Market Engagement Manager at GSM Association (GSMA)
About the Role
As the Market Engagement Manager, you will collaborate with
mobile operators and their partners across Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia-Pacific
to drive initiatives aimed at improving the affordability and ownership of
internet-enabled handsets for women, empowering them to meet their needs and
support their livelihoods.
You will engage with operators and others in the mobile
eco-system to shape their strategies and approaches to handset affordability,
helping to build scalable and impactful solutions for underserved populations,
particularly women. Your work will build on the existing efforts of the Digital
Inclusion team and ensure that operators are supported in addressing the device
affordability barrier.
Key roles and responsibilities include the following:
- Drive
handset affordability initiatives with the telecom industry: Engage
with mobile operators and key stakeholders to develop and advance
strategies that improve device affordability and adoption for underserved
populations (including device financing), with a particular focus on
women. Provide direct support through strategic workshops and technical
assistance, ensuring timely, high-quality execution and tracking impact to
refine and scale initiatives in alignment with digital inclusion goals.
Facilitate partnerships for enhanced impact where relevant.
- Secure
operator commitment for technical assistance and research projects: Engage
mobile operators to secure their commitment to participate in technical
assistance projects, such as qualitative research, design sprints, and
program evaluations. Support operators in optimizing their handset
affordability and adoption interventions through sharing tailored insights
and guidance.
- Monitor
trends and impact measurement: Stay informed about trends in
digital inclusion and handset affordability, particularly in LMICs and for
women. Help to measure and evaluate the impact of affordability
initiatives and use data-driven insights to guide further efforts and
improve outcomes.
- Collaborate
with the insights team: Work closely with the insights team to
shape thought leadership on handset affordability and deliver data-driven
strategic advisory for operators and other stakeholders. Help translate
insights from operator engagements into actionable recommendations,
contributing to industry best practices and publications.
- Share
insights across the ecosystem: Collaborate with the insights team
to document and share findings from operator engagements, disseminating
key learnings and actionable insights to the wider mobile and development
ecosystem
About You
- The
right candidate will bring experience and understanding of how to drive
digital inclusion for underserved populations, and in particular women, in
low-and middle-income countries at scale. This includes having both strong
commercial experience and an understanding of approaches to increasing
handset affordability with a gender lens. You will be excited to join a
diverse team that shares a passion for the ways mobile technology can
empower underserved populations in low- and middle-income countries, especially
women.
- You
must have the right to work in the UK or Kenya.
Capabilities:
- Commercial
expertise: Commercial experience, with a strong understanding of
the telecom sector and mobile for development initiatives. Experience in
strategy, consulting, or telecom business is highly desirable.
- Expertise
in handset affordability and barriers to access: Knowledge and
understanding of approaches to improving handset affordability and/or
consumer credit, with a strong understanding of the broader challenges
facing underserved populations in LMICs—particularly women—in accessing
and using mobile phones. Knowledge of holistic approaches that address
additional barriers such as digital skills, safety and security,
relevance, and access is highly desirable.
- Strategic
and analytical skills: Proven ability to develop and implement
actionable strategies with measurable impact, particularly in the mobile
sector. Skilled in recognizing commercially viable approaches that drive
social impact and able to adjust tactics to keep operator partners aligned
with project goals.
- Experience
in LMICs with underserved populations, ideally with a focus on women: Experience
working with underserved communities in LMICs, particularly in Sub-Saharan
Africa or Asia-Pacific. Background in mobile for development or
development contexts is a plus.
- Exceptional
communication and advocacy skills: Strong written and verbal
communication skills with an emphasis on influencing and persuading
stakeholders. Capable of communicating complex ideas clearly and
convincingly to diverse audiences to maintain commitment and focus from
operator partners.
- Tenacious
relationship-building and influence: Demonstrated ability to
build and sustain strong relationships with key stakeholders, especially
with mobile operators who may have competing priorities. Able to
effectively engage and influence operators both virtually and in-person,
maintaining momentum and alignment on key initiatives.
- Global
perspective and cultural sensitivity: Ability to work effectively
in a global, cross-cultural environment, with strong collaboration skills
across diverse teams.
- Project
management and execution: Strong project management skills with the
ability to work independently. Demonstrated ability to manage multiple
projects, including workshops, events, meetings with various partners and
stakeholders. A proactive, solutions-oriented mindset is essential for
driving impactful initiatives.