Public Policy Manager, SADC at Facebook

Facebook was built to help people connect and share, and over the last decade our tools have played a critical part in changing how people around the world communicate with one another. With over a billion people using the service and more than fifty offices around the globe, a role at Facebook offers countless ways to make an impact in a fast growing organisation.We are looking for a public policy expert who can combine a passion for technology’s potential to create opportunity and to make Africa more open and connected, with deep knowledge of the political and regulatory dynamics across key Southern African countries. The Manager of Public Policy, SADC Region, will work under the direction of the Public Policy Lead, SADC Region, and will become part of a wider Africa Public Policy team that is dealing with some of the most interesting public policy challenges of our times including privacy, safety and security, freedom of expression, Internet shutdowns, the impact of the Internet on economic growth, and new opportunities for democratic engagement.
This is a full-time position and will be based in the Facebook office in Johannesburg.

Responsibilities

• Monitor key countries across the SADC region for policy issues at the intersection of technology, social media, emerging market entry/growth
• Inform and support Facebook’s connectivity agenda and programs across the SADC region
• Work with Facebook’s Politics & Government team to promote the use of Facebook as a platform for citizen and voter engagement to policymakers and NGOs and other political influencers
• Work with Facebook’s Safety and Policy Programs teams and external policy and civil society partners to create and implement country and regional policy programs
• Represent Facebook in meetings with politicians and policymakers
• Build coalitions to help advance and support key policy issues
• Work with our policy programs team to create and implement programs to address key policy issues across the region
• Communicate Facebook’s positions on key policy issues in public presentations to a wide range of audiences
• Identify and advise Facebook on emerging public policy issues
• Support the Africa Public Policy team on any other priority policy issues and programs

Minimum Qualification

• A degree or advanced degree in a related field
• Keen understanding of political systems, and relevant policy and civil society institutions across Africa – with a particular focus on the SADC region
• Detailed knowledge of regulatory and legislative processes at national and regional level a further advantage
• Significant experience living and working in at least one country in the SADC region required
• Excellent judgment, excellent communication and persuasive skills, creativity, perspective, the ability to work with minimal supervision in a dynamic environment
• Experience in policy engagement or development for a multi-national corporation or civil society institution
• Passion for connecting the unconnected, and extensive experience with relevant policy issues, including internet governance, data privacy, human rights/free expression, taxation, net neutrality, child online protection, etc
• Superb written and oral communications skills (writing samples required)
• Fluency in both written and conversational English, and native fluency in at least one regionally relevant language
• Interest and ability to travel frequently (at least 50%) throughout the region
• Fluency in technology and a passion for Facebook’s mission.