Provide support and contribute to the ongoing definition and development of the Centre strategy.
• You can contribute to evolution in thinking and new approaches needed to get to scale.
• You can establish a network of test schools including the modality of engagement for EdTech entrepreneurs.
• You stay at the top of the education needs on the continent, the technology infrastructure on the ground and the education technology trends to inform the work of the Centre.
• You can provide support to partners to ensure successful implementation of programs, and that the intended impact is achieved.
• You provide support to current and future programs as appropriate, including reviewing periodic narrative and financial reporting and data collection.
• You track program progress and collaborate with colleagues in impact and design and learning to collect and validate data and learnings.
• You can collect and disseminate EdTech knowledge in Africa.
• Leverage Foundation resources to develop new or creative approaches to solve problems and inspire others on the team to do so as well.
• You can identify issues and trends that affect the quality of EdTech.
• You can provide support in the adaptation of the EdTech to country context, leveraging country diagnostics and learning from our portfolio of partners.
• You can provide support to the design and delivery of appropriate mechanisms to monitor effectiveness and impact of EdTech.
• You can provide support to e-learning programs at the Centre and at the Foundation.
• You can manage the Governments/Ministries of Education partnerships implementation in support of the Centre’s and the EdTech fellows’ work.
• You can act as a resource to EdTech entrepreneurs.
• You can explore, establish, and manage partnerships with other like-minded organizations.

Who You Are

• You have a Graduate Degree (Masters / PhD), preferably in Education, Technology or relevant field.   
• Minimum of 10 years’ experience in education and/or managing corporate/government affairs public/private partnerships.
• You have proven experience effectively engaging and collaborating with high-level government officials, development partners, 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.
• Ability to think strategically and contribute as a thought partner in the Foundation and program strategy development.
• Ability to analyze and synthesize large volume of information.
• Sound understanding of innovation ecosystem in Africa.
• You are detail-oriented with a demonstrated ability to produce quality work consistently and effectively.
• You are highly self-motivated and directed.
• Excellent prioritization and time management skills.
• Fluency in English and French is required.
• Willing to travel up to 25% of the time when required in the future.
• You are flexible, adaptable, and able to execute a range of job duties and changing priorities.
• You possess excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills with the ability to articulate information to a variety of constituents across cultures.
• Professional maturity, sensitivity with different cultures, and impeccable integrity that exemplify the Foundation’s values.
• You have a commitment to Mastercard Foundation’s values and vision.

Application Closing Date
8th February, 2021.