Head of Government Affairs (GA), Francophone Africa F/H

Job Description

We help the world run better
At SAP, we keep it simple: you bring your best to us, and we'll bring out the best in you. We're builders touching over 20 industries and 80% of global commerce, and we need your unique talents to help shape what's next. The work is challenging – but it matters. You'll find a place where you can be yourself, prioritize your wellbeing, and truly belong. What's in it for you? Constant learning, skill growth, great benefits, and a team that wants you to grow and succeed.

Role Description

The Head of Government Affairs (GA) for Francophone Africa (f/m/d) manages engagement with government officials and regulatory agencies in French Speaking North and West Africa. The role focuses on key regional bodies (e.g., African Union, Smart Africa, ECOWAS) and national institutions in priority countries to advance SAP’s interests.

The position holder (f/m/d) serves as a trusted advisor to the Global Head of Advanced Engagements & MEA Affairs (GA). In addition to the regional mandate, the role supports the Global Advanced Engagements function. This function strengthens field intelligence in emerging secondary markets, predictive analysis, and agile business support.

The role builds a solid foundation for SAP’s interactions with governments. It develops meaningful relationships with political and societal stakeholders to drive positive outcomes. SAP is positioned as a trusted advisor on strategic topics by leveraging internal and external initiatives. Furthermore, the role is instrumental in demonstrating the private sector's contribution to innovation and sustainable economic growth.

A successful position holder (f/m/d) provides strategic government flanking to SAP operations. They identify business opportunities in the public sector and regulated industries. Finally, they anticipate policies and identify political developments that create value for the brand.

The role reports directly to the Global Head of Advanced Engagements & MEA Affairs (GA).

Detailed Responsibilities

Business Support

• Accelerate the adoption of SAP innovations (Cloud ERP, AI) by proactively shaping national digital roadmaps; influence technical standards during critical agenda-setting and pre-tender phases to ensure future opportunities align with SAP’s core solutions.
• Act as a strategic driver for the Go-To-Market strategy in regulated and strategic industries; proactively neutralize political or administrative barriers throughout the sales cycle to safeguard SAP’s value proposition and deal integrity.
• Take ownership of identifying and capturing public funding opportunities; lead high-level engagements with Multilateral Development Banks (e.g., AfDB, World Bank, AFD, IFC) to secure financing for large-scale SAP projects and de-risk market entries.
• Directly support sales teams in closing strategic, high-value contracts by acting as a high-level facilitator with government decision-makers to remove operational or regulatory bottlenecks.
• Convert complex regional regulatory shifts into proactive business strategies; provide internal leadership with the actionable intelligence required to maximize SAP's market share in the region.
• Lead strategic dialogues on data residency and Sovereign Cloud with regulatory authorities; transform compliance constraints into exclusive business opportunities for SAP’s private and secured cloud offerings.

Policy and Stakeholder Engagement

• Act as a trusted advisor to public sector stakeholders, anticipating and identifying policies and regulations that can impact the company.
• Advocate for public policy that supports the SAP business model and a technology-supportive environment, with a focus on Digital Sovereignty, Cloud, and AI.
• Monitor politically influenced business risks and provide analyses to internal stakeholders for action.Position SAP as an innovation partner and technology leader through content development and targeted outreach.
• Grow, maintain, and leverage extensive government networks, including OHADA-related business environments.
• Provide expert guidance for influencing key audiences and drive public sector engagement campaigns.

Advanced Engagements Function

• Support systematic data collection (OSINT methods) on specific emerging secondary markets globally.
• Support execution of targeted, tactical interventions to resolve regulatory or operational bottlenecks in specific emerging secondary markets globally.
• Contribute to the early detection of SAP-relevant policies and large-scale digital transformation projects in specific emerging secondary markets globally.

What You Bring

• 15+ years' experience in government affairs, public policy, or related fields, with experience working in the tech industry preferred.
• Deep understanding of the political landscape in Francophone Africa and regulatory processes in governments at various levels.
• Ability to navigate complex regulatory environments and advocate effectively on behalf of large, complex organizations.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• Proven experience accomplishing high-demanding specialized tasks on a global scale with an exemplary track record.
• Ability to perform predictive analysis and strategic intelligence gathering to support global Advanced Engagements missions.
• Languages: Fluency in English and French is required.

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Bring out your best
SAP innovations help more than four hundred thousand customers worldwide work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively. Originally known for leadership in enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, SAP has evolved to become a market leader in end-to-end business application software and related services for database, analytics, intelligent technologies, and experience management. As a cloud company with two hundred million users and more than one hundred thousand employees worldwide, we are purpose-driven and future-focused, with a highly collaborative team ethic and commitment to personal development. Whether connecting global industries, people, or platforms, we help ensure every challenge gets the solution it deserves. At SAP, you can bring out your best.

We win with inclusion
SAP’s culture of inclusion, focus on health and well-being, and flexible working models help ensure that everyone – regardless of background – feels included and can run at their best. At SAP, we believe we are made stronger by the unique capabilities and qualities that each person brings to our company, and we invest in our employees to inspire confidence and help everyone realize their full potential. We ultimately believe in unleashing all talent and creating a better world.

SAP is committed to the values of Equal Employment Opportunity and provides accessibility accommodations to applicants with physical and/or mental disabilities. If you are interested in applying for employment with SAP and are in need of accommodation or special assistance to navigate our website or to complete your application, please send an e-mail with your request to Recruiting Operations Team: Careers@sap.com.

For SAP employees: Only permanent roles are eligible for the SAP Employee Referral Program, according to the eligibility rules set in the SAP Referral Policy. Specific conditions may apply for roles in Vocational Training.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their age, race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, et al), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status, or disability, in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local legal requirements.

Successful candidates might be required to undergo a background verification with an external vendor.

AI Usage in the Recruitment Process

For information on the responsible use of AI in our recruitment process, please refer to our Guidelines for Ethical Usage of AI in the Recruiting Process.

Please note that any violation of these guidelines may result in disqualification from the hiring process.

Requisition ID: 447144 | Work Area: Communication | Expected Travel: 0 - 10% | Career Status: Professional | Employment Type: Regular Full Time | Additional Locations: #LI-Hybrid