Managing Executive: Public Affairs at Vodacom

Role Purpose

The Managing Executive: Public Affairs role is based within External Affairs.
To position Vodacom in the public policy development cycle. To influence public policy ethically through advocacy and public diplomacy, persuade policy makers and socialise executives within the company. To serve as the interface between the company and the external environment on public policy and company operations. To establish and maintain strategic relations

Your Responsibilities Will Include

• Conduct PESTEL analyses and develop research papers and advice business
• Demonstrate and maintain knowledge and expertise of the public policy cycle and South Africa’s ICT regulatory environment particularly the ECS, ECNS, and digitilisation (4IR)
• Keep abreast of trends in the policy development spaceaffecting Vodacom and provide advisory reports, ie energy, BEE, competition, SMMEs, Privacy, cyber security, health and safety.
• Oversee and conduct research and analysis and develop inputs on draft public policies that impact Vodacom
• Provide support to all business units through relevant policy analysis and thought leadership to facilitate partnerships and insights on the external environment
• Ensure all research and analysis work culminates into a paper or report with stakeholders consulted and clear research methodology
• Be interface with Vodafone Group and Vodacom Group counterparts and ensure sharing and taking of learnings and alignment
• Develop messaging with relevant business units for influencing policy and internal decision making.
• Drive with relevant regulatory teams broad company public policy and regulatory end to end engagements
• Must have access at high political and public policy level to monitor and ethically influence policy evolution and positions
• Custodian of stakeholder relations by compiling and maintaining a full stakeholder engagement plan, stakeholder profiling and interfacing with relevant business units on topical issues
• Build and maintain active relationships between Vodacom SA, the executive, and legislature and “social partners”
• Build and maintain active relationships with civil society, labour movements, regulators, business forums, and other operators within the ambit of competition legislation
• Identify national issues impacting Vodacom SA and Group and lobby for positive engagement (with specific messages) to relevant stakeholders
• Monitor public policy evolution across the political spectrum and in government that have potential impact on Vodacom or the industry and advise CO and business accordingly and facilitate inputs
• Manage the relationship on an on-going basis continuously informing public sector players of Vodacom and its Foundation and sustainability contributions to socio economic and political developments, etc.
• Identify and manage external strategic alliances, ie all relevant forums
• Monitor alignment with national government and global policies, ie NDP, SDG, AU, UN-related
• Attend / participate in relevant Business, Parliamentary, other Public sector programmes.
• Participate in thought leadership and policy development activities – participating in public policy and advocacy in consultation with CO and guided by company positions
• Lead public policy engagements in absence of CO
• Interface with all regulatory units in the company for stakeholder engagement and advocacy purposes
• Anchor of the internal stakeholder engagement forum

The Ideal Candidate For This Role Will Have

• Matric
• Degree in Law, Political Science, Commerce, International Relations, Public Policy, Economics or equivalent but preferably public policy, law, diplomacy, political science or regulatory or equivalent
• 10-15 year’s experience in regulatory and public policy augmented by a stint in public sector regulatory or public policy environment, which includes senior level engagement in, or experience of politics/public sector and ICT regulatory and policy environment, and proven executive management leadership and governance. Previous work or strategic involvement in public sector ICT regulatory or public policy development is an added advantage.
• Strong negotiations skills
• Relationship building / nurturing skills
• Social fluency
• Humility, ethical and trustworthy
• Politically astute
• Knowledge of national politics and political engagement process
• Knowledge of geo-politics
• Broad socio-political and economic knowledge and understanding
• Company law knowledge
• Knowledge of telecoms/ICT sector relevant regulations and laws
• Relationship builder

Closing date of Applications: 30 July 2020. The base location for this role is, Vodacom Campus, Midrand