Senior Manager: Digital Human Rights at MTN

Mission/ Core purpose of the Job
Sustainability is at the core of MTN’s business strategy. MTN is looking for a results-oriented and collaborative senior manager to lead MTN’s strategic efforts to ensure that MTN respects, protects and promotes the rights of all its customers and stakeholders by ensuring that Digital Human Rights policies and procures are consistently implemented across MTN’s 19 markets. The role requires decisive problem-solving abilities to navigate MTN’s ever evolving Digital Human Rights landscape and balancing the rights of MTN’s stakeholders.

Key Performance Areas: Core, essential responsibilities / outputs of the position (KPA's)
The Group Senior Manager: Digital Human Rights is accountable to achieve the following objectives:

• Implementing the company’s Digital Human Rights strategies, policies, and procedures, including the Group’s Digital Human Rights Due Diligence process globally ensuring MTN upholds the rights of its customers and stakeholders.
• Driving the operationalisation of the Group’s Digital Human Rights incident management through consistent application of operating procedure, scenarios playbook and decision matrix to guarantee consistent application across MTN’s footprint.
• Support MTN’s 19 markets in the assessment of Digital Human Rights risks and impact of requests by government and non-governmental entities.
• Support MTN’s platform businesses to assess Digital Human Rights risks and impacts of its products and services to ensure that customer’s rights are protected making recommendations of measures to be incorporated.
• Understand, mitigate, and monitor the Group’s Human Rights risks and impacts to safeguard the rights of MTN’s customers and stakeholders, including coordinating Digital Human Rights Impact Assessments.
• Support in assessing Digital Human Rights risk and impact of various technologies (e.g., use of AI, Algorithms, 5G to name a few) and make recommendations of measures to be incorporated.
• Support the Group’s Digital Human Rights advocacy efforts, including implementing engagement and capacity building sessions with key stakeholders (e.g., NGOs, governments, advocacy organizations, etc.) and associations working on digital human rights (such as Global Network Initiative).
• Implementation of the integrated and multi-stakeholder approach to overall human rights and embedding human rights throughout MTN’s existing systems and functions (labour rights, consumer rights, security, supply chain, diversity and inclusion, responsible sourcing, among others).
• Drive and track performance of relevant key performance metrics related to Human Rights (such as Ranking Digital Human Rights) and implementing improvement plan across various indicators.
• Support the Group’s transparency and disclosure efforts on Human Rights (e.g., MTN’s annual Transparency Report) and responses to relevant investor and stakeholder queries to ensure MTN continues to address the needs of our stakeholders.
• Support in raising the Group’s profile in the Business and Human Rights space, including assisting with the participation of the Group at key events such as the UN Annual Forum on Business and Human Rights, and the African Regional Forum on Business and Human Rights among others.
• Monitor and track public sentiment and interests around digital human rights, as well as supporting with communication on human rights related matters across MTN’s footprint.
• Conduct research on human rights issues as appropriate in support of MTN’s 19 markets.

Key Deliverables

• Digital Human Rights Risks and Impact Recommendations
• Digital Human Rights Impact Assessments
• Digital Human Rights Data Management
• Digital Human Rights Processes and Procedures Management
• Digital Human Rights position papers and issues briefs
• Supporting in managing relationships between the Group functions, business areas and strategic partners (relevant governmental organisations and NGOs)
• On-going transparency & disclosure on human rights

Role Dependencies

• Working across functions, businesses, and markets
• Deep understanding of the MTN business strategy and technologies
• Understanding of MTN’s markets, their business and human rights context

Job Requirements (Education, Experience and Competencies)
Education:

• Degree in Law/International Law, International Relations, or equivalent field. Postgraduate degree would be advantageous.
• Relevant certification / accreditation / membership with professional body as required for role.

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years’ experience in a similar role.
• Relevant sector, industry, or area of specialisation experience (understanding emerging markets advantageous).
• Worked across diverse cultures and geographies.
• Experience working in a medium to large organization would be advantageous.
• Experience in undertaking human rights due diligence using standards such as UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, IFC Performance Standards, Equator principles as benchmark.
• Competencies:
• Business acumen to understand business risk and challenges, and recognise corporate opportunities
• Results Achiever
• Relationship Builder
• Decisive Problem Solver
• Innovative Value Creator
• Excellent project management and communication skills

Other:

• Regional and international travel may be required
• Fluent in English. Ability to communicate in French and other African languages would be advantageous