Regional Compliance Head of Africa (Telecommunication)

Role Overview

This position leads compliance and ethical governance across the company’s African markets, operating as the regional authority on regulatory alignment, internal controls, and reporting integrity. Day to day, the role balances strategic oversight with hands-on execution: reviewing third-party agreements, delivering anti-corruption training, coordinating investigations, and advising leadership on Delegation of Authority and risk reporting, including REIT obligations. The work directly protects the organisation’s licence to operate, strengthens stakeholder trust, and ensures that business growth across Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, and neighbouring jurisdictions stays within legal and ethical boundaries.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as the regional compliance lead, driving consistent implementation of the ethics and compliance framework across all African markets and monitoring how effectively it operates in practice.
• Translate global compliance policies into actionable regional guidance, including Delegation of Authority rules, risk management protocols, and REIT-related reporting that meets corporate and regulatory expectations.
• Design and deliver tailored training on the Code of Conduct, anti-bribery rules, and FCPA obligations for employees and vendors, embedding a culture of honesty and accountability at every level.
• Review and negotiate compliance-related clauses in third-party contracts, ensuring agreements reflect the company’s standards and enforce OFAC and sanctions screening procedures without disruption.
• Lead or support ethics and compliance investigations alongside local legal teams, external counsel, and internal stakeholders, advising on privilege, confidentiality, evidence handling, remediation, and reporting duties.
• Track the overall performance of the compliance function using KPIs, identify emerging risks, and recommend practical improvements to processes, tools, and resource allocation.
• Provide real-time compliance advice to internal teams, prioritise regional regulatory demands, and manage relationships with external advisors and service providers to maintain high service quality.
• Supervise and mentor the regional compliance and internal affairs team, setting clear objectives, encouraging collaboration, and fostering an environment of continuous improvement and professional development.

Requirements & Qualifications

• A graduate law degree with current admission and licence to practise in a relevant jurisdiction; a postgraduate qualification in corporate law, international business, or a related field is strongly preferred.
• Extensive legal experience, ideally gained within a multinational organisation, with at least five years serving as legal counsel across multiple markets or cross-border transactions.
• Deep knowledge of international compliance principles, regulatory expectations, and legal practice variations across different African jurisdictions.
• Proven ability to combine legal reasoning with commercial awareness, resolve conflicting priorities, and deliver practical, policy-compliant solutions to complex business issues.
• Strong communication skills, capable of presenting legal recommendations clearly to both legal and non-legal audiences across diverse cultures and time zones.
• Excellent analytical and organisational abilities, with a track record of managing substantial workloads and competing deadlines in a fast-paced corporate environment.
• Advanced skills in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook, plus a demonstrated interest in using AI and emerging technologies to enhance legal and compliance workflows and decision-making.
• Strong academic credentials, up-to-date awareness of legal and business trends affecting multinational companies in Africa, and fluency in English; additional African language skills are advantageous.