Stakeholder Relations and Public Affairs Manager

Old Mutual, a prominent financial services organisation deeply invested in the African continent, is seeking an experienced professional to join its team in Johannesburg as a Stakeholder Relations and Public Affairs Manager. This pivotal role is designed to strengthen and coordinate the organisation's engagement with a broad spectrum of external parties, ensuring alignment with Group strategy and governance frameworks. The successful candidate will act as a central point of expertise, driving best practices in how Old Mutual interacts with government, organised labour, business associations, and industry bodies.

About the Role

The Stakeholder Relations and Public Affairs Manager will be instrumental in shaping and executing Old Mutual's engagement strategies across various stakeholder tiers. Operating as a centre of excellence within the Group, this position carries significant responsibility for managing relationships and public affairs initiatives that are crucial to the organisation's reputation and operational success. The role reports directly to the Group Head of Stakeholder Relations and Public Affairs, ensuring a cohesive approach to external engagement that supports overarching Group priorities.

A core function of this role involves the biennial Stakeholder Relations Audit (SRA). The Manager will be responsible for its end-to-end delivery, ensuring a consistent methodology is applied across all clusters and operating entities. The insights gleaned from the SRA will be vital in informing strategic planning, risk management, and the overall stakeholder strategy of the Group. Furthermore, the Manager will lead the Stakeholder Relations Community of Practice (STR COP), fostering capability development, knowledge sharing, and alignment among individuals within Old Mutual who engage with external stakeholders.

The responsibilities of this role are multifaceted, encompassing strategic planning, operational execution, and relationship management. Key areas of focus include:

• **Group Stakeholder Strategy:** Implementing and coordinating the Group's stakeholder relations strategy for Tier 2, Tier 3, and Tier 4 stakeholders across all business units and operating entities. This includes providing strategic guidance to practitioners at cluster and business levels on engagement planning and execution.
• **Relationship Management:** Supporting the Group Head in strategically managing key stakeholder relationships, including government bodies, business and industry associations, and trade union federations. This involves serving as a unified interface for institutional stakeholders requiring a consolidated Old Mutual position.
• **Risk and Opportunity Identification:** Proactively identifying cross-cutting stakeholder risks, sensitivities, and opportunities, and escalating them to the Group Head for appropriate action.
• **Strategic Events Leadership:** Leading Old Mutual’s involvement in significant, cross-cutting stakeholder events, policy forums, and industry engagements. This includes coordinating executive representation to ensure consistent messaging and positioning.
• **Stakeholder Relations Assessment (SRA):** Owning and delivering the biennial SRA, ensuring consistent application of the methodology. The insights generated will be used to develop a Group-level action plan, monitor progress, and inform strategic processes.
• **Community of Practice Leadership:** Leading the Group Stakeholder Relations Community of Practice to drive capability development and knowledge sharing. This involves acting as the custodian of stakeholder relations methodologies and frameworks at a Group level.
• **Governance and Compliance:** Ensuring that all Group stakeholder engagements adhere to established governance, ethics, conduct, and reputational risk frameworks. This may also involve assisting with updates to Stakeholder Relations policies.
• **Reporting:** Providing regular insights to the Group Head on stakeholder sentiment, policy risks, and emerging issues, and assisting with stakeholder relations reporting for the Integrated Report.

What They're Looking For

To excel in this role, candidates will need a strong academic foundation and substantial professional experience in stakeholder engagement and public affairs. An ideal candidate will possess:

• A relevant tertiary qualification, such as a Degree in Political Science, Public Policy, Development Management, Economics, Law, or International Relations.
• A minimum of five years of experience in group-level stakeholder relations, corporate affairs, public affairs, or policy advocacy.
• At least three years of experience in middle management, with a proven track record of coordinating engagements involving senior representatives from corporations, government, and other influential organisations.
• Demonstrated ability to manage and coordinate stakeholder engagement efforts across multiple business units or geographical locations.

Candidates should possess strong skills in strategic planning, action planning, data compilation, and executing plans. They must be adept at managing stakeholder expectations, presenting solutions effectively, and understanding policies and procedures. Excellent oral communication, professional presentation, and the ability to develop and present policy will be essential. Competencies such as balancing stakeholder needs with business objectives, insightful communication, cultivating innovation, customer focus, interpersonal skills, and strategic prioritisation are highly valued.

This position at Old Mutual offers an opportunity to contribute significantly to the organisation's external relationships and public profile within South Africa and the broader African context. The role demands strategic thinking, robust execution, and a deep understanding of the complexities of stakeholder management in a large, diversified financial services group.

Requirements: Skills, Qualifications, Experience required

• Degree in Political Science, Public Policy, Development Management, Economics, Law, International Relations or relevant field

• 5 years ‘experience in Group-level stakeholder relations, corporate affairs, public affairs or policy advocacy

• Minimum 3 years’ experience in middle management and coordination involving senior, high-profile representatives of corporations, government, and other stakeholder organisations.

• Demonstrated experience coordinating stakeholder engagement across multiple business units or geographies

The appointment will be made from the designated group in line with the Employment Equity Plan of OML South Africa and the specific business unit in question

 

Skills

Action Planning, Adaptive Thinking, Data Compilation, Executing Plans, Managing Stakeholder Expectations, Oral Communications, Policies & Procedures, Policy Development, Presenting Solutions, Professional Presentation, Second Language, Strategic Planning, Strategic Prioritization, Writing

Competencies

Balances Stakeholders

Business Insight

Communicates Effectively

Cultivates Innovation

Customer Focus

Interpersonal Savvy

Plans and Aligns

Situational Adaptability

Education

Bachelors Degree (B) (Required)

Closing Date

15 October 2026 , 23:59

The appointment will be made from the designated group in line with the Employment Equity Plan of Old Mutual South Africa and the specific business unit in question.

The Old Mutual Story!