HOD: Corporate Communications

Job Description

Role Purpose and Key Responsibilities

Role Purpose:

The Head of Corporate Communications is accountable for building, protecting, and advancing the company's reputation across all audiences: media, government, investors, partners, and the public. The postholder will lead a team spanning corporate PR, external affairs, executive communications, and crisis management, and will serve as a trusted advisor to the External Affairs Director, CEO, and senior leadership team, including the board.

Key Responsibilities:

Corporate Communications

• Develop and own the annual communications strategy aligned to business objectives
• Manage corporate narrative, key messages, and brand voice across all channels.
• Oversee all press relations, proactive storytelling, reactive media handling, and journalist relationships.
• Lead executive communications including CEO speeches, op-eds, and thought leadership.
• Manage content across owned channels: website, social media, corporate reports
• Oversee editorial strategy for owned channels: corporate website, LinkedIn, annual report, investor presentations, and executive keynotes.
• Build communications programmes around the organisation's social impact commitments: community investment, charitable partnerships, and volunteering.
• Lead communications for purpose, Vodacom Tanzania Foundation, sponsorship, and partnerships, ensuring alignment with corporate reputation objectives.

Reputation & Crisis

• Identify, monitor, and manage reputational risks through a structured early-warning system.
• Lead crisis communications planning, simulation exercises, and real-time response.
• Serve as primary spokesperson or prepare and coach executives for media engagements.
• Oversee issues management including sensitive announcements, litigation communications, and regulatory disclosures.

External Communications

• Build and lead a high-performing communications team; manage agencies and external partners.
• Set KPIs for communications activity and report outcomes to the board and executive committee
• Manage the communications budget with clear ROI accountability.
• Work cross-functionally with marketing, commercial units, HR, and investor relations.

Qualification, Competencies, Knowledge and Experience

• A degree in communications, journalism, public relations, marketing, business administration, political science, or a related field is preferred with 10 years’+ experience in communications.
• Media Relations & PR Craft
• Digital, social, and content strategy
• ESG & Sustainability communications
• Communications measurements and analytics
• Crisis communications planning and execution
• Storytelling and narrative construction
• Strategic influence and executive presence
• Crisis judgement and composure
• Stakeholder relationship capital