Government Affairs Director, West Africa

Microsoft · Niger

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Microsoft is on a mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Our culture is centred on embracing a growth mindset, a theme of inspiring excellence, and encouraging teams and leaders to bring their full potential each day. In doing so, we create life-changing innovations that impact billions of lives around the world. You can help us achieve our mission.

Do you want to work in a company that is transforming the world? How about working on some of the most complex technology policy issues around, such as cross-jurisdictional law enforcement access, data sovereignty, or addressing emerging cyber threats?

We have an immediate opening for a highly motivated and experienced government affairs professional to join Microsoft’s Global Affairs team (CELA) in Nigeria. This is a senior Government Affairs role providing front-line government relations and regulatory affairs support for Microsoft’s interests in Nigeria and across priority West Africa markets.

The role sits at the intersection of technology, public policy, and government relations, with a focus on shaping technology policy, strengthening Microsoft’s relationships with governments and regulators, and advising internal leaders on critical public policy issues.

The successful candidate will engage with policymakers, industry bodies, and key stakeholders across areas including digital transformation and national technology agendas, cybersecurity and emerging threats, data sovereignty and cross-border data flows, technology regulation, legislation and compliance, and broader political and regulatory developments impacting Microsoft.

This is an Individual Contributor role, allowing you to focus your impact on the outcomes you are driving without a requirement for people management.

Who This Role Suits

This role is well suited to someone with significant experience in government affairs, public policy, or regulatory engagement, whether gained in government, a multinational company, a law firm, or an industry association. It would particularly suit someone who has worked independently or led policy efforts within a defined scope and is now looking to expand their impact in a global, complex, and high-visibility environment. The successful candidate will have a demonstrated ability to build relationships, navigate ambiguity, and influence key stakeholders both internally and externally.

Why This Role Matters

This role sits at a crucial point for Microsoft in Nigeria while also supporting Government Affairs priorities across West Africa. The successful candidate will directly shape how Microsoft navigates emerging regulatory environments, contributes to national digital transformation agendas, and ensures Microsoft’s voice is represented in key policy discussions.

Strategy/Program Management  

• Provides strategic vision and leadership for developing and executing top-priority program frameworks for achieving policy and political goals.  
• Leads the formation of Microsoft’s policy agenda and positions on a broad range of issues, including designing and executing strategic campaigns, and identifying strategic opportunities for Microsoft to advance its long-term goals.   
• Provides advice and counsel to executive management on unusually complex and critical issues or matters of concern to Microsoft and the industry.   
• Anticipates and addresses novel issues and opportunities facing Microsoft and the industry in a rapidly changing and ambiguous environment and leads the development of associated strategies.   
• Directs strategies to ensure regulations and legislation positively impact Microsoft's products, operations, associates, and customers by collaborating with coalitions and relevant interest groups to achieve desired regulatory or legislative outcomes; negotiates and aligns complex or conflicting policy with Microsoft's goals and strategy; monitors and responds to complex regulatory issues and new policies.   

Subject Matter Expertise and Influence 

• Develops and implements strategies for leveraging partnerships with external partners and key influencers to significantly impact the advancement of Microsoft’s policy and political agenda.  
• Maintains relationships with key influencers to gather and apply intelligence findings through a network of key senior executives and external stakeholders regarding highly strategic or sensitive issues affecting Microsoft’s long-term objectives or future issues.  
• Advises and partners with senior executives and key/senior-level external stakeholders to gain buy in on policy positions by providing expertise, strategic vision and anticipating future issues; prepares senior and executive stakeholder for public testimony on complex issues.  
• Provides thought leadership and champions cutting-edge initiatives and solutions that significantly impact the advancement of Microsoft’s long-term objectives and priorities.  

Representing Microsoft  

• Determines strategy for developing internal/external events to drive Government Affairs objectives and social media engagement.   
• Drives the communication framework and messaging development for Government Affairs to drive and enhance company reputation.  

External Relationships 

• Leads efforts to create strategic partnerships and coalitions with highly complex governmental and non-governmental thought leaders (e.g., peer and industry organizations, think tanks, academics, businesses, community leaders) to align stakeholder interests to Microsoft and optimally position them as advocates for Microsoft policy, political, and business priorities; drives strategic long-term, meaningful relationships with key political leadership and trade/think tanks and looks for opportunities to partner on public policy issues.
• Provides thought leadership for identifying and unblocking potential regulatory issues that prevent access to market opportunities; strategically partners with the Public Sector and other key business/client leads. 

Internal Collaboration 

• Designs, leads, and collaborates on cross-group projects that are of strategic importance to Microsoft, or that involve senior executive participation, to develop scalable and sustainable solutions.  
• Leads the resolution of competing policy approaches by collaborating with Microsoft senior executives within legal and non-legal organizations (e.g., how Legal and Engineering would deal with accessibility) to ensure a coordinated approach on issues with Microsoft-wide impact or high external visibility. 
• Collaborates with, and influences, executive-level stakeholders across the company to educate on government/regulatory requirements and policy landscape implications, guide business and product strategies, identify partnerships to grow the business and ensure alignment of objectives, priorities, and resources. 

Required Qualifications      

• Bachelor's Degree in Public Policy, Public Administration, Political Science, Business Administration, Technology, Law, Liberal Arts, Engineering or related field
• Relevant work experience in government affairs, corporate affairs, public policy, government, or related area

Preferred Qualifications

• Relevant experience in developing and managing strategic relationships to advocate and influence public, regulatory, and technology policy priorities.
• Relevant experience influencing, developing, or supporting public policy or political campaigns
• Master's degree in public policy, Public Administration, or related field AND experience in government affairs, corporate affairs, public policy, or government 
• Significant policy development or government affairs experience in the legal department of an international company, business, trade association, consultancy, or multilateral organization (or similar experience in an international law firm).
• Familiarity with policy and regulatory challenges facing the technology industry, particularly in Nigeria and across West Africa.
• Proficiency in written and oral advocacy skills in English.
• Ability to understand and explain complex technical and/or legal issues to diverse audiences.
• Excellent organizational and planning skills; proven project management, coalition-building, and resource management abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple projects concurrently and motivate and lead others, including in non-hierarchical contexts.
• Detail-oriented, with demonstrable business acumen and cross-cultural skills.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain lasting relationships and consensus with a variety of constituencies both inside and outside an organization.
• Willingness and ability to adapt quickly as the legal, policy, and business landscape evolves.
• Work experience including significant experience working as a government affairs, public affairs, or public policy expert in government, a multinational organization, a corporate government affairs office, an industry association, coalition or equivalent group, a policy-focused research institution, or a law firm. 
• The ideal candidate will have demonstrated experience independently leading Government Affairs or public policy work in a complex environment, with the judgment and credibility to engage senior government stakeholders and advise senior business leaders. Technology company and international experience is desirable.
• Proven capability to build and maintain excellent relationships and provide excellent service in a highly matrixed internal organization.
• Proven ability and skills to conceive, analyse, develop, and execute medium-to-long term strategies and campaigns to deal with complex issues of technology, policy, and law, involving multiple issues and players. Ability to work autonomously and with ambiguity will be required.
• Excellent attention to detail and curiosity to learn are key indicators of success.
• Excellent oral, written, presentation and interpersonal skills.
• Embody our culture and values 

This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.

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