Job Title: Head of Public Affairs & Strategic Partnerships

Reporting Line: Global Head of Strategy & Policy

Location: Any of EEA Markets

Job Grade: 18

 

About ENGIE Energy Access (EEA)

ENGIE Energy Access is a leading Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGo) and mini-grids solutions provider in Africa, with a mission to deliver affordable, reliable and sustainable energy solutions and life-changing services with exceptional customer experience. The company is a result of the integration of Fenix International, ENGIE Mobisol and ENGIE PowerCorner; and develops innovative, off-grid solar solutions for homes, public services and businesses, enabling customers and distribution partners access to clean, affordable energy. The PAYGo solar home systems are financed through affordable installments from $0.14 per day and the mini-grids foster economic development by enabling electrical productive use and triggering business opportunities for entrepreneurs in rural communities.

 

With over 1,800 employees, operations in nine countries across Africa (Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia), over 2.4 million customers and more than 12 million lives impacted so far, ENGIE Energy Access aims to remain a leading clean energy company, serving millions of customers across Africa by 2025.

 

engie-energyaccess.com

linkedin.com/company/engieenergyaccess

 

Job Purpose

The Head of Public Affairs & Strategic Partnerships will play a key role in ENGIE Energy Access (EEA). This role will be responsible for managing public affairs and strategic partnerships across the organisation, including setting the direction, driving key initiatives and partnerships, and establishing standards, tools, reporting and governance. The role will work closely with key internal leaders (especially Global Head of Department, Country Directors and the CEO) and key external partners and stakeholders.

 

Key Responsibilities

Develop and manage the overarching strategies and plans for public affairs and strategic partnerships across the organisation

Develop and implement standards, tools and processes to support public affairs and strategic partnerships, then work cross-functionally to implement

Provide reporting and governance for public affairs and strategic partnerships to senior leadership, including taking critical actions to drive forward

Identify and prioritise critical areas for strategic partnerships, then where appropriate (especially for corporate partnerships), lead the development and management of large-scale and high-impact partnerships

Continuously mitigate public affairs risks, and where matters do arise, provide subject matter expertise and planning support to leaders and coordination at the global level to ensure effective resolution

Provide leadership, coaching and mentorship for public affairs and strategic partnerships, both to direct reports and to those team members across the organisation with related responsibility

 

Detailed Responsibilities

Public Affairs

Develop and manage EEA’s overarching public affairs strategy, including working closely with countries and other global departments to identify key policy priorities to achieve EEA’s strategic and financial objectives

Develop and implement risk management frameworks and protocols to key public affairs risks, proactively identifying and managing, ensuring the organisation is prepared to address and resolve potential issues

Where public affairs issues do arise, provide subject matter expertise and planning support to countries and global leads and coordination at the global level to ensure effective resolution

Provide leadership, coaching and mentorship for public affairs, both to any direct reports and those team members across the organisation that have public affairs responsibility

Lead ad-hoc public affairs initiatives, including policy briefs and position papers    , written and verbal communication to key stakeholders, and thought leadership

Oversee EEA’s public and industry engagement activities, including identifying stakeholders (e.g. government, industry associations and community organisations), developing an engagement approach, monitoring engagement success and managing information (e.g. documents, data)

Act as a spokesperson for the organisation on public affairs issues, representing EEA in meetings, conferences, and other forums

 

Strategic Partnerships

Oversee the overall organisational approach to strategic partnerships, ensuring alignment with ENGIE Energy Access' mission and strategic objectives

Identify and prioritise critical areas for strategic partnership development, focusing on opportunities that align with ENGIE Energy Access’ strategic goals

Align on responsibilities for managing partnerships with other key functions within the organisation, promoting a collaborative and integrated approach

For identified key partnership areas (especially corporate partnerships), identify, engage and secure large-scale strategic partnerships, leveraging our strengths and capabilities to maximise impact

Develop and implement policies and procedures for partnership management, ensuring consistency and efficiency across the organisation

Oversee a centralised system for tracking and reporting on strategic partnership activities, ensuring transparency and accountability

Continually monitor, report on and evaluate the effectiveness of partnership strategies, making adjustments as necessary to achieve desired outcomes

 

Experience, Knowledge & Skills

At least 10-15 years of relevant experience, ideally in public affairs, strategic partnerships, business development / administration, international relations or policy, across either the public or private sectors

Proven leadership managing partnership efforts and experience with key stakeholders across the public and private sector, including national governments, multinational organisations, philanthropic and private sector players across the value chain

Experience in complex, fast-paced, entrepreneurial environments in global organisations, ideally with multiple offices and a matrix environment

Strong execution and organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects and successfully deliver against key priorities

Strong strategy and visioning skills, with the ability to set and communicate objectives to key stakeholders, including being able to clearly articulate the case for change

Outstanding stakeholder engagement and written / verbal communication skills, with the ability to develop meaningful and productive relationships with a diverse set of internal and external stakeholders

Experience in the global development sector, with a focus on Africa, would be desirable

English is mandatory, with French, Portuguese or Swahili a plus

 

ENGIE is an equal opportunity employer, promoting diversity and committed to creating an inclusive environment for all. All applications are screened based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without any regard to origin, age, name, sexual identity, orientation or preference, religion, marital status, health, disability, political opinions, union involvement or citizenship. Our differences are our strengths!