Corporate Social Responsibility Manager - Sandton at IBM

Your Role and Responsibilities

• Serves as the lead for IBM’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities will drive and implement IBM’s CSR strategy in the local environment, thereby maximizing social and business impact while aligning to the local national agenda.
• Supports and works with IBM local country leaders to develop locally relevant initiatives to directly support the IBM business’ hyper-growth strategy, forwarding-looking and breakthrough CSR initiatives while ensuring the alignment to the IBM CSR priorities of (1) Education, (2) Volunteerism and (3) Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG).
• Be a key driver and advocate of CSR – working with local universities, workforce and government departments to exponentially grow the number of people trained.
• Represents IBM in local and regional communities while building strong, quality relationships with key stakeholders such as policy makers and key government representatives, business partners and providers, not-for-profit organizations, educational institutions and existing and potential clients.
• Demonstrates a strong understanding of IBM brand image and corporate character when defining strategies, creating solutions to address social challenges and national growth agenda and implements them efficiently.
• Leverages IBM resources by aligning CSR strategies with IBM growth strategies of Hybrid Cloud and AI. Enhances IBM’s brand image through thought leadership in Education, Volunteerism and ESG.
• Actively participates in IBM’s sustainability initiatives as aligned to IBM CSR and national agenda.
• Attracts media attention and leverages social media to position IBM as a unique and innovative corporate citizen
• Manages local budget, expenses and business controls properly, and achieves planned targets and results.
• Excels as a team player and collaborates with IBM CSR global and regional teams to demonstrate IBM as an exemplary corporate citizen.

Required Technical and Professional Expertise

• Experience advancing education and capacity development programs among academiaExperience advocating and demonstrating STEM programs and initiatives
• Knowledge and experience of online education programs such as SkillsBuild
• A passion for innovation and CSR; societal impact leveraged by Cognitive and Cloud digital transformation around talent acquisition, jobs and careers; an opportunity for CSR to effectively reduce gaps and potentialize untapped talent
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically
• Solid delivery experience of Complex programs/projects and/or alliances is required
• Multi-national corporate experience managing multiple markets in this region
• Breakthrough Thinking – STEM Business Acumen applied to Social Responsibility; deep understand of Cloud and AI market, major players, portfolio and solutions and how this is impacting career paths, talent acquisition and untapped talent leveraged by programs focused on reskilling and upskilling, with high-school students, NPO’s target audience
• Think global act local -proven capacity to drive local execution of global strategies and models
• Ability to work within a complex and often ambiguous environment, to drive rigorous, fact-based recommendations to senior management, other executive, functional, or geographic management
• Experience advancing education and capacity development programs among academia
• Experience advocating and demonstrating STEM programs and initiatives
• Knowledge and experience of online education programs such as SkillsBuild

Preferred Technical and Professional Expertise

• A minimum of 2 years of progressively responsible experience in similar roles, experience implementing similar programs in a corporate environment is strongly preferred
• Experience managing and advancing broad-based corporate education and workforce development programs
• Experience managing and advancing broad-based environmental sustainability STEM programs and initiatives
• Understanding of the South African ESG landscape, frameworks and standards, ratings agencies, evolving legislation and trends affecting technology companies
• Involvement in developing and managing social responsibility and sustainability strategies, including the materiality assessment process
• Understanding of the evolving expectations for social responsibility and sustainability among various stakeholders (e.g., shareholders, ESG ratings firms, governments, non-governmental organizations, etc.)
• Understanding of leading corporate social responsibility standards and frameworks and experience conducting gap analyses and action plans mainly in South Africa
• Exceptional ability to develop positive relationships and lead through influence with internal partners, build consensus and prioritize action and results
• Outstanding communicator with excellent presentation and strong written and oral communications skills
• Professional presence to be a trusted representative of the company with external stakeholders
• Team oriented, collaborative, diplomatic and flexible
• Self-starter with a demonstrated ability to thrive in a team-based environment that is fast-paced and rapidly changing