Senior Manager/Associate Director, Base-Of-Pyramid Innovation & Market Development, Africa at Essilor Group

Position Summary - Purpose and Objectives of the Role

There are 2.7 billion people with poor vision resulting in lost productivity, road accidents and poorer results in school. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the socio-economic impact of poor vision to the world economy is around $272 Billion. Most cases of poor vision can be treated with a pair of eyeglasses. The challenge is to convert these non-wearers into new spectacle wearers through scalable and sustainable models that overcome the barriers of access and awareness. Enabling everyone throughout the world to enjoy good vision is the global public health issue at the heart of Essilor's mission.

Our ambition is to eradicate poor vision from the world in one generation, by 2050. With around 400 million people in Africa living with uncorrected poor vision, success in bringing vision care to everybody in the region is key to our overall global ambition.

Are you passionate about creating social impact in a scalable manner? Does the idea of developing inclusive business models and partnerships that help companies sustainably serve the BoP customers excite you? Do you enjoy engaging with a variety of stakeholders including governments, corporations, start-ups and non-profits to drive strategic partnerships to bring vision care to the underserved all over the world?

We are looking for a dynamic individual to support the scaling up of our Group Mission actions (inclusive business, philanthropy, advocacy) by expanding existing business models and developing new innovations (in business models, screening methodologies and partnerships) to create new spectacles wearers in Africa. Apart from leading BoP-focused business model innovation for key markets in the region, you will also support and manage engagement with key stakeholders across public, private and not-for-profit sectors to bring vision care to the underserved across priority markets across the region.

Key Responsibilities / Terms of Reference - Key Activities & Deliverables

Key Area of Responsibility

• Creation of new spectacles wearers via
• Formulate country strategic roadmapsScaling of existing business modelsCreation of new business models
• 60%
• Define the strategic priorities for key markets in Africa and identify opportunities to tap
• Incubate new ideas, business models and partnerships to create new spectacles wearers at the base of pyramid in strategic markets in Africa
• Support scaling up of existing business models through the development of new partnerships
• Create actionable country-entry roadmaps for countries identified for expansion
• Implement initiatives to increase effectiveness, efficiency and throughput of each business model in generating new spectacles wearers
• Evaluate funding proposals and work with various partners to monitor progress of funded projects
• Engage key stakeholders to form strategic partnerships
• 40%
• Mapping list of key stakeholders including governments, multilateral organisations, corporations, start-ups and non-profits
• Tiering stakeholders and developing strategy for differentiated engagement
• Identifying influencers, platforms and intermediaries to increase Group Mission's visibility and widen reach to key stakeholders
• Work closely with other Group Mission entities such as Essilor Vision Foundation (EVF), One Sight, and Vision Impact Institute (VII) to build on synergies across inclusive business, philanthropy and advocacy

Knowledge / Experience

Divisional or BU Experience

• Strategy, business development, sales and/or marketing experience would be an advantage

Experience / Track Record

• Field experience executing projects on the ground would be needed. Past experience in creating partnerships with governments, NGOs and other corporates highly preferred
• Industries Experience
  • Experience in social business, Base of Pyramid markets and/or healthcare sector preferred
• Geographical Experience
  • Prior work and/or study experience in Africa is highly preferred
• Management Experience
  • 7-9 years of working experience

Qualifications

Education / Qualification / Certification

Degree in any discipline

Language

Strong written and spoken proficiency in English and at least one other language, including in business context

Functional skills

Proficient in MS Office tools (Excel, PowerPoint, etc.), data analysis, business planning and proposal development

Pre-requisites and Next Career Steps

• Psychometrics (Requisite qualities)
• Entrepreneurial, risk-taking spirit
• Self-motivated. Able to take directions (from a remotely located manager) and translate into tangible workstreams
• High tolerance for ambiguity and failure
• Ability to think laterally and creatively
• Superior analytical skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills Intellectual curiosity/thirst for knowledge
• Cross-cultural sensitivity
• Willingness to travel frequently in rural, less developed areas & internationally
• Passion for improving the lives of the underserved

Possible Next Roles

Other future roles could include business model innovation and/or business management in other geographies.
The position will be based in Nairobi, Kenya. Frequenttravel (50% of the time) can be expected, within Africa and internationally, to monitor progress of projects or to attend meetings.