Head of Public Affairs & Strategic Partnerships at Engie Africa

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