Vacancies at Safal Group

Key responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership & Marketing Excellence

• Lead the development of the company’s marketing strategy in line with the overall business objectives and market opportunities.
• Deliver measurable results by creating and executing annual marketing plans, commercial programs, brand initiatives, and customer value propositions.
• Use market insight, competitive intelligence, customer segmentation, and data analytics to guide strategic choices.
• Champion the adoption of emerging technologies (AI, automation, predictive analytics) to drive efficiency, targeting accuracy, and marketing ROI.

Product Portfolio Leadership

• Lead the development, management, and implementation of the company’s product portfolio strategy.
• Ensure portfolio decisions are based on deep customer insights, lifecycle analysis, competitive benchmarks, and profitability assessments.
• Develop brand plans for new and existing products and guide cross-functional alignment on product innovation, upgrades, discontinuations, and launches.
• Ensure go‑to‑market plans for all products are robust, customer-centred, and commercially impactful.

Media Investment Management

• Lead development of annual and long‑term media strategies aligned with Business objectives and guide portfolio‑level media planning across all brands.
• Monitor media trends, consumer behaviour, and competitive activity.
• Manage Advertising/media agency relationship, including performance and remuneration and ensure excellence in media planning, buying and reporting.
• Lead campaign measurement: brand lift, sales lift, digital performance, and Marketing Mix Modelling.

Trade Marketing & Channel Development

• Drive the design and implementation of trade marketing strategies to enhance product visibility, availability, and market penetration.
• Enhance performance monitoring for trade marketing initiatives to ensure that they deliver measurable commercial impact.
• Drive the Retail Showrooms expansion and roll-out across various locations in line with the business strategy.
• Drive marketing activity across owned and third-party showrooms in partnership with the Distribution and Retail team

Partner Engagement and Development

     Influencers

• Oversee artisan training platforms, loyalty programs, and capability-building initiatives for installers, masons, applicators, and related trades.
• Strengthen loyalty, advocacy, and skill development among artisan communities.
• Ensure influencer programs support brand reputation and product quality at the point of application.

     Professionals

• Direct professional engagement programs targeting architects, engineers, QSs, and contractors.
• Lead implementation of CPD programs, technical seminars, and professional partnerships.
• Position the company as the preferred technical advisor in the Building Solutions industry.

Digital & Technology‑Enabled Marketing

• Oversee all digital marketing activities, including performance marketing, SEO/GEO/SEM, social media, CRM, and content management.
• Ensure digital channels deliver measurable customer engagement and conversion.
• Champion AI‑based marketing solutions for segmentation, content generation, experimentation, and campaign optimization.

Industry Events & Exhibitions

• Lead the planning, prioritization, and execution of the company’s participation in key industry events, exhibitions, trade fairs, and conferences.
• Ensure events are strategically selected and aligned with brand objectives and commercial priorities.
• Oversee event concepts, booth design, content development, and cross-functional coordination to maximize visibility, leads, and ROI.

Talent Development & Organizational Leadership

• Build and lead a high-performing marketing team with strong capabilities across brand, digital, trade, and technical engagement.
• Establish a robust succession pipeline for critical roles.
• Drive a culture of innovation, collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Cross-functional Collaboration & Brand Alignment

• Collaborate closely with Corporate Affairs and Safal MRM Foundation teams to ensure synchronized brand-building and social impact programs.
• Maintain consistency in brand messaging, communication, and customer experience across all touchpoints.
• Provide strategic support and tools to subsidiaries to ensure alignment and effectiveness of marketing activities.

Market Research, Insights & Customer Feedback (incl. NPS)

• Lead the management of industry research, competitive intelligence, market mapping, and customer insights programs.
• Oversee the design, execution, and analysis of customer feedback mechanisms, including Net Promoter Score (NPS), satisfaction surveys, and product performance evaluations.
• Ensure insights are translated into actionable strategies for product improvements, customer experience enhancements, and commercial opportunities.

Budgeting, Reporting & Performance Management

• Lead the development and management of the annual marketing budget, ensuring prudent allocation to strategic priorities.
• Provide monthly marketing performance reports to the CEO, including ROI tracking, key insights, successes, and corrective actions where needed.
• Prepare and deliver other periodic reports and strategic updates to the Board and the Group Management Team.
• Ensure strong governance, financial discipline, and measurable KPI tracking across all marketing activities.

Group Alignment & Governance

• Ensure full adherence to Group Marketing guidelines, brand standards, and reporting expectations.
• Represent the company in Group Marketing forums and adopt best practices.
• Support subsidiaries and regional markets with guidance, templates, and shared frameworks.

Requirements

Qualifications required:

• Degree in Marketing, Business, Engineering, Architecture, or related field.
• Master’s degree (MBA or equivalent) preferred.
• Relevant professional certifications (CIM - Post-Graduate Level) would be an added advantage.

Experience required:

• 10+ years of progressive marketing leadership in Building Materials, Construction, FMCG, B2B, or related sectors.
• Proven experience in product portfolio management and go‑to‑market execution.
• Demonstrated success in market insights, industry research, customer analytics, and NPS management.
• Strong background in digital marketing, marketing technology, and AI-driven solutions.
• Experience managing substantial budgets and reporting at executive and Board levels. Track record of building and leading high-performing teams

Leadership and Behavioural Competencies:

• Strategic thinking & business acumen.
• Strong commercial orientation.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication.
• Innovation-driven mindset with strong digital fluency.
• High collaboration and cross-functional leadership.Strong analytical, reporting, and execution discipline.

Personal Attributes:

• Results-oriented, customer-centric, and commercially savvy.
• High integrity, humility, and resilience.
• Agile thinker with a strong appetite for innovation and technology.
• Passion for product excellence, data-driven marketing, and organizational development.

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Description

Key Performance Areas

Leadership & People Management

• Provide leadership and direction to Corporate Affairs and Legal teams, ensuring effective performance and accountability.
• Foster an inclusive and respectful working environment across the business.
• Embed diversity, equity, and inclusion principles into stakeholder engagement, advocacy, communications, and legal practices.
• Support talent development, succession planning, and capacity building within the function.
• Liaise with the HR department in concluding departmental performance appraisals and ensure competency and training gaps within the function are addressed

External Affairs & Stakeholder Management

• Develop and implement a stakeholder engagement strategy aligned with business priorities and societal expectations.
• Identify, build, and maintain constructive relationships with government bodies, regulators, industry associations, community leaders, civil society, and other key stakeholders.
• Represent the organization in external forums, committees, and public platforms to advocate organizational positions.
• Promote a transparent, respectful, and inclusive approach to stakeholder engagement.
• Build coalitions with credible partners to advance industry development, sustainability, and fair market practices.
• Cultivate high-trust relationships with communities around manufacturing sites.

Advocacy & Public Policy

• Lead advocacy efforts for the development and improvement of policies, regulations, and laws that support a fair, competitive, and sustainable business environment.
• Monitor political, legislative, and regulatory developments and provide timely insights to support informed decision-making.
• Prepare evidence-based submissions, position papers, and policy briefs for engagement with authorities and industry bodies.
• Collaborate with industry associations and peer organizations to advance shared policy priorities.
• Advocate positions that reflect ethical conduct, equity, and long-term economic and social value.

Corporate Communications & Public Relations

• Shape and communicate the Company’s positions on key industry, operations, and market issues.
• Manage the organization’s external communications and public relations strategy to strengthen reputation and trust.
• Lead media engagement, crisis communication, and reputation risk management.
• Grow earned media value for the corporate and product brands and ensure consistent, accurate, and inclusive messaging across all external communication channels.
• Establish effective systems and processes to monitor and respond to the company’s media coverage
• Advise the CEO and senior management team on reputational risks and mitigation strategies.
• Analyse and interpret information relating to activities, issues & events that may impact the business. Manage any remedial actions required to ensure the reputation of the company is not adversely affected.
• Deliver a Corporate Social Investment (CSI) strategy that is aligned to the Safal Group’s focus areas for its markets, underpinned by real community needs and sustainable business actions.

Legal, Governance & Compliance

• Provide legal and regulatory advice to management on operational, contractual, governance, and compliance matters.
• Oversee drafting, review, and negotiation of contracts and legal documentation.
• Manage litigation, disputes, and engagement with external legal counsel.
• Ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and ethical standards.
• Strengthen corporate governance frameworks and promote ethical conduct across the organization.
• Develop and monitor the Business’s compliance with the Capital Markets Act, Companies Act, Occupational Health and Safety laws, Data Protection laws, Competition laws and other applicable local and national statutes.
• Develop and drive the maintenance of control systems and appropriate company policies to proactively deal with risks, violations of legal, governance guidelines and internal policies and evaluate the efficiency of internal controls for continuous improvement.

Risk Management & Intelligence

• Identify and assess external, regulatory, legal, and reputational risks impacting the organization.
• Provide structured intelligence and reports on emerging risks, opportunities, and trends.
• Support leadership in balancing business objectives with regulatory compliance.
• Support Anti Illicit Trade intelligence and enforcement procedures within the relevant legal framework affecting illicit trade in the end market.
• Lead the Company’s enterprise crisis response strategy and actions in the event of a crisis.
• Ensure effective design, maintenance and implementation of Enterprise Risk Management frameworks, including risk monitoring systems/tools.

Corporate Social Investment (CSI) & ESG

• Ensure effective coordination with the Safal MRM Foundation and lead consolidation, planning and reporting of CSI activities within MRM.
• Lead the Company’s ESG strategy to ensure integration of sustainability across operations, supply chain, and product portfolio.
• Oversee ESG reporting (including annual Sustainability report), stakeholder disclosures, sustainability dashboards, and compliance with global frameworks such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Champion initiatives on climate impact, energy efficiency, circularity, community welfare, and responsible business conduct.

 Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with internal stakeholders across functions to ensure alignment on external, legal, and reputational matters.
• Support organizational planning through structured reporting and governance processes.

Requirements

Qualifications required:

• Minimum academic qualification: Bachelor's Degree in Law, Public Policy, Communications, Business Administration, or related field. 

Qualifications as an added advantage:

• Master's in Law, Public Policy, Business Administration, Corporate Communications, or Sustainability.
• Relevant professional qualifications.

Experience required:

• General work experience (years): 15+ years’ experience, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role within manufacturing, FMCG or a similar environment.

Specific to the position

• 7 - 10 years of hands-on previous experience in corporate communications, public affairs, or regulatory affairs roles.
• Experience in dealing with Government Ministries and agencies, Private Sector initiatives, CSI Foundations and other relevant Professional bodies.
• Knowledge of the Government Budgeting and Planning Cycle
• Good knowledge of the various tenets of EAC Protocol, tariffs, trade blocs, fiscal and regulatory processes.
• Industry: Manufacturing Sector and FMCG (Preferred)

Key competencies and skills:

• Strategic thinking and executive influence
• Strong legal and regulatory insight
• High-level stakeholder management
• Risk and compliance leadership
• ESG and sustainability integration
• Communication and media management excellence
• Ethical judgment and decision-making
• Cross-functional leadership capability
• solving and planning skills

Personality profile:

• Strategic Gravitas
• Diplomatic agility
• High integrity and professionalism
• Ethical Fortitude
• Politically astute and culturally sensitive
• Composed under pressure; decisive
• Collaborative and team-oriented
• Strong problem-solving skills
• Low-ego, high-impact leadership style
• Fast-paced, proactive and prompt
• Results-oriented
• Energetic and passionate
• Self-motivated