External Affairs Director - Accra

We are looking for an External Affairs Director.
Responsibilities :

• Set the strategic direction and priorities for regulation, policy, political engagement, taking appropriate steps to protect and advance the organisation’s interests
• Lead the development of reactive and proactive positions and engagement plans on key regulatory, policy and political opportunities
• Drive deeper integration and more favourable regulations through thought leadership, advocacy and representation
• Plan and activate specific policies and political engagement by the CEO and the Senior Management team in line with company priorities as well as regulatory requirements
• Co-ordinate the second line of assurance for high-risk policies
• Own the local Risk Management Framework and input to the global risk management assessment and ongoing management and reporting of principal risks
• Develop and implement a comprehensive due diligence programme for stakeholder partnerships
• Develop and maintain business continuity plans to ensure the organization’s ability to respond to and recover from major business disruptions and associated risks
• Execute on global Anti-bribery, Sanctions and Trade controls compliance programmes
• Drive the ‘Doing What’s Right’ culture locally, including training in relation to the Code of Conduct
• Implement a compliance programme for the company
• Establish and execute a Public Affairs plan consisting of targeted, proactive, better evidenced, coordinated and externally focused campaigns, building on and amplifying the social contract
• Deliver local policy and regulatory step change that impacts our returns and delivers a significant shift in current policy environment constraining the sustainability of the sector
• Drive local campaign communications to raise awareness around the problems and build broad-based cross-sectoral alliances to ensure the solution buy in from Politicians, Policy makers and Regulators.
• Manage all organisation’s Foundation activities.
• Execute all governance, risk, and reporting activity for all organisation’s foundations and related charitable trusts while maintaining a robust reporting platform.
• Drive all engagement, fundraising, storytelling, events and liaise with comms teams for targeted and appropriate comms activity.
• Work with Finance to ensure continued strong External and Internal audit performance.
• Develop and execute strategies to address ESG, sustainability issues, ensure mapping against SDGs
• Represent the company in key stakeholder dialogues, promote company positions in these areas and develop deeper relations with relevant national bodies
• Drive human and digital rights practices and governance; oversee transparency (ARA, mandatory reporting) and external engagement with key influencers
• Set strategic direction for Corporate Comms, in line with ExCo & Group priorities
• Execute media relations, content and channel management for social media/digital storytelling, financial, corporate, policy and crisis communications
• Oversee alignment of comms across the market, amplify stories and comms on all channels.
• Provide comms for overall EA strategy and priorities to drive engagement and reputational improvements among key external stakeholders.
• Plan and activate specific comms and media profiling of CEO, Board and Senior Management in line with company priorities.
• Manage and develop the External Affairs team to develop and evolve the best strategies in supporting the future of the organisation
• Delivery of strategies / plans / proposals / decisions in relation to all areas of activities including Regulation, Corporate/External Affairs and influencing key stakeholders
• Delivery of an effective function covering the following – Business Continuity & Crisis Management, Enterprise Risk Management
• Effective management of all risks within the business
• Manage the narrative and storyline of the organisation and its affiliated businesses in the industries we operate in and beyond.
• Provide oversight, guidance and support to ensure the development of External Affairs activities in line with organisation’ policies, procedures and best practice.
• Instigate and coordinate an effective level of staff development and succession planning to ensure the continuity of Risk Management activities.
• Provide strategic leadership and direction for External Affairs services and sound advice for the organisation, managing the External Affairs team and having responsibility for all External Affairs activities.