The Mastercard Foundation seeks a world where everyone has the opportunity to learn and prosper. All people, no matter where their starting point in life, should have an equal chance to succeed. We believe that with access to education, financial services, and skills training, people can have that chance. The Head, Program Risks supports the Director, Program Risk, in coordinating risk management activities across the Foundation’s program platforms and adjacent activities. This role provides risk advisory services and insights to Foundation program teams, offering guidance on risk identification, mitigation, and response strategies and ensuring risk management is embedded in the entire program cycle from ideation to closure.
Responsibilities
- Support the Director, Program Risk, in coordinating risk management activities across the Foundation’s program platforms and adjacent activities.
- Provide risk advisory services and insights to Foundation program teams, offering guidance on risk identification, mitigation, and response strategies and ensuring risk management is embedded in the entire program cycle from ideation to closure.
- Collaborate with Foundation program teams, risk champions and implementing partners' risk focal points to foster strong risk behaviours across programs, ensuring a shared understanding of the Foundation’s risk appetite, risk tolerance, and risk management processes.
- Review and critique risk registers submitted by risk champions and implementing partners, and provide actionable insights to enhance the risk identification, assessment, and mitigation process.
- Monitor and analyse emerging risks and trends relevant to the Foundation’s programs.
- Conduct regular spot checks and reviews of program activities, partners, and processes to assess compliance with risk management policies and procedures.
- Develop and deliver tailored capacity-building initiatives for program staff and implementing partners, ensuring they have the tools, knowledge, and training needed to identify, assess, and manage risks effectively.
- Prepare, consolidate program risk reports and provide regular updates on risk management activities to the Director, Program Risks.
- Escalate significant risks and incidents as appropriate.
Requirements and Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as Risk Management, Business Administration, International Development, Public Administration, Economics, or Finance; a Master’s degree and professional risk certifications are strong assets.
- Over 10 years of relevant experience in risk management, with at least 5 years in a managerial role.
- Demonstrated experience in programmatic risk management within the non-profit, philanthropic, or international development sectors, with a proven ability to implement risk frameworks in multi-country organisations.
- Strong understanding of regulatory, operational, financial, and reputational risks relevant to the international development context.
- Experience working in culturally diverse environments, with excellent communication, facilitation, and interpersonal skills; proficiency in English required and French an asset.
- High integrity, sound judgement, and the confidence to uphold principled positions in complex or challenging situations.
- Demonstrated ability to collaborate across teams, build partner capacity, and engage stakeholders with empathy and cultural sensitivity.
- Agile and adaptable, able to respond to evolving priorities while staying informed about emerging trends in risk management and international development.
- Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should apply via the Mastercard Foundation career portal. Apply here.
