Senior Manager - Economic Regulation.Regulatory Affairs MANCO

MTN is in a critical phase of its lifecycle where operational and commercial excellence has become the essence of success. This coincides with shifting commercial, operational, and geopolitical environments in the multiple jurisdictions in which it operates.

MTN is considered (correctly or otherwise) as having significant market power in many of the jurisdictions and sectors in which it operates. The environment is also characterised by increased competition from non-traditional competitors in MTN’s existing lines of business such as “over the top” providers MTN is accordingly faced with various economic regulatory interventions from national and regional regulators, including ex ante and ex post competition interventions, with significant policy, strategy and compliance related requirements.
At the same time, and as part of the telco to techco transition, MTN is a new entrant across various platform (fintech, fibre and digital infrastructure, and digital) and marketplace businesses. There are established participants in these sectors. Additionally, the company is looking to new technologies such as Low Earth Orbit satellites and Artificial Intelligence. 

The environments in which MTN operates are characterised by heightened regulatory activism. In light of the increasingly uncertain global context, geopolitical tensions, and macroeconomic challenges, MTN needs to bolster its ability to proactively identify and address emerging competition and economic regulatory risk. This uncertainty when compounded with declining sector profitability, increased competition, and rising regulatory risks requires a multidisciplinary and cross-functional response from the Group.

Many of the MTN OpCos and all the platform businesses lack the specialist economic regulatory expertise to address, mitigate and/or ensure compliance with ex ante and ex post competition compliance applicable (including consolidated obligations tracking, monitoring, and reporting), or to identify and assess areas where MTN may require guidance as a new entrant. This identification and analysis will be invaluable when entering new geographies, in the context of licence renewals, in considering pricing mechanisms for new and existing product lines including increasing the scope of lines of business, as well as in M&A transactions. As regards interactions with national and regional telecommunications, competition, and other economic regulators, empirical data to bear in considerations of current and potential economic regulatory interventions.

In fulfilment of the Group’s strategic goals to sustain operational momentum and accelerate the strategy, the Regulatory Affairs function must bolster its capability to contribute to MTN wide strategic response, and to contribute to tactical strategy and interventions in the context of:

•     Highly dynamic and rapidly evolving ICT and competitive environment
•     The cultural, social, political and economic realities that impact MTN’s various operations
•     The geographic complexity of MTN’s footprint across Africa
•     Management of executive and local shareholder expectations across all OpCos
•     Management of customer and industry expectations 
•     Enhance MTN position as a leading network and system provider
•     Constant dynamics and local challenges in the economic, regulatory and legal environments
•     The interrelationship and dependencies of MTN Group regarding its diverse Operations
•     Diverse cultures of judicial, legislative and regulatory accountability
•     Dynamic political environments
•     Uncertain investment climate across the globe
•     Increased geopolitical tensions.
•     Global realignment and other trends affecting operating environment

Organisational Mission: MTN’s vision is to lead digital transformation in Africa, ensuring widespread access to reliable, high-quality broadband services that drive social and economic development.
Organization Values: 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.
Our values dubbed, LIVE Y’ello, are the cornerstone of our culture.

The Senior Manager: Economic Regulation will be responsible for:

-    Providing frameworks to guide OpCo and platform compliance with ex ante competition regulation (pricing, interconnection / termination rates, and determinations of dominance / SMP).
-    Provide guidance and support for OpCos and platforms on advocacy positions regarding both proposed ex ante rulemaking as well as possible changes to existing ex ante regulations
-    Strengthening strategic research capability and outputs on competition related matters.
-    Providing support and guidance regarding ex post competition issues in respect of both inquiries into MTN’s conduct as well as the conduct of MTN’s competitors or potential competitors including supporting OpCos in their ex post competition analysis.
-    Providing regulatory input into business strategy in competition and economic regulation.
-    Monitoring and analysis of emerging competition and economic regulatory issues that may impact the Group’s operations, and provide alerts to management.
-    Provide input and support OpCos and platforms in providing input into proposed regulatory policies / legislation / competition processes and ensuring MTN’s Group and operational interests are considered.
-    Monitor and review compliance with competition requirements, including compliance with both ex ante and ex post competition issues across MTN Group.
-    Provide detailed research and benchmarking for purposes of developing MTN’s position in response to competition issues at both a national and regional basis and support MTN’s OpCos and platforms to advocate on those issues from time to time.
-    Driving industry initiatives through industry bodies and with industry stakeholders including developing and implementing impact assessments of proposed competition issues on the sustainability of business operations.
-    Support the Regulatory Affairs function with monthly, quarterly, and annual reporting requirements. 
Key Deliverables
-    Proactive planning for engagement with regulators.
-    Analyse and provide/support reporting on the existing competition landscape in the various MTN OpCos and platforms including both ex ante and ex post competition regulation.
-    Assess competition regulatory trends to provide relevant insights and support MTN’s business strategy and market positioning.
-    Consolidation, monitoring (first line) and reporting of Group-wide Competition Regulatory risks, issues and positioning.
-    Build data and analytics-based insights to support a broader stakeholder engagement and communications programme.
-    Develop data and economic analysis to support OpCo and platform teams in their engagements.
-    Create a central knowledge repository and adequate peer review on competition issues across the MTN Grou

Education:

•     Minimum of 4-year tertiary  Degree in Law, Economics, Business Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Analytics, or similar discipline
•     Postgraduate qualifications in law and/or economics with solid research component advantageous.
•     Fluent in English. Ability to communicate in French will be an advantage.

Experience:

-    Manager track record of 5 years or more; with at least 3 years in relevant sector / industry/ area of specialisation   
-    Minimum of 5 years’ experience in competition regulation and or competition economic analysis. Experience in a legal environment (law firm, or ex ante or ex post competition regulator) preferred. Experience in areas of business strategy, consulting and policy development will be advantageous.
-    Experience in a telecoms and or technology environment including “hands-on” exposure to competition regulatory compliance, strategy and or operational reporting is an advantage.
-    Experience researching, analysing and reporting, to make recommendations on strategy in multinational context
-    Experience with advance research skills including data analysis, visualisation, manipulation, extraction and modelling, with high attention to detail and building dashboards for reporting.
-    Experience with engaging with senior leadership, and appreciation of intersection between external environment and business strategy.
-    In depth experience and understanding of the telecoms and/or technology environment.
-    Experience working in a medium to large organization with diverse cultures and geographies is an advantage.