Director of Public Affairs – Nairobi, Kenya.

Our client is looking for an experienced Director of Public Affairs for its offices in Nairobi. The Successful candidates will be responsible for providing public affairs and regulatory support to the business and opcos in EMEA, including on government affairs, policy and advocacy, crisis management, media relations and philanthropic and sustainability initiatives. Experience working for a Multinational is a MUST!

Key Responsibilities:

Contribute and assist in the deployment of the company’s EMEA public affairs strategy.
Advise the EMEA business and opcos on regulatory and policy matters that have an impact on the company’s business environment.
Collaborate closely with, and provide guidance to, the legal, operational and business teams on appropriate strategy and action plans to address regulatory and policy issues.
Consult and coordinate with outside regulatory, legal and policy advisors.
Drive and execute regional government affairs actions and goals in alignment with the company’s commercial strategy, including identifying funding streams to support business development projects and advocating for favorable regulations and policies.
Establish and maintain effective working relationships with key regional government stakeholders (including Embassies and Consulates), industry partners, trade associations, multilateral organizations and communities to advance business development objectives and proactively influence policies to promote profitable growth and minimize adverse actions.
Prepare responses to inquiries, consultations, requests and actions by government authorities.
Where required, represent the company before government authorities and other organizations on regulatory and policy matters.
Monitor, analyze and provide strategic insights on political, economic and social issues, industry trends, policy changes and regulatory developments.
Prepare internal reports on regulatory and policy matters.
Support opcos in the fulfillment of their public policy and regulatory responsibilities.
Build and maintain a regional knowledge management platform for the company’s policy positions, research, tools and reports.
Coordinate and prepare for symposiums, panels and other forums on key public policy issues.
Support M&A activities and geographic expansion through the identification of relevant regulations and policies and assessing political and security risk.
Assist in the development and execution of regional philanthropic and sustainability initiatives.
Create effective, proactive and innovative campaigns and messaging to engage and influence government, communities and media in a demonstrable way.
Support and advise on regional crisis management and media protocols.

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant subject area (e.g. law, politics or international relations).
5-10 years prior to public affairs and/or regulatory experience in Africa/developing markets.
Experience working and interfacing with government authorities.
Fluency in English. French would be a strong asset.
Track record of significant and demonstrable accomplishments in regulatory and public affairs matters.
Ability to formulate and effectively articulate recommendations to legal and business colleagues.
Excellent advocacy and negotiation skills and ability to effectively resolve complex issues.
Exceptional ability to work as a team player and integrate with legal and business colleagues.
Ability to manage substantial workload in a fast-paced environment.
Solid drafting and report writing skills.
ICT industry experience (preferred but not required).
Strong organizational skills.
Proficient with MS Office Suite applications and products.