Government Affairs Director at Microsoft

Overview

• Microsoft has an immediate opportunity for a highly skilled and experienced government affairs professional to join Corporate, External and Legal Affairs (CELA) as the Government Affairs Policy Lead for Africa.
• The successful candidate will report to the Head of Government Affairs for Africa.

Responsibilities
Strategy & Program Management:

• Advocate for and manage policy issues (social, political, legal, technical), leading the company’s engagement and campaigns with senior internal stakeholders on priority issues, strategies, and programs.
• Shape and contribute to Microsoft’s policy agenda in Africa, addressing complex governmental issues and business priorities, and develop highly impactful solutions for advancing the agenda while managing risks and consequences.
• Steer project-related government affairs work, including stakeholder management, outreach strategy, narrative development, and related political communications.
• Identify and create opportunities for Microsoft technology and cloud computing services to empower government leaders and address challenges within the African political landscape, including competitive analysis of Microsoft’s offerings.

Intelligence & Analysis:

• Develop and maintain an intelligence network, systematically gather and analyze external and internal data, and share findings to support Microsoft’s and customers’ business objectives.
• Keep abreast of technology policy trends and developments, understanding their intersection with Microsoft’s business and the broader technology landscape.

External Relationships & Coalition-Building:

• Develop and influence partnerships with coalitions, the public sector, relevant interest groups, and industry thought leaders to achieve desired regulatory and legislative outcomes.
• Lead the implementation of improvements to initiatives based on community and stakeholder feedback.
• Build and maintain a broad network of relationships with decision-makers in pan-African institutions, governments, regulatory agencies, and international organizations.
• Manage consultants, partners, and allies on legislative and business-related initiatives.

Internal Collaboration & Cross-Group Alignment:

• Advocate for and manage policy issues, leading Microsoft’s engagement with internal stakeholders related to government affairs.
• Facilitate and coordinate internal business operations within the region to raise awareness, resolve complex cross-group priority conflicts, and enable alignment across teams.
• Advise senior executive leadership teams on the political landscape and measures related to project priorities.
• Support the preparation of project-related executive visits and events in close collaboration with the entire CELA team.

Communication & Representation:

• Direct and align complex or conflicting policy with Microsoft’s goals and strategies; enhance company reputation by driving a communication framework and messaging for Government Affairs.
• Clearly communicate Microsoft’s commitments and explain complex technical and policy concepts to policymakers, business decision-makers, and influencers.
• Participate in and assist in developing internal/external events to drive Government Affairs objectives and social media engagement.
• Drive strategic partnership engagement in external events and represent Microsoft in key forums.

Change Management & Adaptability:

• Demonstrate willingness to experiment, learn quickly from mistakes, and adapt to evolving legal, policy, and factual landscapes.
• Operate comfortably in fast-paced, high-pressure environments and in cutting-edge legal and policy matters where ambiguity is common.

Qualifications
Required Qualifications: 

• Master's degree in public policy, Public Administration, or related field AND many years of experience in government affairs, corporate affairs, public policy, or government OR a Bachelor’s degree in public policy, Public Administration, Law, or related field AND several years of experience in government affairs, corporate affairs, public policy, or government; OR extensive years’ of experience in these areas.
• Significant policy development or government affairs experience in the legal department of an international company, business, trade association, consultancy, or multilateral organization (or similar experience in an international law firm).
• Experience in developing and managing strategic relationships to advocate and influence public/technology policy priorities.

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Familiarity with policy and regulatory challenges facing the technology industry, particularly across Africa.
• Proficiency in written and oral advocacy skills in English and French.
• Ability to understand and explain complex technical and/or legal issues to diverse audiences.
• Excellent organizational and planning skills; proven project management, coalition-building, and resource management abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple projects concurrently and motivate and lead others, including in non-hierarchical contexts.
• Detail-oriented, with demonstrable business acumen and cross-cultural skills.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain lasting relationships and consensus with a variety of constituencies both inside and outside an organization.
• Willingness and ability to adapt quickly as the legal, policy, and business landscape evolves.