Group Head - Policy Affairs, Airtel Money at Airtel

Key Responsibilities

The Role Holder’s duties will include but not limited to : 

Policy Development and Advocacy

• Coordinate the Group’s internal positions on key regulatory and public policy issues, including AML/CFT, financial inclusion, consumer protection, data governance, KYC, taxation, platform access.
• Lead the drafting of policy papers, position statements, and white papers in support of advocacy objectives.
• Coordinate input into public consultations on proposed laws, regulations, directives, and supervisory guidance issued by central banks, ministries, and regional bodies.
• Ensure alignment of internal regulatory strategy with evolving global, regional, national policy agendas

Stakeholder Engagement Strategy

• Coordinate the Group’s Regulatory Stakeholder Engagement Plan.
• Represent the Group in public policy forums, regulatory workshops, and working groups at the national and regional levels.
• Develop and manage strategic relationships with central banks, ministries, competition regulators, and financial sector development partners.
• Coordinate participation in industry associations, advocacy coalitions, and national/regional taskforces.
• Track policy developments, flag opportunities/risks, and brief leadership on emerging regulatory shift.

Regulatory Environment and Risk Management

• Coordinate the Group’s Regulatory Stakeholder Engagement Plan.
• Represent the Group in public policy forums, regulatory workshops, and working groups at the national and regional levels.
• Develop and manage strategic relationships with central banks, ministries, competition regulators, and financial sector development partners.
• Coordinate participation in industry associations, advocacy coalitions, and national/regional taskforces.
• Track policy developments, flag opportunities/risks, and brief leadership on emerging regulatory shifts.
• Monitor and analyze draft laws, consultation papers, strategy documents, and global standards that may affect the Group’s business model.
• Maintain a structured policy radar across jurisdictions to anticipate regulatory trends in digital payments, mobile money, taxation… ensuring timely escalation per the Group’s Escalation Matrix.
• Contribute to risk identification processes and work closely with Licensing, Legal, Compliance, and Commercial teams to translate regulatory risks into policy solutions.

Policy Intelligence, Briefings, and Governance Reporting

• Maintain a repository of policy briefs, country policy snapshots, and regional position trackers for use by internal stakeholders.
• Develop talking points, intelligence notes, and Q&A materials for C-level engagements with government and regulatory actors.
• Provide periodic reporting to the Director of Regulatory Affairs and the Group’s ERC Committee on strategic policy priorities, industry shifts, and the external operating environment.
• Prepare board briefing packs, engagement summaries, and contribute to reporting obligations relating to external affairs and advocacy.

Qualifications

Education

• Minimum: Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy, Law, Economics, Political Science, International Relations, or related field.
• Preferred: Master’s degree (e.g., MPP, LLM, MBA, or MSc in Regulatory Policy/Development Economics).

Experience

• 10+ years total experience, with at least 5+ years in policy, government affairs, or public sector engagement roles in financial services, fintech, telecom, or digital payments.
• Proven experience influencing legislation, policy, or regulatory frameworks affecting payments, e-money, digital financial services, or financial inclusion.
• Strong relationships or prior engagement with central banks, ministries, regulatory agencies, and industry associations across Africa.