Senior Manager - Strategy Transformation PMO.(Contract)

We at MTN are a purpose and value-led organization. At MTN, we believe that understanding our people’s needs and aspirations is key to creating experiences that delight you at work, every day. We are committed to fostering an environment where every member of our Y’ello Family is heard, understood and empowered to live an inspired life.  

Our values keep us grounded and moving in the right direction. Most importantly, they keep us honest. It is not something we claim to be. It is in our DNA. 

As an organisation, we consider it our mission to create an exciting and rewarding place to work, where our people can be themselves, thrive in positivity and ignite their full potential. A workplace that boosts creativity and innovation, improves productivity, and ultimately drives meaningful results. A workplace that is built on relationships and achieving a purpose that is bigger than us. This is what we want you to experience with us! 

Our commitments go beyond an organisational promise. It is in our leadership and managerial ethos to meaningfully partner with our employees, customers and stakeholders with a vision to realise our shared goals.

Live Y’ello 

• Lead with Care 
• Can-do with Integrity 
• Collaborate with Agility 
• Serve with Respect 
• Act with Inclusion 

MTN is in a phase in its lifecycle where operational and commercial excellence has become critical for success. The urgency for change has become more heightened amidst increased competitive intensity across all markets in which MTN operates.  The Group’s transformation programme must therefore ensure the successful delivery of the transformation in context of:

• Alignment the running of multi programs to deliver MTN strategy
• Rapidly changing ICT environment
• The geographic complexity of MTN’s footprint across Africa and the Middle East
• Management of executive and shareholder expectations across all OpCos throughout the transformation
• Management of customer and supplier expectations 
• Constant dynamics and local challenges in the economic, regulatory and legal environments
• Focus on key strategic programs which require cross functional, cross market collaboration and top management visibility

The Senior Manager Strategy and Transformation PMO will be accountable to achieve the following objectives:

• Develop and manage a comprehensive portfolio of initiatives and projects according to global best practices and industry standards.
• Establish, maintain and ensure adherence to the PMO’s governance processes and best practices.
• Identify, monitor and report key performance indicators.
• Oversee the design and development of the transformation strategy and roadmap for successful execution.
• Manage the planning and implementation of initiatives, including budgeting, resource management, scheduling and tracking.
• Serve as mentor and coach to project teams for dispute resolution, decision making and both analytical and conceptual problem solving to unlock, unblock, and accelerate the delivery of projects.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to ensure successful outcomes from projects, and manage timely escalations as needed
• Understand risks associated with projects/programs, measure and review progress, and modify plans as needed.
• Monitor overall progress and provide regular reports, with a continued focus on the critical path.
• Make recommendations to improve processes and make necessary adjustments or changes to projects or programs. 
• Develop and maintain effective strategies to promote organizational objectives 
• Lead change management initiatives to ensure smooth transition across the organization 
• Develop and implement effective risk mitigation strategies 
• Collaborate closely with internal stakeholders to ensure goals are met with high quality standards 
• Design and execute project plans to meet strategic objectives 
• Manage project budgets to ensure best use of resources
• Ensure compliance with relevant legal and regulatory standards 
• Identify opportunities for improvement in operations and procedures 

Manage and develop teams:

• Plan the project resources with the balance required to deliver effectively, while adhering to program budgets and creatively engage resources to manage resource constraints that may arise within the business.
• Effectively allocate the scope of work between one’s self, external contractors and business line talent
• Develop the program delivery, technical and soft skills of the program team members and one’s self
• Build MTN’s overall program execution capability.
• Contribute to the knowledge repository for cross functional and cross market knowledge share - compile and constantly refine the MTN delivery playbook.
• Improve and standardise the quality and effectiveness of relevant key projects’ performance management processes.
• Uphold the MTN values in the performance of one’s duties and role model the values for colleagues
• Implement and improve tools, processes and people management techniques to build the overall capacity to deliver, the ability to track progress and impact to manage risks
• Serve as a project management subject matter expert and share best practices learnt with other program leads and teams.
• Build a culture and capability of continuous improvement in the Group Team and in the organisation more broadly.

Skills and Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or related field. 
• Postgraduate qualification
• minimum 5 - 8 years’ experience in a senior project/program management role work experience in a global management consulting or multinational business environment
• Proven ability to develop and manage budgets, programs and projects. 
• Knowledge of best practices in strategy, business transformation, and project management. 
• Ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with stakeholder groups. 
• Strong analytical skills to identify and assess risks and opportunities, and keen attention to detail. 
• Strong problem-solving and negotiation abilities.
• Excellent technical writing, presentation and communication skills. 
• PMP certification is preferred

Competencies:

• Resilience and agility: Ability to lead complex, ambiguous, high profile programs and deal with the volatile nature of a program environment
• Leadership skills: Ability to get along with, listen to, speak to, and manage people’s expectations. Strong communication skills at all levels and the ability to easily collaborate with teams, internal / external stakeholders with or without formal reporting relationships
• Problem Solving skills: Analytical and critical thinking are essential in evaluating problems and reaching solutions. This skill requires at times logical methodical approach and in other situations creativity and lateral thinking. Persuasion and negotiation will be also important. 
• Execution and Implementation Skills:  Reliability, results-oriented, proven track record of delivery and can-do attitude 
• Challenger mind-set: Ability to engage with senior business stakeholders and challenge the status quo utilizing data analytics and problem-solving capabilities
• Holistic View and Attention to Detail: Balancing the big picture view and attention to detail is a crucial skill to build trust with stakeholders at all levels. Developing strategies and producing error-free deliverables, shows that the Transformation office is thorough and recommendations are solid. 
• Prioritisation management: Ability to make best out of the allocated time and resources  

Skills:

• Analytical and conceptual problem solving
• Project/Programme Management
• Performance Management (Revenue, and Cost)
• Financial Analysis and Modelling
• Business / Process Analysis
• Internal and external Stakeholder/Relationship Management
• Planning and Organizing
• Group Strategy and Transformation Initiatives 
• Project Management of the transformation/operational programme initiatives related decisions as delegated by the Executive Group Transformation and / or the Group Transformation Board. 

Responsibility towards: 

• Direct reports: Project Managers.
• Matrix reports: OPCO’s Transformation Officers / OPCO EPMO GMs
• Key customers: GCOO, Group Exco, MTN BoD, OpCo Executives,
• Key suppliers:  Consultants, Contractors
• Other relations:  Unions and Customers in relation to the relevant internal MTN channels