Senior Specialist - Public Affairs & Communications

Job Title: Public Affairs and Government Relations Manager – Africa

Novonesis is a global leader in biosolutions, applying biological science to drive sustainable change across key sectors. We are seeking an experienced professional to lead our public affairs, government relations, and policy advocacy efforts in Sub-Saharan Africa. This role is responsible for shaping the external environment, enabling business growth, and strengthening our reputation across the region.

Key Responsibilities

Business Enablement

• Work with stakeholders to drive policy advocacy for biosolutions.
• Identify and develop new business opportunities across key industry sectors in Africa.
• Identify and address barriers to market entry and scale for Novonesis’ products and technologies in Africa.
• Provide strategic insights to commercial teams on the status and progress of key government programs and potential business opportunities.
• Monitor and map public policy and regulatory issues relevant to Novonesis’ businesses in Africa; coordinate with business leaders to prioritize issues based on a value-at-stake approach.
• Act as a trusted advisor to Novonesis leadership in Africa, regionally, and globally.
• Track emerging trends, competition, and customer needs to shape commercial strategy.
• Represent Novonesis at key industry events, conferences, and trade missions.

Government Affairs

• Collaborate with Public Affairs (PA) and Regulatory colleagues to develop materials for market access policy inputs and policy advocacy.
• Liaise with key influencers and aid agencies to promote adoption of biosolutions across Africa.
• Support ongoing research projects with external entities and draft in-depth analysis reports on key business-impacting policy issues.
• Support key programming activities, including issue-specific roundtables and periodic government engagements.
• Support the information requirements of regional and global teams regarding policy and regulatory developments in Africa.
• Attend select conferences and external meetings, providing concise analysis and readouts on key engagements to relevant internal teams.
• Manage engagement with select government offices.
• Coordinate the submission of written materials and company input required for government and regulatory bodies.
• Enable internal business teams on policy developments.

Public Relations

• Develop a PR strategy for focus countries with the objective of positioning biosolutions and Novonesis.
• Work on media outreach with relevant regional media to amplify Novonesis’ visibility.
• Maintain a thorough understanding of the media landscape in target markets and leverage experience working with media in the region.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in the public sector or international corporate government relations.
• A master’s degree in Public Administration, Public Affairs, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Strong understanding of Sub-Saharan African market dynamics, business culture, and regulatory environments.
• Ability to work effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
• Highly effective written and interpersonal communication skills; demonstrated ability to interact effectively with senior corporate and political stakeholders.
• Deep working understanding of the policymaking process and government relations.
• Ability to communicate complex information and interpret legislative/regulatory language for diverse audiences.
• Experience or exposure to Public Relations in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Ability to grasp and translate complex issues into language suitable for various audiences in a fast-paced and dynamic work environment.
• High ethical standards, confidentiality, and a strong professional reputation.
• Ensures compliance with company policies and procedures, and supports the company purpose, values, and standards of ethics and integrity.
• Demonstrated ability to build and foster effective relationships and professional networks.