Public Affairs Lead at Tala (formerly InVenture)

• As a key member of Tala’s Global Business team, you will lead the the design, implementation and maintenance of the external affairs strategy for Tala Kenya to enhance Tala’s engagement with policymakers & relevant stakeholders. Additionally , you will build the organization’s ability to inform policy and Tala’s reputation as a thought leader and significant contributor, particularly in areas of financial technology policy, financial inclusion, open banking, data privacy, sustainability and lending practices.

What You'll Do

• Develop and implement external affairs strategic plans for informing key public policy issues, while enhancing corporate opportunities and mitigating threats.
• Engage with governmental entities like CBK, ODPC, FRC, CMA, Ministries of MSME, Finance & Planning among other relevant public or private bodies.
• Map all main stakeholders in order to establish a long-standing partnership with them.
• Position Tala as the thought leader on financial inclusion, data privacy and lending practices using a variety of tactics, including direct lobbying, managing consultants, working through trade associations, building coalitions, and more.
• Facilitate meetings at all levels between Tala executives, experts and key stakeholders, including policy makers, regulators and government leaders, industry associations, and alliance partners to promote and advocate for the company’s public policy objectives.
• Work with Tala’s Global External Affairs Team to conduct research and provide expert advice to internal business partners about the policy environment relevant for Tala in the financial services sector.
• Lead on the drafting of compelling position papers to express Tala’s thought leadership and to advocate for policy directives consistent with Tala’s mission and principles.
• Assist in development and execution of our Country Leadership Team’s outreach to policymakers, ensuring that external government relations are adequately managed.
• Identify and ensure current awareness of key external constituencies, including Governmental & Non-Governmental Organizations and key opinion leaders that may have a positive/negative impact on our business.
• Work closely with outside consultants responsible for helping develop the strategy and supporting the execution of the strategy, including coordination with public relations partners and internal teams for the design and management of public-facing events and campaigns.
• Partner with key constituents (internal/external) to determine the most appropriate direction for building relationships and avoiding adverse legislative or public policy action. Identify potential threats and opportunities.
• Leverage appropriate corporate membership opportunities in industry associations and policy organizations on behalf of Tala, and ensure appropriate utilization of outside consultants when necessary.
• Demonstrate Tala’s principles internally and externally, in particular, strong ownership, bias for action and customer centricity.

What You'll Need

• At least 5+ years of proven success in engaging with the government, regulators and private sector entities.
• Strong communication and advocacy skills relevant to work with policymakers, private or public associations and political officials. This could be from prior experience within a regulatory authority, an administration, a trade association, or a company with complex policy and business issues and needs across a range of products or business activities.
• Strong business acumen and ability to collaborate across multiple internal organizations including business groups and sales teams, identifying relevant issues, needs, and strategies to shape the external policy environment.
• Excellent writing skills with the ability to translate those skills into persuasive advocacy materials and submissions to a variety of agencies and authorities on a range of issues.
• Self-starter and entrepreneurial mentality that takes ownership and is able to effectively navigate ambiguous, fast moving environments.