Government Relations Manager, Nigeria / WESA at Procter and Gamble

Job Number: R000088138

Overview of the Job

• Favourably & fairly influence legislation and policies to protect and improve the business, profitability and image of P&G and its brands in Nigeria and other sub-Saharan Africa countries through the design, mentorship and implementation of principle-based government relations strategies and external influencer networks. 
• Those strategies span from gaining/facilitating P&G access to African markets, to advising the business on smart compliance with existing legislation, to improving P&G competitiveness, profitability and cost of doing business in Nigeria and Sub Sahara Africa expansion markets.

Your Team

• Reports into the Senior Director, Global Government Relations, Sub Sahara Africa

How success looks like:

• Deliver superiority in value delivery, Relationship management and project execution
• Provide strategic advice to business to anticipate political and policy developments while remaining agile in a constantly evolving environment.
• Influence public policy and legislation to ensure that the interests of P&G are fairly represented at all levels of government.
• Serve as respected partners to policy-makers and influencers in markets around the continent
• Grow the Business, influence market access & improve cost of doing business through policy and regulatory influencing.

Responsibilities of the Role

• Build and maintain a broad and diverse network of relevant Government bodies/officials, Industry/Trade Associations, professionals/consultants and policy thought-leaders and influencers at national/federal and regional bloc levels in key SSA countries, with special focus on Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa, as well as on priority SSA expansion markets (Ghana, Tanzania, Cote D’Ivoire, Cameroon, Uganda and Ethiopia, Senegal, Mozambique, Zimbabawe, Zambia etc),
• Work with SSA GGRPP Senior Director, the regional and Global GGGPP organization, the P&G SMO’s in SSA, relevant Regional Business Units (RBU’s) and P&G Plants and contract manufacturers in the region to define and align GR priorities for relevant markets.
• Act as the Process Owner for GR strategy development and execution in SSA.
• Develop and maintain a solid working relationship with P&G GR ambassadors, Legal resources and distributor External Relations (ER) resources in SSA countries to define, validate and execute the vital GR strategies, in conjunction with the SSA GGRPP Senior Director.
• Provide P&G with local insights and sound GR counsel on national and regional Government legislation policy in SSA to accommodate current and future business initiatives, including regional trade integration initiatives where they exist.
• Contribute to GR capability building in SSA, particularly with distributor ER resources, in collaboration with the SSA GGRPP Senior Director and the GGRPP regional team.
• Research and recommend novel approaches to expedite GR program execution in SSA and to improve chances of favorable outcome for P&G.
• Research, collect, compile, communicate and act as a repository of SSA information for Government policy impacting the business, particularly in the areas of economic, investment and monetary policy, international trade and tariff regulations, direct and indirect taxation, the fight against counterfeits and child/woman/family policy & sustainability including ESG
• Support the negotiation with Government ministries and the conclusion of P&G Market Entry programs in SSA countries, troubleshoot issues with Government when they arise and conduct periodic reviews with the competent ministries to assess progress and preempt issues.

Job Qualifications

• Multi-disciplinary background, preferably including training/experience in public policy, economic and political sciences and communication.
• Building, Maintaining & Leveraging Outstanding and diverse Stakeholder Relationships
• Proactive & Influential Advocacy
• Strategic Counsel & Leadership, early warning, crisis prevention and management
• Solid understanding and experience in public policy / legislation & a strong influential network in the public sector.
• Strong strategic thinking skills, strong leadership skills, maturity, inscrutable integrity
• Ability to operate under conditions of stress and to balance multiple priorities, strong collaboration skills
• Strong verbal and written communication in English (French and/or Portuguese are a clear additional asset)
• Proven record of working on highly complex and sensitive issues
• Ability to operate autonomously and be a self-starter, highly organized and disciplined, solution-oriented, creative individual.
• Flexibility to work late hours and weekends occasionally.