Africa’s healthcare systems depend heavily on a skilled, well-prepared workforce—and the Senior Director, Health Workforce Initiatives at the Mastercard Foundation plays a critical role in making this vision a reality. This full-time leadership position, based in Nairobi, is designed for professionals who want to influence health systems at scale.
At the core of the role is strategic stewardship. The Senior Director guides the Foundation’s health workforce agenda, ensuring that initiatives align with integrated education and skills strategies. By turning ambitious goals into actionable plans, the role directly supports the growth of competent, job-ready healthcare professionals across multiple countries.
Collaboration is central to success in this position. The Senior Director works with governments, universities, civil society organizations, and development partners to design and implement programs that strengthen health systems. Facilitating technical working groups, steering committees, and communities of practice ensures shared learning and cross-country collaboration.
Innovation is another defining feature of the role. The Senior Director champions modern training models, applied learning approaches, and evidence-based frameworks that respond to current and future workforce demands. Programs are designed with sustainability and scalability in mind, ensuring long-term impact beyond individual projects.
Strong monitoring and evaluation systems support continuous learning. Working closely with impact teams, the Senior Director helps generate high-quality evidence, track outcomes, and refine strategies. Insights from this work inform policy discussions and strengthen the Foundation’s influence in regional and global health forums.
Leadership and communication round out the role. From mentoring teams to representing the Foundation with donors and policymakers, the Senior Director serves as both a people leader and a public ambassador. Producing technical briefs, case studies, and learning reports helps amplify the Foundation’s work and share best practices.
Ideal candidates hold both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in fields such as public health, health policy, education, or international development, alongside at least 15 years of relevant experience. Familiarity with African higher education systems and multilingual abilities are added advantages.
This role is more than a job—it’s an opportunity to help shape Africa’s health workforce and unlock opportunities for the next generation.
