Job Description
What we're looking for;
In keeping with our current business needs, we are looking for a person who meets the criteria indicated below
Reporting to the Chief Enterprise & Public Sector Officer, the role purpose is as highlighted below;
The Lead Wholesale & Carrier is strategically accountable for driving sustainable growth, margin integrity, and partnership excellence across Safaricom's wholesale and carrier business portfolio, including interconnect, roaming, capacity services, and international voice and data revenue streams.
The role leads the development and execution of wholesale and carrier strategy, optimizing monetization of Safaricom's network assets and international connectivity footprint. It ensures disciplined commercial structuring, regulatory compliance, partner performance governance, and cross-border revenue expansion across Kenya and regional markets.
Operating within a highly technical and regulated environment, the role manages domestic and international carrier relationships, interconnect settlements, roaming agreements, capacity sales, and cross-network commercial frameworks to maximize revenue realization while protecting cost structures and risk exposure.
The Lead Wholesale & Carrier partners closely with Technology (Network & Core), Finance, Risk, Regulatory & External Affairs, Legal, and M-Pesa Africa to ensure commercial alignment, settlement accuracy, dispute resolution efficiency, and long-term partnership sustainability.
Responsibilities
Thus, the Lead Wholesale & Carrier is strategically accountable for:
Wholesale Revenue Growth & Portfolio Optimization: Drive sustainable growth across wholesale revenue streams including interconnect, roaming, capacity, international voice, and international data, ensuring strong margin performance and disciplined portfolio management.
Carrier Partnership Strategy & Relationship Management: Develop and manage strategic relationships with domestic and international carriers, ensuring commercial alignment, settlement integrity, and long-term partnership sustainability.
Interconnect & Roaming Governance: Oversee interconnect agreements, roaming frameworks, traffic exchange models, and settlement processes to ensure compliance, accuracy, and financial optimization.
International Voice & Data Monetization: Maximize international traffic monetization through competitive routing strategies, bilateral agreements, and cost optimization initiatives.
Capacity & Infrastructure Monetization: Drive sustainable commercial utilization of network capacity assets including fiber, subsea capacity, and infrastructure sharing agreements.
Regulatory & Compliance Oversight: Ensure compliance with national and international telecommunications regulations, interconnect obligations, roaming standards, and cross-border commercial policies.
Commercial Structuring & Margin Protection: Lead pricing, contract negotiation, and dispute resolution processes to safeguard profitability and minimize revenue leakage.
Cross-Functional Coordination & Settlement Integrity: Partner with Technology, Finance & Innovation, and Risk to ensure accurate traffic measurement, billing reconciliation, dispute management, and financial settlement governance
Anchored on Safaricom's purpose of Transforming Lives, this role ensures that Safaricom's network infrastructure and international partnerships are monetized responsibly and sustainably, enabling seamless connectivity across borders while strengthening the foundation of Kenya's digital ecosystem
Key accountabilities and decision ownership:
Wholesale Revenue Growth & Portfolio Optimization
Deliver annual revenue and gross margin targets across interconnect, roaming, capacity, and international voice/data streams.
Develop multi-year wholesale growth plans aligned to traffic trends, network evolution, and competitive dynamics.
Optimize revenue mix across inbound and outbound traffic to maximize margin contribution.
Identify new wholesale monetization opportunities including infrastructure sharing and cross-border capacity sales.
Drive traffic growth strategies leveraging bilateral and multilateral carrier agreements.
Monitor performance against budget and implement corrective actions to protect profitability.
Carrier Partnership Strategy & Relationship Management
Develop and manage strategic relationships with domestic and international carrier partners.
Negotiate bilateral agreements covering roaming, interconnect, and international traffic exchange.
Conduct regular business reviews with key carrier partners to align commercial performance and traffic targets.
Identify partnership expansion opportunities across regional and global markets.
Manage partner performance scorecards including revenue realization and settlement accuracy.
Safeguard long-term partnership sustainability through transparent governance and dispute resolution mechanisms.
Interconnect & Roaming Governance
Oversee interconnect frameworks ensuring regulatory compliance and financial integrity.
Manage roaming agreements including pricing, clearing, and settlement structures.
Ensure accurate traffic measurement, rating, and reconciliation processes.
Monitor inbound and outbound roaming performance and margin contribution.
Lead dispute management processes with domestic and international operators.
Continuously optimize interconnect pricing structures aligned to regulatory guardrails.
International Voice & Data Monetization
Develop competitive routing strategies to maximize international voice margins.
Negotiate international termination and transit rates to protect cost position.
Monitor traffic flows to detect fraud, leakage, or routing inefficiencies.
Optimize international data capacity utilization and cross-border bandwidth sales.
Partner with Technology teams to align network capacity planning with commercial demand forecasts.
Drive margin improvement initiatives through cost optimization and traffic rebalancing.
Capacity & Infrastructure Commercialization
Monetize fiber, subsea cable, and infrastructure capacity through structured commercial agreements.
Develop capacity pricing models aligned to market demand and competitive benchmarks.
Partner with Technology to forecast infrastructure expansion opportunities.
Lead infrastructure-sharing agreements and related commercial negotiations.
Monitor utilization rates and drive initiatives to improve asset yield.
Evaluate new infrastructure investment opportunities from a wholesale commercial perspective.
Regulatory & Compliance Oversight (In Collaboration with Corporate & External Affairs)
Ensure adherence to national and international telecom regulations governing interconnect and roaming.
Maintain compliance with cross-border settlement standards and industry clearing frameworks.
Partner with External Affairs to monitor regulatory changes impacting wholesale economics.
Ensure alignment with competition law and anti-trust provisions in carrier agreements.
Support audit processes related to wholesale settlements and traffic reporting.
Embed risk mitigation frameworks for regulatory and contractual exposure.
Financial Settlement & Risk Governance
Oversee traffic billing, reconciliation, and settlement accuracy across all wholesale streams.
Monitor and reduce revenue leakage risks through structured controls.
Partner with Finance to ensure timely settlement of receivables and payables.
Improve Days Sales Outstanding (DSO) for wholesale receivables.
Conduct periodic margin and profitability analysis for wholesale portfolio.
Maintain a wholesale risk register covering financial, regulatory, and operational risks
Leadership & Talent Development
Coach, mentor, and empower the leadership team to drive strategic excellence, collaboration, and disruptive thinking.
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.
Institutionalize a functional Academy - develop playbooks, methodologies, and training for execution, and digital-first innovation models.
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 Telecommunications Engineering, Electrical Engineering, ICT, Computer Science, Business Administration, Economics, or a related field from a recognized institution
Master's degree in Business Administration (MBA), Telecommunications Management, Finance, or Strategic Management is an added advantage
Minimum of 10 - 12 years' progressive experience in wholesale telecommunications, carrier business, interconnect, roaming, or international voice and data operations within a telecom or ICT environment
Demonstrated experience managing wholesale and carrier revenue streams including interconnect, roaming, capacity, international voice, and international data services
Strong commercial acumen with proven experience in bilateral carrier negotiations, pricing frameworks, settlement governance, and margin optimization
Proven experience in managing cross-border carrier partnerships and international traffic routing strategies
Strong understanding of telecommunications regulatory frameworks, interconnect
obligations, roaming standards, and competition law within regulated markets
Demonstrated experience in traffic billing, reconciliation processes, settlement systems, and revenue assurance controls
Professional certification in telecommunications, project management, or commercial management such as PMP, PRINCE2, ITIL, or equivalent will be an added advantage
Strong knowledge of telecom network architecture, international routing models, subsea capacity commercialization, and infrastructure sharing frameworks
Experience working in highly matrixed environments collaborating with Network/Technology, Finance, Risk, Regulatory & External Affairs, and Legal teams
Proven ability to embed financial controls, compliance frameworks, and risk mitigation mechanisms in wholesale operations
Strong analytical capability with proficiency in financial modeling, traffic analytics tools, settlement platforms, and enterprise reporting systems
Member in good standing of a recognized professional body relevant to telecommunications, engineering, or commercial leadership
Demonstrated commitment to integrity, regulatory compliance, and responsible commercial conduct in alignment with Safaricom's Code of Conduct and industry standards