Job Title: EHOD – Communications

Application Deadline: May 9, 2022

About Us

Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia Plc is a company supporting Ethiopia’s digital transformation. As a member of the Vodacom family, we have a wealth of experience connecting over 334 million people globally and over 180 million people in Africa across our network. We look forward to partnering with Ethiopians as we build a new network in Ethiopia.

We are setting the groundwork in readiness for the launch of our services next year and are looking to work with purpose-led teams that put the community at the heart of service.

Safaricom Ethiopia is offering a wide range of careers, whether you’re looking to join our technology, commercial or corporate teams. If you would like a challenge and the promise of a digital future for the people of Ethiopia, we are looking for you. 

We are pleased to announce the following vacancy for EHOD – Communications (external and internal) within the External Affairs Function in Ethiopia. In keeping with our current business needs, we are looking for a person who meets the criteria indicated below. 

Detailed Description 

• Reporting to the Chief External Affairs Officer, the position holder’s role will be to lead external communications, public relations, and internal communications strategy, activities and programmes to enable the company to achieve its commercial, brand, and reputation strategy and to pro-actively mitigate risks for the commercial launch and operations of the company, contributing to Digital Ethiopia objectives of the country (working closely with other functions and agency).

 Job Responsibilities 

• Develop external communications and public relations (PR) strategy and manage day to day communication and PR activities against strategy, working with other functions (including Commercial Business Unit and Enterprise Business Unit) and agency.
• Manage day to day proactive communications and PR issues, working with other functions (including Commercial Business Unit and Enterprise Business Unit), agency, and Shareholder comms teams as per internal governance requirements.
• Represent the company as a spokesperson with media and build strong relationships with external stakeholders including positioning the company on own channels, in media and on social media.
• Develop an Internal Communications strategy, contributing to a positive working culture, and manage day to day communication against the strategy, working with other functions (notably HR) and agency.
• Measure and monitor communications and PR impact on the Company’s reputation
• Manage the Communications budget within budgetary limits for the current year.
• Manage relationships with PR and creative agencies, editors and contractors delivering strategic benefit and value for the business.

Core competencies, knowledge and experience:

Business Competencies:

Working with Others

• Consciously takes steps to make the most of every conversation/interaction
• Identifies people’s needs, interests and motives to be able to influence the decisions they make
• Communicates simply to excite and engage people
• Pro-actively adapts own style and approach to build rapport, and work with others more effectively
• Builds and maintains strong relationships and networks

Operational Excellence

• Targets effort and resources on high-value, high impact activity  
• Focuses on achieving maximum performance and driving continuous improvement
• Thinks about processes and problems cross-functionally and end-to-end
• Uses knowledge of products, technology, process, systems and policy to solve problems

Creativity and Innovation

• Finds creative ways to exploit opportunities and solve problems
• Takes risks and pushes what is possible
• Experiments with unorthodox approaches

Business Know how

• Uses data and research to make decisions that are competitively and financially robust
• Balances current and future needs
• Thinks and acts like an owner of the business 
• Acts in line with legal, regulatory, professional and ethical standards

Working with Change

• Responds flexibly to changing situations
• Manages the business and people aspects of change to drive performance

Project and Programme Management

• Defines scope and deliverables in terms of time, cost, quality and business benefit 
• Schedules activity and identifies resource needs, dependencies and synergies  
• Evaluates progress, mitigates risks and addresses issues

Functional Competencies:

Integrated Communications

• Creates powerful integrated communications delivered through an effective mix of channels that promotes Company 's initiatives products and services, and safeguards our reputation
• Uses processes, systems and practice to maximize stakeholder value, loyalty and advocacy

Negotiation

• Responds positively and professionally to objections, and addresses the Stakeholder’s needs to successfully close a matter.
• Uses a range of techniques and approaches to make agreements that add value for Company and our stakeholders
• Understands stakeholders' commercial drivers and leverages them in negotiations
• Applies commercial acumen to maintain a healthy profit margin & stakeholder value

Risk Management

• Identifies and mitigates operational, financial and business risks in critical processes and projects
• Balances risk and benefits within appropriate control frameworks
• Ensures plans and controls are in place to protect value and meet legal & regulatory requirements

Job Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in either Marketing, Communications, Education, Political Science, Public Administration, Law and other social sciences;
• 5-8 years hands on experience in Communications of which 3 years must have been in senior management experience, preferably in a communications company 

How to Apply

Interested applicants can apply using THIS LINK