Senior Manager, Communications At M-kopa Solar
full-time
What makes this different
Most Senior Manager, Communications roles at this level sit above the work reviewing, approving, delegating.
This one doesn't.
You'll draft the media pitch yourself. You'll sit with a Country MD and work through group positioning. You'll counsel senior stakeholders on how to navigate a sensitive issue. You'll work alongside marketing to make sure campaigns, brand and corporate reputation are telling the same story. You'll partner directly with People/HR on a sensitive change narrative.
You'll also build relationships with the people who matter beyond the organisation from media and partners to government stakeholders and regulators across the markets in which we operate.
And when something goes wrong, you'll be one of the people in the room figuring out what happens next.
Because reputation doesn't stop at the press release. It lives in the decisions a business makes, the way leaders communicate, the relationships it builds and how it responds when circumstances get complicated.
And in the same week, you might chase a purchase order and reconcile a budget line, because there's no one else to hand that to.
It's a rare mix of strategic counsel, integrated communications, reputation management and genuine hands-on ownership and because M-KOPA doesn't have dedicated in-market communications teams, you'll be the connective tissue holding Group positioning and market execution together across the region.
What you'll need to bring
A communications career, not just communications exposure. You've built your expertise in corporate communications, integrated communications or a similarly broad communications environment, and understand how media, reputation, brand, internal communications and stakeholder engagement connect.
Strong strategic instincts. You can take a business objective, understand what matters to different audiences and turn it into a communications strategy that leaders can actually use. You're as comfortable giving counsel as you are executing the work yourself.
Deep experience in reputation and issues management. You've operated in situations where the stakes are high and judgement matters. You understand that protecting reputation isn't simply about controlling a message it's about understanding the business, anticipating risk and knowing how to communicate when there isn't an obvious answer.
Crisis communications experience that goes beyond a playbook. You've had to think clearly under pressure, advise leaders, coordinate stakeholders and communicate externally when the circumstances weren't neatly packaged. You know that a crisis rarely arrives in the format you prepared for.
Multi-market experience, ideally across Africa. You've managed reputation and communications across different geographies, cultures, regulatory environments and stakeholder landscapes. You understand that what works in one market may not work in another and can balance local relevance with a consistent Group narrative.
Stakeholder confidence. You'll work with Country MDs, senior executives, government stakeholders, regulators, media and other external partners. You need to be able to build trust quickly, navigate different agendas and provide clear counsel particularly when the answer isn't straightforward.
Strength across external and internal communications. External communications will be a significant part of the role, but you'll also need to understand employee communications, leadership messaging, organisational change and culture and how the two worlds influence each other.
Excellent writing. You can turn complexity into clarity. You know when a message needs precision, when it needs personality and when it needs both. Whether you're writing a press statement, executive briefing, leadership speech, crisis response or employee communication, the quality of your thinking should come through in the quality of your writing.
Experience in complex, fast-moving environments. You may have worked in a fintech, technology business, high-growth company, agency or another matrixed organisation. What matters is that you've learned to operate across functions, influence without always having direct authority and get up to speed quickly when the context changes.
Comfort operating lean. You don't need a large team around you to get things done. You know when to bring in an agency or specialist, when to solve the problem yourself and how to keep momentum without unnecessary layers.
Operational ownership. Agencies, suppliers and budgets aren't someone else's problem. You're comfortable taking work from strategy through to execution including procurement, POs, spend tracking and the finance administration that keeps the function moving.