Job Description
Mselect is looking to hire a Government and Community Affairs Manager for one of its major Oil & Gas clients in Erbil. Major responsibilities will include strategic leadership and day-to-day management of the company’s Government and Community Affairs Department. Excellent business reading, writing, and speaking skills in Sorani Kurdish and English is required.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Managing of company’s Government and Community Affairs group of 11 individuals in 9 positions located in Erbil, Duhok, and on the Atrush Block
- Building and maintaining a strong and positive government relations program and advising senior management on strategic government relations issues.
- Providing leadership in international best practices and application in government affairs, and social performance standards such as IPIECA, and the International Finance Corporation
- Working with local communities and stakeholders to build positive local relationships through a program of stakeholder engagement, minimization of social impacts, oversight of a program of strategic social investment, and timely land acquisition and compensation
- Updating/preparing department plans and processes including: GCA Charter, Stakeholder Engagement, Land Acquisition and Compensation, Five-Year Corporate Social Responsibility Plan, Local Content Plan, Socioeconomic Baseline, and others
- Represents the highest ethical standards in compliance with anti-corruption requirements of company, the British Anti-Corruption Act, and Iraq law
JOB DIMENSIONS
- Builds and maintains positive relationships with Kurdistan Regional Government Ministries, in particular the Ministry of Natural Resources
- Supervises departmental interactions with Duhok Governorate, District Mayors in Shekhan, Amedi, and Akre, and sub-District managers in Chamanke and Atrush
- Develops and maintains positive interactions with local, regional, and KRG government officials (to facilitate approvals, document processing, and understanding of proposed and pending changes in regulations/other operating strategies)
- Represents company at government functions/social events
- Arranges meetings and events with government as required
- Proactively briefs Company personnel on changes to Kurdish and Iraqi laws that may affect them
- Contributes to risk management system/briefs on relevant/material government relations risks
Stakeholder Engagement
- Responsible for government/community stakeholder engagement strategy and implementation
- Plans/participates in meetings, town halls, roundtable discussions, and consultations as appropriate
- Prepares/implements meeting plans, identification of key issues and company responses
- Prepares/maintains departmental stakeholder engagement plan and updates as required
Land Acquisition
- Provides overall supervision of company’s land acquisition and compensation process
- Promotes timely/fair compensation meeting international norms for land to the extent feasible
- Ensures Land Acquisition and Compensation process/procedure is reviewed/updated yearly
Community Investment
- Provides overall supervision/oversight of company community investment programs including small grants materials/supplies, village based community investments, and other third-party contracts
- Ensures preparation-implementation of company Five Year Corporate Social Responsibility Plan
- Develops budgets, obtains approvals, acts as primary interface with MNR CSR Department
Social Impact and Grievance Management
- Provides overall supervisions/oversight of company’s social performance objectives in the areas of social impact identification/mitigation, grievance management, inputs into socio/economic sections of Environmental Impact Assessments, and other management documents
- Proactively identifies areas of inputs and works with relevant departments to implement
- Ensures relevant plans are implemented, reviewed, and updated as appropriate
Contractor Management and Local Content
- With Supply Chain Management is responsible owner of company Local Content Plan
- Prepares initiatives-strategies to provide local opportunities
Work Location
- Regularly works out of offices in Duhok and in the Atrush Block
Personnel Management
- Responsible for staff of 11 individuals (representing 9 full-time positions) in Erbil, Duhok and on the Atrush Block
- Ensures group deliverables are completed in a timely and effective manner
- Prepares staff performance reviews
- Determines training and development needs
- Prepares job descriptions, recruits individuals, oversees individual performance
- In coordination with each group manager reviews job descriptions from time-to-time to and adjusts as required to meet business needs
Administrative Responsibilities
- Prepares yearly work plan and determines departmental priorities and objectives
- Prepares yearly departmental budget and tracks against plan
- Prepares weekly and monthly reports as required
- Prepares presentations, position papers for management committee, leadership team and other business functions as required
- Additional duties as assigned from time to time by the line manager to meet business needs including personal training and development opportunities
- The Job Description will be reviewed periodically and may be modified to meet business needs
- Additional duties as assigned from time to time by the line manager to meet business needs including personal training and development opportunities
QUALIFICATIONS
- BA/BS or equivalent and 7-10 years’ relevant experience in government affairs, business management, oil and gas industry
- Intermediate level skills in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint)
- Fluent speaking English and Kurdish
- Excellent business reading-writing skills in Soroni Kurdish and English
- Intermediate level English speaking/reading/writing skills required
EXPERIENCE
- Ability to develop and manage effective relationships with diverse groups including management, Government entities, and Company stakeholders
- Prior experience managing teams of five to 15 individuals
- Excellent communication, project management skills, leadership and interpersonal skills required
- Ability to think strategically and develop, processes, and procedures to meet changing trends
- Ability public presentations in a variety of forums
- Demonstrated ability to work with local communities, relevant stakeholders, proven delivery of projects/programs; and experience in Kurdistan working at the local level
- Technical knowledge of upstream development in oil and gas
ADDITIONAL SKILLS/REQUIREMENTS
- Ability to influence in a persuasive manner that is consistent with building relationships and maintaining relevant working objectives consistent with the operational strategy and overarching guidelines/values of the corporation
- Awareness of/ and sensitive to cultural differences and how this builds long-term relationships and positive community relations required
INTERACTIONS
- As a member of the Atrush Leadership Team works with other senior managers in the areas of government and social performance
- Interface with development and production teams in areas relevant to departmental remit
- Regularly interacts/meets with Ministries and senior KRG officials, Duhok Governor and District mayors as required
- Meets with Ministries, senior government officials as required
- Interface with Non-Governmental organizations, embassies, other entities required for company business conduct in Kurdistan
- Attends meetings with partners and others as requested by Country Manager
- Other interactions/meetings as descried in the company Stakeholder Engagement Plan
- Represents company at major meetings, trade fairs, and industry events as required