General Manager, Mountain Region at Safaricom Kenya

Responsibilities
Regional Business Development, Strategy & Execution

• Develop and implement a localized regional strategy aligned with overall business objectives
• Translate national targets into actionable regional plans
• Drive penetration of 4G+ in trade. 
• Continuously assess market dynamics to refine strategies
• Leverage on intelligence to deliver segmented propositions and care to drive customer consideration and satisfaction.
• Align regional priorities with commercial goals
• Track and monitor performance against strategic objectives
• Adjust plans proactively based on performance insights
• Collaboration with all business units to deliver care & commercial growth.

Business Planning & Performance Management

• Lead the development of comprehensive regional business plans
• Set and cascade clear performance targets across teams
• Monitor revenue, subscriber, and market share performance
• Drive accountability for delivery of KPIs across the region
• Conduct regular business reviews and performance tracking
• Implement corrective actions to address performance gaps
• Ensure disciplined execution of commercial plans

Partnership & Stakeholder Management

• Build and maintain strong relationships with key regional partners
• Develop and execute Joint Business Plans (JBPs) with partners
• Align partner objectives with organizational goals
• Identify and onboard new strategic partners
• Manage partner performance and drive accountability
• Resolve escalations and strengthen collaboration
• Leverage partnerships to unlock growth opportunities

Distribution, Network Expansion & Optimization

• Expand and strengthen partner distribution infrastructure to ring-fence our competitive advantage and growth
• Reposition the distribution model to effectively and efficiently deliver micro segment. 
• Identify underserved areas and improve coverage
• Optimize distributor and parter performance
• Ensure availability of products and services across channels
• Improve efficiency of distribution operations
• Monitor stock levels and reduce stock-outs
• Drive scalability of distribution models

Route-to-Customer (RTC) Management

• Embed Digital First Intelligent last-mile delivery and service accessibility
• Drive adoption of Digital Sales tools & platforms to drive efficiency and effectiveness in trade, franchise, Retail and Agent networks
• Secure by design (Risk, compliance, governance and control) in the journeys for the partners and trade ecosystem.
• Drive hyper-personalized journeys, smart selling and automated operations and real-time insights that boost sales efficiency, experience and growth.
• Embed effective route-to-customer strategies within the region
• Deliver & embed Retail as experiential centres that drive customer interaction across multiple products and solutions. 
• Ensure optimal channel mix and coverage
• Standardize RTC processes across the region
• Continuously enhance channel productivity
• Leverage data to optimize customer access points
• Monitor RTC effectiveness and make improvements

Sales Growth & Subscriber Performance

• Deliver Converged & Fintech solutions to drive Customer value
• Achieve Merchants & Fixed Customer growth & revenue.
• Deliver regional sales and revenue targets
• Drive subscriber gross additions through acquisition initiatives
• Implement strategies to reduce churn rates
• Achieve net subscriber growth targets
• Monitor sales funnel and conversion rates
• Identify and capitalize on upsell and cross-sell opportunities
• Ensure consistent pipeline of customer acquisition

Market Share Growth & Competitive Positioning

• Strengthen the organization’s market presence in the region
• Develop strategies to counter competitor activities
• Build a strong competitor footprint and positioning
• Track competitor performance and market trends
• Identify differentiation opportunities
• Drive initiatives to increase market penetration
• Ensure sustained growth in market share

Frontline Marketing Execution

• Implement localized marketing and promotional activities driven by market intelligence
• Strengthen and enforce internal controls & governance in customer marketing operations. 
• Drive customer acquisition through targeted campaigns
• Ensure brand visibility across the region
• Align marketing initiatives with sales objectives
• Monitor campaign effectiveness and ROI
• Adapt campaigns based on market feedback
• Support product launches and activations

Cross-Functional Leadership & Alignment

• Lead and coordinate activities across sales, marketing, HR, and operations
• Ensure alignment of cross-functional priorities
• Facilitate collaboration between internal teams
• Drive execution of integrated business initiatives
• Resolve cross-functional challenges effectively
• Promote a unified approach to regional delivery
• Ensure consistent communication across stakeholders

Leadership & Talent Development

• Coach, mentor, and empower the leadership team to drive strategic excellence, collaboration, and disruptive thinking. 
• Embed Safety culture by driving awareness, ownership and accountability.
• Deliver & embed Agile in Regional Operations to drive shared outcomes across the organization to enable commercial intensity.
• Drive diversity, inclusion, and leadership bench strength, ensuring succession readiness for pivotal roles within the function.
• Build critical capabilities through targeted hiring and continuous learning programs. 
• Embed OKRs and a performance-driven culture, aligning incentives to strategic impact, and innovation. 
• Champion cross-functional collaboration across Safaricom to ensure integrated delivery of products.
• Lead change management for major shifts (new operating models, and innovation platforms) with clear narratives, stakeholder engagement, and adoption tracking. 
• Foster a culture of agility and experimentation, encouraging teams to pilot emerging technologies, new business models, and disruptive solutions.
• Model ethical leadership and values, reinforcing integrity, transparency, and responsible innovation in all strategic decisions. 
• Ensure governance and compliance in all initiatives, safeguarding organizational reputation and stakeholder trust.
• Champion adoption of emerging technologies (AI, IoT, cloud, blockchain) to enable disruptive innovation and digital transformation.

Qualifications
Must-have technical / professional qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Commerce, or a related field
• Master’s degree (MBA or equivalent) is an added advantage
• Minimum of 8–12 years’ experience in Sales, Distribution, or Commercial roles
• Proven experience in leading regional or multi-territory operations
• Strong track record of delivering sales growth and market share expansion
• Demonstrated experience in managing distributor, dealer, and partner networks
• Experience in developing and executing business and commercial strategies
• Solid understanding of route-to-market and distribution models
• Proven ability to manage and grow subscriber/customer base (acquisition and retention)
• Experience in executing frontline marketing and trade activation initiatives
• Strong financial acumen with experience in budgeting and performance management
• Experience working in cross-functional environments (sales, marketing, HR, operations)
• Demonstrated leadership experience with the ability to manage and develop high-performing teams
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with data-driven decision-making capability
• Excellent stakeholder management, negotiation, and relationship-building skills