THE OPPORTUNITY
Reporting to the Director of Entrepreneurship Development, WAEMU, the Program Lead, Entrepreneurship will drive execution of the Senegal/WAEMU entrepreneurship portfolio, translating the Roadmap and One Plan into high-quality delivery, partner performance, and measurable impact.
The role is suited to an execution-focused leader with strong experience in entrepreneurship, MSME development, access to finance, market systems, and multi-stakeholder program delivery in West Africa.
The Program Lead will align partners, internal teams, and ecosystem stakeholders; resolve delivery bottlenecks; manage risks; and use evidence and learning to strengthen results for young people, especially young women.
Ideal candidates may come from development finance, impact investment, SME or inclusive finance, enterprise support, incubators and accelerators, consulting, foundations, NGOs, government enterprise agencies, or private sector organizations focused on entrepreneurship and job creation.
WAYS YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE
Program Execution and Delivery
- Lead delivery of the entrepreneurship portfolio against agreed outcomes, milestones, quality standards, and impact targets.
- Drive partner performance through clear expectations, regular performance reviews, continuous engagement, and timely course correction.
- Identify implementation risks early, manage delivery trade-offs, and coordinate timely mitigation actions.
- Apply adaptive management approaches using evidence, partner feedback, and changing market context.
Technical Leadership
- Provide technical leadership on entrepreneurship, MSME development, inclusive finance, market systems, and enterprise growth.
- Advise partners on enterprise growth, investment readiness, access to finance, ecosystem strengthening, and scalable delivery models.
- Use market intelligence, evidence, and implementation learning to recommend portfolio improvements.
Planning and Coordination
- Ensure effective portfolio planning, sequencing, prioritization, and resource utilization.
- Coordinate delivery across Foundation teams, partners, and stakeholders.
- Enable execution through influence, alignment, and removal of bottlenecks.
Partner Stewardship and Performance
- Build trusted relationships with implementing partners and ecosystem actors.
- Establish clear expectations and monitor partner performance.
- Address underperformance through coaching, escalation, and agreed consequence frameworks.
Portfolio Insight, Learning and Reporting
- Maintain visibility on portfolio performance, risks, and outcomes.
- Provide timely reporting and actionable recommendations.
- Generate evidence and insights that improve portfolio performance and decision-making.
- Capture, share, and apply lessons to continuously strengthen delivery and impact.
WHO YOU ARE
- Master’s degree in Business Administration, Economics, Finance, Entrepreneurship, International Development, Public Policy, or a related field.
- Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience leading complex entrepreneurship, enterprise development, private sector development, inclusive finance, or market systems programs.
- Deep understanding of entrepreneurship ecosystems, MSME growth, access to finance, investment readiness, business development services, and job creation pathways for young people.
- Experience managing multi-stakeholder partnerships across West Africa, preferably with exposure to WAEMU markets and regional entrepreneurship ecosystems.
- Relevant experience may come from development finance institutions, impact investment or SME finance organizations, enterprise support platforms, incubators or accelerators, consulting firms, foundations, NGOs, government enterprise agencies, or private sector organizations working on entrepreneurship and job creation.
- Demonstrated ability to deliver results through influence, partner stewardship, strong coordination, and sound judgement rather than formal authority.
- Strategic and practical problem solver who can connect implementation realities with Foundation priorities, country plans, and partner delivery capacity.
- Excellent communicator able to translate complexity into clear action.
- Data-informed decision maker who uses evidence, learning, and portfolio insights to strengthen delivery, manage risk, and improve impact.
- Resilient, adaptable, comfortable with ambiguity, and committed to the Foundation’s values, inclusive development, and impact for young people, especially young women.
The Mastercard Foundation values the unique skills and experiences each individual brings to the organization and we are committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and accessible environment for everyone.
Completion of satisfactory business references and background checks are essential conditions of employment.
For more information and to sign up for the Foundation’s newsletter, please visit http://www.mastercardfdn.org/
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Skills Required
- Master's degree in Business Administration, Economics, Finance, Entrepreneurship, International Development, Public Policy, or a related field
- At least 10 years of progressive experience leading complex entrepreneurship, enterprise development, private sector development, inclusive finance, or market systems programs
- Deep understanding of entrepreneurship ecosystems, MSME growth, access to finance, investment readiness, business development services, and youth job creation pathways
- Experience managing multi-stakeholder partnerships across West Africa, preferably including WAEMU markets and regional entrepreneurship ecosystems
- Experience in development finance, impact investment, SME finance, enterprise support, incubators, accelerators, consulting, foundations, NGOs, government enterprise agencies, or relevant private-sector organizations
- Ability to deliver results through influence, partner stewardship, coordination, and sound judgment without formal authority
- Strategic and practical problem-solving ability connecting implementation realities with organizational priorities and partner capacity
- Excellent communication skills, including translating complex issues into clear action
- Data-informed decision-making using evidence, learning, and portfolio insights
- Resilience, adaptability, comfort with ambiguity, and commitment to inclusive development and organizational values
- Satisfactory business references and background checks
What We Do
The Mastercard Foundation is a registered Canadian charity that works with visionary organizations to advance education and financial inclusion, aiming to enable young people in Africa and Indigenous youth in Canada to access dignified and fulfilling work.
