Head of Digital Content.Consumer

Mission/ Core purpose of the Job
Responsible to lead and oversee MTN’s Digital Content portfolio, including Rich Media Services (Games, Lifestyle, Video and Other RMS) and VAS (Play& Win, Text Alerts, Traditional VAS & WASPs) which may be relevant to its customers, ensuring alignment to business strategy, profitability and continuous improvement.
The Head of Content is also responsible to contribute towards MTN’s overall strategic goals, to achieve profitable growth and to continuously improve the operations performance.
The Head of Content reports to the GM: Digital Services and will have a team of Senior Specialists for various Rich Media and Value-Added Services reporting into them who they will be required to manage.

Context (Global influences, environmental / industry demands, organizational mission
MTN is entering a new 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 including MTN SA. The Head of Content must therefore ensure the successful delivery in context of:
- An expertise-based multicultural organisation 
- A dynamic and evolving field of Telecommunications
- Revolutionary workforce practices which are bringing together global labour markets
- Management of executive and local shareholder expectations across MTN SA and Group
- Achievement of top quartile operating efficiency and effectiveness through scale and common policies and processes
- Dynamic legal and regulatory environment
- Convergence in SA and exploration of non-traditional revenue streams requiring complex interpretation and structuring
- Evolving industry sector constantly presenting new challenges and opportunities to the core businesses
- Rapid horizontal and vertical expansion of MTN SA, in terms of size, products, customers and geographic distribution

Key Performance Areas: Core, essential responsibilities / outputs of the position (KPA's)
Key Deliverables
The Head of Content will be accountable to achieve the following objectives:
Strategy Development and Implementation
- Support and contribute to the development of the functional strategy in line with the overarching business goals
- Ensure effective implementation of the strategy by means of providing direction, structure, frameworks, models, plans and roadmaps
- Conduct regular review of the functional strategy and roadmap to ensure its alignment with the changing dynamics of the internal and external ecosystem

Governance 
Strategic Meetings
- Participate and provide input in strategic meetings
- Perform evaluation baseline of key performance indicators (KPIs)
- Request for relevant budget for internal projects and new initiatives
- Facilitate preparation of proposals on change initiatives, policies and procedures

Escalations
- Escalate issues that will result in severe time, scope, productivity, and cost or resource or reputational impact
- Manage and provide solutions to escalations that have multiple processes / functions impact on critical path of service delivery
- Manage and provide solutions through stakeholder consultation where relevant

Function Tactical
- Review all projects initiated (internal or global)
- Prepare objectives, targets and budgets for RMS as applicable
- Review key risks, issues and dependencies and set mitigation actions
- Facilitate in sign-off / making decisions regarding tactical changes

Performance
- Monitor performance and alignment with MTN SA and Group strategy
- Ensure alignment between across other functions within the Group Digital team

Reporting
- Report on a periodic basis to the Reporting Manager relating to progress made within the function and in accordance with the measurement metrics set by the organisation
- Report on an ad hoc basis on specific projects, as required

Budgets
- Manage functional budgets in line with overall business objectives
- Manage project initiative budgets in line with business objectives
- Ensure that the cost of operations are reduced, in line with a least cost operating strategy stemming from the business drivers

Operational Delivery
Strategy & Planning 
- Align Digital Content objectives for the relevant segments with overall strategy of the Digital and Direct Marketing function and with International trends and the Group Digital Refresh strategy.
- Develop the Digital Content strategy together with Group and other stakeholders
- Work with internal business stakeholders and the broader Consumer team in the development and execution of RMS and VAS products & services
- Manage a team of Digital Product Managers and counterparts with Partners and Group
- Drive best practice, continuous improvement and innovation at process and procedure level for Digital Content
- Analyse new Digital Content related technology trends and innovations 
- Find innovative new Digital Content initiatives and capitalise on opportunities
- Ensure that MTN maintains a position as a world class leader in Digital Content products and services 
- Develop and manage the Digital Content innovation strategy, roadmap and product portfolio mix, in alignment to the MTN SA and Group strategy and roadmap.
- Benchmark best practises in the Digital Content environment

Content Management
- Lead the development of the Digital Content portfolio by ensuring Content Partners are sourced and launched on the service delivery platform through relevant channels 
- Oversee Digital Content curation to ensure all Digital Content is collected, organised and displayed appropriately on the appropriate service delivery platform 
- Ensure thorough research is done on various platforms in order to source the optimal Digital Content 
- Ensure the right content is sourced for the right markets 
- Oversee Digital Content aggregation, where applicable
- Manage the Digital Content applications and ensure that Digital Content is ordered in such a way on the service delivery platform that it is easily accessed by customers
- Lead the creation and management of a content calendar and strategy that covers all Digital Content related touch points
- Ensure content owners and partners are worked with to ensure that Digital Content is always relevant and up to date 
- Ensure collaboration with Online Digital Channels team to ensure alignment and synergy of content across Digital Content touch points
- Engage with Group Senior Managers for Strategy & Marketing, as well as Verticals & Markets to manage Digital Content for both Global and Local Digital Content and to receive global Digital Content insights, new products and gain Group insights with respect to Digital Content and associated partnerships and alliances

Process and Procedure Effectiveness
- Lead the defining and monitoring of the execution of Digital Content management processes and procedures for MTN operations
- Oversee the implementation of all Digital Content management processes and procedures and ensure they are aligned to the set operational framework for MTN SA and Group
- Ensure improvement of existing processes and procedures to enhance effectiveness, efficiency and performance

Quality Management 
- Oversee and ensure the establishment of systems and sound practices in order to comply with best practices, legislation or other regulations and guidelines around Digital Content
- Lead the establishment and maintenance of Digital Content quality/process standards that will enhance the customer experience and cost efficiency
- Manage the Digital Content content hierarchy, usability, and users’ requirements and needs
- Ensure standard operating procedures are adhered to
- Communicate the consequences of not maintaining Digital Content quality/process focus 
- Manage the improvement of Digital Content channel processes and procedures where the quality of work may be improved

Customer Satisfaction 
- Ensure alignment service delivery to changing needs of the business and markets
- Ensure customer needs are understood and develop and fine-tune initiatives accordingly
- Ensure customer needs and requirements are satisfied through appropriate systems, processes and procedures
- Initiate change to continually improve all aspects of service delivery 
- Drive continuous improvement as an important element of service delivery
- Ensure trends and patterns pertaining to customer requests and needs are identified to continually improve all aspects of service delivery

Supervisory / Leadership/ Managerial Complexity 
- Recruit, develop and retain people with outstanding skills, qualifications and potential
- Define the divisional KPAs and KPIs that will be cascaded down to each area
- Evaluate and assess people performance
- Understand the need to train and develop staff to be able to use resources optimally and enhance performance 
- Deploy and redeploy resources to get the work done 
- Build and enforce a customer-centric approach
- Build talent by identifying and developing new leaders for the respective environment
- Assist with employee relations and collaborative teamwork
- Manage Employment Equity and diversity
- Coach and guide subordinates 
- Build professionalism, loyalty and commitment to the organization
- Communicate actively and effectively resolving any potential conflicts that may arise 
- Display insight into leadership style and how it impacts on performance positively and negatively 
- Possess and develop the insight and flexibility to adapt to different situations 
- Manage boundaries that separate units to optimize workflow
- Live the MTN Brand – changing and influencing employee behaviour

Ways of Working 
- Leading by Connecting: Connect people; stimulate collaboration and growth in teams across functions, operations and different cultures. Share experience and knowledge that leads to a learning organization, creating sustainable expertise which drives the development of people and innovative products, 
- Leading by Delivery: Anticipate situations and take initiative to overcome them. The result is a swift and on time delivery of qualitative and quantitative results.
- Leading by Vision: From analyzing the situation inside and outside the company and seeing opportunities until communicating the vision of the company including new ideas for sustainable business strategies, products, services and ways of working. The end result is an inspiring vision on how to succeed in our markets with our consumers in the center. 
- Leading by Change: From embracing change until leading and facilitating the implementation of change and handling of resistance for senior people. The end result is an on-time implementation of change projects and actions while maintaining a high level of motivation and commitment.
- Leading by Owning: Take responsibility for own results as well as for company results and values. Stimulate this attitude in others, make co-workers accountable. The end result is pro-activity, creativity and motivation: capable people who take ownership.

Job Requirements (Education, Experience and Competencies)
Education:
- Minimum of 3-year tertiary degree (Bachelor of Science, Commerce, Engineering or related field)
- MBA or Masters (advantageous)

Experience:
- Manager track record of 5 years or more; with at least 3 years’ experience in telecommunications, digital marketing, digital product management, content management 
- Minimum of 4 to 5 years of Senior Management experience
- Minimum of 3 years experience in Digital Content management
- Hands on experience in managing and implementing digital products and initiatives, with strong analytics background
- Deep understanding of the digital ecosystem, players, business models and industry related best practices.
- Understanding emerging markets advantageous
- Pan Africa multi-cultural experience is advantageous
- Entrepreneurial spirit, self-driven and ability to motivate a fast-paced team
- Attitude of Innovation, inventiveness and thought leadership
- Abreast of global mind-set and best practice
- English speaker. French, Zulu and other official languages a plus

Competencies:
Functional Knowledge: 
- Value Added Services
- Digital content, media and/or applications
- Gaming Product and Content Management 
- Digital marketing
- Analytics

Skills
- Business Acumen 
- Analytics and Interpretation
- Strategic Thinking 
- Organizational Agility 
- Digital mind-set
- Dealing with ambiguity and complexity
- Decision Making
- Conflict Management
- Negotiation 
- Financial and Numerical 
- Project Management
- People Management

Behavioural Qualities
- Adaptable
- Complete candour
- Culturally aware 
- Emotional Maturity
- Innovation 
- Integrity
- Leadership
- Team Player