Director of Government Relations, ECOWAS at Thomson Reuters

Job Description : Director of Government Relations

Work closely with colleagues in the sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and the Middle East, Africa and Russia/CIS (MAR) Government and Strategic Projects teams to execute on an agreed business development plan, which includes the following:

Proactively engage with federal and state government entities and major public sector organizations in Nigeria, and similarly in other ECOWAS countries and at an ECOWAS level, building strong relationships, understanding core requirements, communicating and showcasing Thomson Reuters services and capabilities across the relevant business lines, working with internal and external stakeholders to develop applicable propositions, and winning business with targeted institution

• Grow revenue in the government segment across ECOWAS.
• Create and maintain a network of strategic alliances with external partners, to support market penetration objectives
• Support the MAR Government teams with business development initiatives in other markets where required, assuming ownership where appropriate

• Develop a strong understanding of our services and capabilities across Thomson Reuters business lines in order to meet short- and long-term revenue targets.
• Focus new business initiatives in Nigeria and the rest of ECOWAS on the government and quasi-government sector.
• Support regional leadership team in the development and refinement of government growth plans, drawing from previous experience to identify opportunities, requirements and ‘go to market’ strategy.
• Develop government relationships: identify government and public sector targets based on strategy and business priorities; arrange and attend meetings with senior government and public sector representatives, drafting formal requests and attending high-level networking functions and social events as and where required.
• Raise awareness: communicate our capabilities to government and public sector representatives, qualify scope of opportunity and provide clear, structured feedback to internal stakeholders.
• Proactively source government tenders, formal requests for proposal and unsolicited proposals through engagement, clarify the scope of work as appropriate, and prioritise opportunities.  Own proposal writing and bid management, designing solutions matching the scope of opportunity in conjunction with internal and external parties, and submit/present proposals/bids to government entities and public sector institutions.
• Handle negotiations and discussions over contractual terms with prospective clients.
• Oversee secured projects, and maintain relationships on an ongoing basis.
• Domenstrate thought leadership on public sector reform and opportunities in region of relevance, speaking at conferences as appropriate.
• Join Nigerian government delegations visiting abroad on a selective basis.
• Work with internal stakeholders to establish and maintain strategic alliances with third parties, including consultants, multilateral organizations and policy advisory bodies, to help grow our business and complement capabilities.
• Project manages operations and delivery of strategic projects in Nigeria and other geographies as required.

 Qualifications :