Senior Director, Health Workforce Initiatives

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Senior Director, Health Workforce Initiatives, provides strategic and technical leadership of programs that strengthen Africa's health workforce and health systems. The role oversees the design, implementation, and monitoring of initiatives that develop the quantity, quality, and relevance of the health workforce through workforce planning, education, training, and professional development.

The Senior Director ensures that all work aligns with the Foundation's strategic priorities, including the. Young Africa Works Goals. The role promotes collaboration between universities, governments, professional bodies, development partners, and other stakeholders to advance health workforce transformation and create opportunities for young people.

WAYS YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE

Strategic Leadership & Stewardship

• Provide strategic direction for Health Workforce Initiatives and ensure alignment with the HECSI integrated strategy.

• Translate the Foundation's higher-level strategies into actionable plans for workforce development initiatives.

• Represent the Foundation in regional and global forums on health workforce, higher education, and system strengthening.

• Contribute to thought leadership and strategic positioning through evidence generation, technical insights, and best practices.

• Promote the Foundation's values and support initiatives that expand opportunities for African youth.

Collaborative Management & Partnership Development

• Strengthen and coordinate multidisciplinary collaboratives involving universities, ministries, training institutions, and development partners.

• Support partners in proposal development, program design, and operational planning.

• Establish and facilitate governance structures such as Steering Committees and Technical Working Groups.

• Build and maintain relationships with senior leadership in partner organizations, universities, regional bodies, and civil society.

• Promote cross-country learning and facilitate communities of practice focused on health workforce transformation.

Program Design, Implementation and Innovation

• Oversee the design and rollout of programs that expand competency-based training, applied learning, and workforce readiness.

• Support the development of innovative education and training models that respond to evolving workforce needs.

• Ensure that programs draw from evidence, global guidelines, and relevant frameworks.

• Promote scalable and sustainable approaches to workforce development across countries.

Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning

• Develop robust monitoring and evaluation frameworks to measure program effectiveness and outcomes.

• Work with the Impact team to align indicators, data systems, and learning processes across the portfolio.

• Produce high-quality evidence and synthesize lessons to inform ongoing program improvement.

• Facilitate learning exchanges between partners, higher education institutions, and government counterparts.

Communications & Public Engagement

• Develop communication strategies that highlight the Foundation's work on workforce initiatives.

• Represent the Foundation with external audiences, including governments, donors, academic institutions, and regional bodies.

• Support the production of technical briefs, case studies, learning reports, and other documentation.

Financial & Operational Oversight

• Support partners in reviewing and managing budgets, ensuring timely adjustments and compliance.

People Leadership

• Lead and mentor program and operations staff within a matrixed environment, ensuring high-quality work and alignment with Foundation values.

• Drive team engagement, collaboration, and inclusivity, fostering a culture of oneness and diversity.

• Support performance management, career development, and capacity building for team members.

WHO YOU ARE

• Bachelor's degree and Master's degree in a relevant field such as public health, health policy, education, international development, or a related discipline.
• At least fifteen (15) years of progressive experience in health workforce development, health systems strengthening, higher education, or a related field.
• Experience designing and implementing complex, multi-country programs.
• Demonstrated success managing partnerships with governments, universities, regional bodies, and development partners.
• Progressive experience in health workforce development, health systems strengthening, or related areas, including developing roadmaps and executing programs for health workforce development.
• Experience leading multi-stakeholder collaboratives and governance structures.
• Strong understanding of health workforce frameworks, policy environments, and strategic planning processes.
• Proven ability to think in a strategic, transformative way, able to conceptualize initiatives/processes that will drive large-scale change.
• Possess excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills with the ability to articulate information to a variety of constituents across cultures.
• Experience building communities of practice and supporting knowledge exchange.
• Strong communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills across diverse cultural contexts.
• Experience managing teams and providing leadership in complex organizational environments.
• Familiarity with higher education systems in Africa is an asset.
• French or a local African language is an advantage.
• Knowledge of development, political, and social issues affecting Africa's health and education systems.
• Ability to prepare and manage budgets, grants, and complex workplans.
• Strong partnership building, diplomacy, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Strong analytical and program management capabilities.
• Ability to conceptualize and guide large-scale initiatives.
• Experience navigating ambiguity and institutional complexity.
• Ability to build and engage teams. Effectively develop, lead, and provide strategic direction to a diverse team of leaders across multiple countries. Commitment to equality, diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Fosters a positive spirit of collaboration in a complex environment.
• Results-oriented, innovative and entrepreneurial
• Exceptional organizational and project management abilities.

• Ability to lead diverse teams and promote collaboration across countries and cultures.

• Strong results orientation and commitment to innovation.

• High level of organizational and planning skills.

• Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and co-creation.

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.

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