Program Partner, Canada Programs

Mastercard Foundation

17h•$95,000 - $110,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Program Partner, Canada Programs will play a key role in shaping and advancing strategies that strengthen pathways for Indigenous youth to achieve their aspirations in education and employment. The Program Partner, Canada Programs, will provide expertise and insight to identify opportunities for innovation, collaboration, and capacity building among partners. This role involves supporting the co-creation of programs and partnerships that empower Indigenous youth to address both immediate challenges and systemic barriers within education and the transition to work. The Program Partner, Canada Programs, will combine strategic thinking, partnership management, and a deep understanding of Indigenous contexts to help drive meaningful and sustainable impact.

Requirements

Hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a relevant field such as education, social sciences, management, or public policy, along with significant experience supporting large-scale programs or initiatives focused on Indigenous communities and youth.
Bring 4–6 years of program management experience, demonstrating expertise in education, youth leadership, workforce development, and employment programs, ideally with exposure to both the private and non-profit sectors.
Have hands-on experience in policy design, implementation, or analysis related to education and transitions to work, particularly in contexts involving First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.
Skilled communicator with excellent verbal, written, and presentation abilities, able to engage effectively across diverse cultures and stakeholders.
Strong organizational and project management skills, with proven ability to manage multiple priorities in fast-paced and dynamic environments.
Technically proficient in MS Office applications (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) and comfortable leveraging digital tools for coordination, reporting, and presentations.
Deeply committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion, with an understanding of and respect for Indigenous ways of being and doing.
Professional maturity, sensitivity to different cultures, and impeccable integrity that exemplify the Foundation’s values.
Possess excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills with the ability to articulate information to various constituents across cultures.
You have a commitment to Mastercard Foundation’s values and vision.

Responsibilities

Provide expertise and knowledge to support the design and management of programs.
Lead internal processes to develop strategies and plans to achieve overarching EleV strategy.
Manage current or future programs as appropriate, distilling learnings for Foundation staff.
Design and deliver appropriate mechanisms to monitor effectiveness and impact of programming.
Identify Indigenous education and employment issues and trends that affect education, economic development, legal and financial systems.
Support the development and strengthening of EleV programming in workforce development, entrepreneurship, and economic development.
Manage opportunities to strengthen EleV programming through convenings and peer learning networks.
Diagnose and contribute expertise and in-depth knowledge of Indigenous education efforts, priorities and programs to identify and leverage innovation and strategic opportunities to build partnerships for sustainable systems change.
Expand the Foundation team’s capacity to deliver on major priorities and an expanding network of partners.
Engage with other teams on strategic priorities for the Foundation including the digital economy, entrepreneurship, post-secondary education, health, climate, and cultural revitalization.
Facilitate the development of strategic partnerships and fulfillment of internal processes to formalize partnerships for systems change.
Build relationships with partner communities, organizations, communities of practice and global stakeholders.
Engage key public sector officials and other stakeholders on Indigenous education and employment innovation issues.
Design and deliver stakeholder engagement sessions and activities.
Co-plan and co-facilitate convenings, meetings, and gatherings with partners, youth