Community Affairs Manager, South Africa at Microsoft

Qualifications:

Experiences Required: Education, Key Experiences, Skills and Knowledge:  

• Construction, environmental or technology-related experience, preferably engaging with skilling and/or sustainability non-profit partners, public/ government affairs, research and/ or communications. 
• Experience presenting/meeting with diverse stakeholders including government policymakers, community leaders, non-profits, environmental groups, educators and school administrators, education partners and students in rural, suburban and urban environments.
• Experience in building trust with local municipality, non-profit decision makers and community members, articulating the impact of the cloud and Microsoft’s commitment to responsible technology leadership.
• Able to set clear expectations internally and externally based on community needs, available funding and timelines.
• Understanding of research methodologies, and experience in developing and sharing strategic recommendations from a broad range of data sources (e.g., survey data, social intelligence, qualitative research, online telemetry, business metrics)
• Experience with creating and implementing external communications plans, including crisis communication management, utilizing modern communication strategies.
• Ability to work across groups managing individuals both directly and indirectly, marshalling resources toward a common goal and drive for results.
• Experience managing contractors, agencies, and/or other third parties. 
• Strong team player with excellent interpersonal skills.
• Skilled at prioritization, creating order out of ambiguity.
• Excellent communications skills (e.g., listening, written, oral, and data visualization)
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced multinational environment working across multiple lines of business.

Basic Qualifications:  

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.
• Ability to communicate and work in Afrikaans and English languages.

Preferred Qualifications:  

• Experience with infrastructure development and/ or construction preferred.
• Strong project / program management skills.
• Strong technical skills, understanding Microsoft Cloud offerings. 
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills.
• Track record of developing 6-month plans and driving them to completion.
• Able to work across cultures effectively, valuing diversity within virtual team.
• Working knowledge of international business practices.

Responsibilities:

• Act as a primary point of contact between the local community and Microsoft’s datacenters.
• Coordinate qualitative (e.g. community listening sessions) and quantitative data collection, and turn that research data into actionable insights to understand and prioritize community needs, as well as identify social risks and opportunities
• Use research findings and exercise thought leadership to develop location-specific community strategy that delivers on Microsoft’s mission and vision, including:
• Immediate corrective and preventive action recommendations, identifying key internal stakeholders (like Land Development, Design or Construction) to implement these recommendations.
• Local community communication plan, building awareness of the role of datacenters, their local value, as well as the impactful and meaningful projects Microsoft supports. 
• Local social impact investment plan aligned to community needs
• Lead strategic engagements and build relationships with local community groups such as municipal leaders and community based non-profit organizations to drive community acceptance
• Collaborate with the global functional team to localize and implement our community research methodology, community communications priorities, as well as community development initiatives in each community.
• Coordinate activities with a broad set of CO+I stakeholders, including Land development, Research, Construction, Permitting, Environmental, Engineering and Design, Energy, Government Affairs, and Operations teams as well as with local Microsoft teams.
• Measure impact mapped to the global Community Affairs scorecard and deliver a regular cadence of program updates to Community Affairs leadership team.