GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS MANAGER
Key Responsibilities
Government Relations Strategy & Stakeholder Mapping
Develop and implement JIB's government relations strategy and annual engagement plan in alignment with the organisation's international growth priorities.
Maintain current stakeholder maps at national, municipal/local, and regulatory levels, identifying decision-makers, influencers, relationship owners, and engagement priorities.
Translate country and project priorities into clear government engagement objectives, action plans, and accountability timelines.
Advise the Director of International Business and senior management on political, institutional, and public-sector dynamics that may affect JIB's strategy or operations.
Institutionalise government relationships through documented protocols, contact histories, and succession plans so that relationships do not become personality-dependent.
Government Engagement & Representation
Build and maintain professional relationships with ministries, cabinet-level offices, local authorities, regulators, investment promotion agencies, PPP units, diplomatic missions, and other relevant public institutions.
Coordinate ministerial meetings, municipal engagements, courtesy calls, government reviews, official missions, and high-level stakeholder visits involving JIB leadership.
Prepare briefing notes, talking points, presentations, correspondence, minutes, and follow-up action trackers for all material government engagements.
Ensure engagement outcomes, commitments, and relationship history are documented in the approved stakeholder management system within agreed timelines.
Represent JIB at approved government, diplomatic, policy, and industry forums and communicate the organisation's position accurately and professionally.
Public Policy, Regulatory Intelligence & Advisory
Monitor legislative, policy, political, and regulatory developments across JIB's operating and target markets and assess their potential business impact.
Coordinate the preparation and periodic updating of country regulatory profiles covering PPP and concession frameworks, environmental permitting, foreign investment, local content, public procurement, incentives, and related requirements.
Provide timely early-warning briefs and practical recommendations to management on emerging policy, regulatory, and government relationship risks.
Develop concise, evidence-based policy briefs that support constructive dialogue on sustainable environmental services, circular economy initiatives, and private-sector participation.
Support technical assistance and peer-learning engagements with governments and development partners where policy or capacity gaps affect project development.
Government Approvals, Protocol & Official Coordination
Work with Legal and Compliance, Business Development, Operations, and country teams to map and coordinate government approvals, registrations, permits, licences, and official clearances required for projects and market entry.
Track approval dependencies and government obligations, including concession processes, land or site access, levy and escrow arrangements, and cross-ministry coordination, escalating delays appropriately.
Support government-facing aspects of memoranda of understanding, concession arrangements, implementation agreements, and other public-sector partnership instruments in coordination with Legal.
Manage protocol requirements for official visits, government delegations, ceremonies, and executive engagements, ensuring accurate schedules and professional follow-through.
Ensure that no unauthorised commitment is made on behalf of JIB and that all official communication follows approved governance and sign-off procedures.
Partnerships, Market Entry & Business Support
Provide government and stakeholder input into country-entry assessments, concession bids, PPP opportunities, strategic partnerships, and project development plans.
Facilitate appropriate introductions and engagement pathways that support political commitment, policy alignment, local legitimacy, and cross-government coordination.
Support the identification and development of partnerships with development agencies, multilateral institutions, diplomatic missions, and public-sector capacity-building partners.
Collaborate with Business Development, Investment, and Legal and Compliance teams to resolve government-related constraints and advance priority transactions.
Coordinate government stakeholder inputs required for business cases, project charters, due diligence, and management decision papers.
Risk, Ethics & Reputation Management
Maintain a government relations risk register covering political change, elections and transitions, regulatory shifts, stakeholder conflict, and public-sector counterparty risks.
Activate and coordinate government transition and relationship continuity protocols when administrations, office holders, or institutional structures change.
Apply the approved conflict-escalation pathway and support constructive resolution of disputes before they affect project delivery or formal contractual remedies.
Ensure all engagements comply with applicable laws and Jospong Group requirements on anti-bribery and corruption, gifts and hospitality, conflicts of interest, confidentiality, and ethical conduct.
Work with Corporate Affairs and senior management to manage government-related reputational issues and sensitive public-sector communications.
Cross-Functional Coordination, Reporting & Team Leadership
Serve as JIB's central coordination point for government relations and maintain an effective network of country-level relationship owners and focal persons.
Prepare monthly and quarterly government relations reports covering engagement progress, commitments, approvals, policy changes, risks, and recommended management actions.
Provide coaching, tools, and practical guidance to country teams on stakeholder mapping, government protocol, meeting preparation, documentation, and follow-up.
Manage government relations staff, consultants, or designated focal persons where applicable, setting clear deliverables and monitoring performance.
Perform any other duties assigned by the Director of International Business.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Stakeholder Engagement & Relationship Management
Annual government relations strategy and country engagement plans submitted and approved within the planning cycle.
Stakeholder maps and relationship records maintained accurately for all priority markets and projects.
Percentage of planned government engagements completed and agreed follow-up actions closed within target timelines.
Minutes and engagement records uploaded to the approved system within 48 hours of material meetings.
Regulatory Approvals & Issue Resolution
Percentage of permits, registrations, licences, and government approvals supported within agreed project timelines.
Number of preventable project delays attributable to missed government engagement or late regulatory escalation.
Policy and regulatory early-warning briefs issued on time, with zero material factual errors.
Government-related issues and escalations resolved within agreed service and management timelines.
Government Partnerships & Business Support
Government partnership, concession, MOU, and market-entry milestones achieved against approved annual targets.
Quality and timeliness of government relations inputs to bids, business cases, project charters, and management papers.
Progress against priority government commitments, including cross-ministry actions and project-enabling obligations.
Stakeholder satisfaction feedback from internal country and project leaders and key public-sector counterparts.
Governance, Reporting & Internal Capability
Monthly and quarterly reports submitted on time with complete, accurate, and actionable information.
Zero substantiated breaches of anti-bribery, gifts and hospitality, conflict-of-interest, or government engagement protocols.
Election and government transition protocols activated promptly for affected priority markets.
Government relations training, coaching, and guidance delivered to country focal persons against the approved capability plan.
Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Political Science, Public Administration, International Relations, Law, Public Policy, Communications, Business Administration, or a related field.
A Master's degree in Public Policy, International Relations, Business Administration, Development Studies, or a related discipline is an added advantage.
Membership of a relevant professional body in public relations, public affairs, governance, diplomacy, or stakeholder management is desirable.
Experience
Minimum of 8-10 years of relevant experience in government relations, public affairs, public policy, diplomacy, regulatory affairs, or stakeholder management, with at least 3 years in a managerial or senior advisory role.
Proven experience engaging senior government officials, regulators, local authorities, diplomatic missions, and development partners.
Demonstrated experience supporting regulatory approvals, concessions, PPPs, government partnerships, or market-entry initiatives.
Experience operating across multiple African markets and managing relationships through political or administrative transitions is strongly preferred.
Prior exposure to infrastructure, environmental services, waste management, utilities, logistics, or other government-regulated sectors is an advantage.
Technical Skills
Strong knowledge of government structures, public-sector decision-making, legislative and regulatory processes, and official protocol.
Ability to analyse policy and regulatory developments and convert them into clear business implications and management advice.
Practical understanding of PPP and concession frameworks, environmental permitting, investment promotion, public procurement, local content, and related compliance requirements.
Strong stakeholder mapping, engagement planning, relationship management, issue-tracking, and reporting skills.
Excellent drafting skills for policy briefs, executive briefing notes, official correspondence, minutes, presentations, and stakeholder reports.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office and stakeholder or CRM systems; working knowledge of French or another relevant African market language is an added advantage.
Core Competencies
High political awareness, diplomacy, discretion, and sound judgement when handling sensitive matters.
Exceptional relationship-building and networking skills across diverse government, diplomatic, community, and business audiences.
Strong negotiation, influencing, and conflict-resolution skills without compromising ethical or governance standards.
Excellent written and verbal communication, including the ability to brief senior executives clearly and confidently.
Strategic and analytical thinking with strong attention to detail, follow-through, and record keeping.
High integrity and a demonstrated commitment to anti-bribery and corruption standards.
Resilience and composure under pressure, with the ability to manage multiple sensitive priorities and shifting political contexts.
Cross-cultural competence and willingness to travel across JIB's operating and target markets.