Vacancy for the role of head marketing (telecoms)

Our Client is a global leader in the telecommunications and data-services sectors delivering wide range of affordable, high quality and easy to use broadband access and communication services across Africa. Due to expansion & growth, the above position has become vacant.


Job title: Head of Marketing (Opco)

Business Unit: Commercial

Reporting to: Country Manager


Purpose of the position

Lead the commercial team in the implementation of Group Commercial strategy and blueprint to ensure market awareness and attainment of company sales and profitability objectives on an annual and long-term basis.

Responsibilities & duties

PROPOSITIONS
· Lead the OPCO commercial team to implement the Group commercial strategy and (launch) blueprint, adapting them to local priorities and circumstances
· Understand customer needs and expectations especially in our target markets
· Ensure the development, approval and implementation of the OPCO’s integrated commercial roadmap (covering propositions/ tariffs/ promotions, distribution and sales – input to be aligned with OPCO Head of Distribution & Sales, marketing communications)
· Develop the OPCO marketing plan (pricing, products, promotions, communication) within the Group framework
· Recommend optimal local price plans and promotions
· Recommend new products and services for Group implementation
· Implement the approved OPCO marketing plan
· Gather and report key market and performance indicators
· Evaluate product/ tariff/ promotion performance
· Develop OPCO’s Customer Base Management/ CRM activities and plans
· Define and implement end-to-end go-to-market processes
· Provide commercial input into the company long range plan and budget
· Analyse and develop new local markets for Smile
Develop and manage the marketing organization in the OPCO
· Manage the applicable local and Group governance and approval processes relevant to the marketing function
· Ensure the commercial organization behaves with ethics and efficiency
· Manage and lead the local marketing team. Conduct regular Continuous Improvement reviews with OPCO marketing team members
· Deliver the commercial OPCO P&L (revenues, OPEX, EBITDA) and customer KPIs (e.g. gross/ net adds, churn, activity, usage, ARPU, effective rate per min./ Mb) as per the approved budget

INSIGHTS
· Implement the approved set of common approaches and standards (blueprint) to be applied in all OPCOs in order to generate a deep understanding of the local market as well as actionable customer insights enabling superior commercial performance
(1) Market intelligence: competition, socio-demographics, etc.
(2) Market research: recurring (e.g. brand health tracking, customer satisfaction, customer advocacy/ Net Promoter Score, quality of gross adds, churn) and ad-hoc (e.g. focus groups, special topics)
(3) Data mining: recurring (e.g. quality of gross adds, churn, post launch analyses) and ad hoc (special topics)
· Implement the Group Insights blueprint in OPCO, adapting it to local priorities and circumstances without compromising on the most important KPIs which must be comparable across market boundaries (i.e. same definition and methodology)
· Make sure Insights are not only being generated but also used to drive the business
· Develop market research and data mining capabilities in the OPCO, leveraging expertise available in Group and other OPCOs (virtual team/ global Center of Excellence concept)

BRAND EXPERIENCE
· Implement the organizations brand identity in such way that the experience is lived “from the inside out” and uniquely recognisable in the local market. Our organization is a global brand with limited scope for local adaptations (as needed to be effective/ loved in the local market but not more than what is absolutely necessary)
· Implement the organizations Brand Book in the local market, striking the right balance between global consistency and necessary local adjustments
· Deliver the organizations brand experience to key stakeholders in the local market (e.g. internal engagement, PR, social media, institutions)
· Ensure the development and implementation of the OPCO’s brand and communication plans which are fully embedded in the OPCO’s integrated commercial roadmap (covering propositions/ tariffs/ promotions, distribution and sales, marketing communications). This includes ATL campaign design and execution, POS materials design and execution, events support and Public Relations/ Corporate Communications support
· Manage the relationship with key partners (local advertising and media agencies)
· Develop brand and communications capabilities in the OPCO, leveraging expertise available in Group and other OPCOs (virtual team/ global Center of Excellence concept)
· Deliver the brand health KPIs
· Measure communication performance
· Manage the applicable local and Group governance and approval processes relevant to the insights, brand and communications functions


Academic qualifications

· University degree in Marketing or related sciences
· Additional Masters degree is desirable

Work experience & skills

· 10 years marketing experience (minimum of 5 years in telecoms); Data Mining
· Operational experience; Customer insights / market research
· Pricing and Business planning; Brand and communications
· Sub-Saharan African experience

Personal qualities & behavioural traits

· Leadership skills; Influencing and negotiation skills
· Attention to detail; Drive initiatives independently
· Analytical and problem solving skills; Enjoys working with numbers
· Project Management; Strong process focused mindset


How to apply

Candidates that meet the above specification should please forward CVs to ‘[email protected]’ using ‘Head Marketing’ as the subject of your application.
Application closes 31^st July, 2014.
Only experienced and qualified candidates will be shortlisted and invited for an interview.