International Relations Director

GSMA

Position description

As Director, you are a subject matter expert and thought leader on a specific policy area with internationally recognised professional qualifications. You help design and deliver new initiatives at a global or regional level and provide expertise and advice to other GSMA colleagues and programmes. You work with GSMA members, working groups and task forces to build consensus on industry approaches, guidelines and global policy positions. In this role, you coordinate and cooperate with other Directors in GSMA regional offices and across other GSMA programmes, taking responsibility for working with them to achieve the overall vision of the GSMA. You are expected to represent the GSMA at external forums and in front of senior managers in Government and at mid-level GSMA governance meetings.

What the hiring manager says

The mobile industry is at the forefront of the digital revolution and continues to deliver impact through global initiatives. It is united behind an industry purpose “Connecting Everyone and Everything to a Better Future” and in 2016, we became the first industry to voice public support for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This role provides an exciting opportunity to contribute to international development goals and forge strong partnerships with global institutions and international organisations such as the UN and its agencies, the World Bank and the OECD.

Belinda Exelby, Head of International Relations

About the Role

The International Relations Director will report directly into the Head of International Relations as part of a small team within External Affairs, which develops and manages the GSMA’s central relationships with international organisations. You will enhance the work of the External Affairs team by generating opportunities for GSMA to influence stakeholders within the international community.

You will be an advocacy specialist with strong links with international organisations to drive and support GSMA’s strategic engagement with these stakeholders. This will include hands-on representation of the mobile industry’s interests in specific forums such as UN conferences, committees and working groups where international agencies develop policy recommendations, as well as creating partnership and engagement opportunities for the GSMA and mobile industry leaders at international events.

Your key responsibilities:

• Develop and sustain strong relationships with specific global international organisations.
• Support the Head of International Relations in preparing and executing GSMA’s advocacy campaigns for global ITU conferences, including the World Telecommunications Development Conference 2021, the World Telecommunications Standardisation Assembly 2022 and the ITU Plenipotentiary 2022. This includes liaison with the GSMA’s International Organisations Task Force members to monitor Member States’ evolving positions and to develop industry policy positions and negotiating strategies.
• Participate as required in specific intergovernmental organisations’ working groups, regional meetings and global conferences, representing the mobile industry and advocating for agreed industry policy positions.
• Attend briefings, network with contacts and conduct research to gather and share intelligence on upcoming objectives, issues and themes within the international community.
• Identify and secure opportunities for the GSMA and mobile industry leaders to engage at high level in UN and other institutional events.
• Prepare briefing documents and presentations as required in support of GSMA and industry public engagements within the international community.
• Support the overall strategy and objectives of the wider External Affairs team.

Qualifications

You will:

• Have experience of working in international relations or international development and with government officials.
• Have an understanding of the policy and regulatory issues affecting the ICT and/or mobile industry and knowledge of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
• Possess excellent writing skills and experience of writing briefing documents and position papers.
• Have experience of developing and driving engagement with external partners, consulting various stakeholders and achieving consensus.
• Be a confident communicator willing to engage publicly in verbal presentations and negotiations.
• Ideally have an established network amongst key international organisations (UN, ITU, OECD, World Bank, etc).
• Ideally have prior experience of participating as a delegate in UN or other intergovernmental conferences, working groups and study groups.

Other expectations include that you will:

• Be willing to travel as and when the role requires ( subject to return to travel policy ).
• Be curious, flexible and have a can-do attitude. This role is part of a small team and therefore requires both strategic thinking and execution capabilities.
• Be a strong team player, as the role requires frequent collaboration across GSMA public policy, development and marketing teams.
• Be able to demonstrate patience, resilience and perseverance in challenging negotiation situations.
• Ideally have multiple language skills.

Application instructions