Mastercard Foundation is a global foundation based across four hubs in Kigali, Rwanda, Nairobi, Kenya, Accra, Ghana and Toronto, Canada. 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.
Job Title: Strategic Advisor - Chief People and Culture Officer (12-month contract)
The Opportunity
- Act as the brain trust for the Chief People and Culture Officer (CPCO) on all matters related to people strategy.
- Take time to understand the work of the Foundation through the senior business partners.
- Provide strategic advice, insights, and support regarding ongoing enterprise initiatives.
- Review functional-related plans with the Leadership Team before execution.
- Collaborate with CPCO to develop or redesign P&C goals and objectives.
Ways You Can Contribute
Provide strategic insights and recommendations to support the CPCO in decision-making and executive engagements.
- Review ongoing strategic plans.
- Provide recommendations on proposed HR initiatives.
- Prioritize the P&C roadmap to determine sequencing and pacing.
- Hold collaborative meetings with P&C Leadership teams.
- Oversee the consolidation and quality of Board and EXCO presentations.
- Work with the CPCO on all Board related presentation preparations.
- Partner with the P&C Leadership Team to prepare EXCO submissions, including consolidation and advisory on strategic positioning.
Review and refine strategy documents across the talent value chain to ensure alignment with the Foundation’s mission.
- Review the P&C modernization strategy with internal teams and the Deloitte Canada working group.
- Propose overarching goals, objectives, and priorities for 2025–2026.
Collaborate with the P&C Leadership Team to develop strategic initiatives.
- Actively listen to team perspectives and ideas in alignment with organizational values.
- Ask thought-provoking questions to ensure initiatives are tied to P&C strategy, outcome driven, and measurable.
- Meet with P&C Leads to provide thought partnership, insights, and guidance to inform strategic choices.
Support the P&C Leadership in prioritizing key People and Culture projects and initiatives.
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Lead conversations with the P&C LT on initiative importance, project impact, resource needs, dependencies, and timing.
Monitor progress of strategic projects to ensure alignment with enterprise initiatives.
- Ensure each strategic project has clearly defined success measures.
- Define criteria for integrating P&C projects with enterprise initiatives.
- Gather relevant project information and ensure goal clarity.
- Suggest success criteria for assessing program outcomes.
Critique the People and Culture priorities central dashboard.
- Review the P&C Dashboard from the reporting team.
- Analyze critical performance areas, monitor progress, and guide achievement.
Plan and coordinate Leadership Team connects and retreats.
- Develop P&C agendas and manage pre-reads.
- Capture key action points from meetings.
- Lead retreat planning and agenda development.
- Partner with external consultants to ensure delivery of P&C Leadership and extended Leadership retreats.
Develop themes, agendas, and session plans.
- Support the Leadership Team in identifying strategic objectives for sessions and tailoring content to the audience.
- Design interactive session activities to encourage engagement.
- Create schedules aligned with the overall strategic plan.
Oversee logistical coordination for productive Leadership Team engagements.
- Project manages P&C Leadership meetings, retreats, and events.
- Oversee planning activities with the CPCO, Executive Assistant and P&C coordinators.
Who You Are
- Master’s Degree or equivalent.
- At least 15 years’ experience in a strategic advisory capacity.
- Experience in People Leadership at an executive level.
- Executive communication skills.
- Technical competence in People & Culture systems and processes.
- Flexible, adaptable, and able to execute a range of job duties and changing priorities.
- Professional maturity, sensitivity to different cultures, and impeccable integrity that exemplifies the Foundation’s values.
- Possess excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills with the ability to articulate information to various constituents across cultures.
- You have committed to Mastercard Foundation’s values and vision.