Job description
Senior Market Engagement Manager Africa
Must be based in Africa (preference for Nairobi or West Africa-based) with significant travel; Preference for French Speaker
About the team
From urban to rural areas, mobile networks have become the predominant infrastructure in emerging markets and millions of people in emerging markets are now covered by mobile networks before they have access to energy, water or sanitation. The GSMA’s Mobile for Development Utilities Programme explores how the mobile industry can support commercially viable energy, water and sanitation services for underserved consumers.
Launched in January 2013, the programme carries the following activities to support these innovative mobile enabled utility services across Asia and Africa:
Innovation Fund: Grants are competitively awarded to organisations trialling or scaling energy, water, or sanitation service models that leverage mobile technology. Though these grants we aim to answer the following questions and share these insights with the broader mobile industry, development sector, innovators, and funders:
How can mobile support utility services?
For a mobile-enabled solution to be adopted at scale, what building blocks are needed?
What are the social and commercial impacts of delivering community services to underserved mobile subscribers?
Knowledge Sharing and Convening: We produce industry-leading reports that share trends and key insights about how mobile can enable energy, water and sanitation services for underserved customers in order to advance the sector. We also convene key stakeholders engaged or interested in these models at regional working groups, GSMA industry events and other external leading events to share best practices.
Advisory Services: We support mobile operators to understand the potential benefits for them to engage in these services and support knowledge exchange across the mobile industry.
The M4D Utilities team is currently seeking a Senior Market Engagement Manager to support the programme’s on-going activities inclcuing the Innovation Fund. We are seeking highly motivated self-starters that believe in the catalytic role that mobile technology can play in access to basic utility services in emerging markets.
The M4D – Utilities Senior Market Engagement Manager, Africa will be based in the GSMA’s Nairobi office or for the right candidate, another relevant location in Africa. The role will involve a significant amount of time travelling (up to 3040%). The time spent travelling is likely to be for periods of between 1-3 weeks.
Within the M4D Utilities team, the M4D Utilities Senior Market Engagement Manager, Africa will report to the Market Engagement Director (Nairobi-based). S/he will work closely with the other Market Engagement Manager (Nairobi-based), as well as the Senior Market Engagement Manager and Market Engagement Manager (both Asia-based).
About the role
The Senior Market Engagement Manager (MEM) will be involved with the following:
Support Grantee selection
Grant Management of Selected Grantees
Produce content (written and presentations) to share leanings of grant
Develop and manage key Innovation Fund components/activities
Lead on the content development and delivery of service provider and mobile operator toolkits and workshops
Lead regional engagement with mobile operators and other stakeholders
Support to the Market Engagement Managers
Strong contribution toward the strategic development of the programme and other M4D initaitives.
About You
Background
Strong background and experience in least one of the following technical areas: mobile networks, mobile money, M2M communications, renewable energy, water or sanitation.
Strong commercial background with experience in at least one of: impact investing, rural distribution, marketing, business models or development for social enterprises.
Project management, product development and management, and/or management consulting experience is attractive.
Previous work within the mobile industry and/or Pay-as-you-go solar, and/or mobile for development is attractive.
Qualifications
Previous work experience in emerging markets that demonstrates the desired background.
Demonstrable relevant work experience.
An MBA, International Development, Engineering or Business post-graduate degree is preferred.
Skills
French speaking is strongly preferred to support grantees in our West African markets.
Strategic planning for effective market engagement, such as developing relationships with regional partner organizations, linking programme events and information sharing with other organizations’ events.
Comfortable developing and managing relationships with various internal and external stakeholders, including C-level executives and dedicated entrepreneurs
Strong analytical skills: Able to critically review and analyse data and results from grantees and external M&E consultants
Excellent communicator: able to express complex technical or commercial issues in plain language, without losing the important points
Excellent leadership and team-work abilities to effectively work with the whole M4D utilities team and the wider GSMA in order to achieve collective programme and industry goals
Fluent and compelling written and oral communications skills in English
Personal
Able to work from the GSMA Nairobi office or a relevant location with periodic travel to Nairobi.
Passionate about bringing together the mobile industry and energy/water/sanitation service providers to achieve social and commercial benefits
Excellent cultural awareness and a desire to work with teams around the world while showing respect for all colleagues and stakeholders
Enjoys international travel (approximately 30% of the time) and learning about new markets
Able to quickly grasp new concepts and ideas
Naturally curious, able to think beyond business-as-usual scenarios, and dream big
Process-oriented individual, that takes ownership and responsibly without unnecessary management from above.
