Compliance and Governance Specialist

Job Title: Compliance & Risk Specialist

Department: Group Governance & Compliance
Location: Telecel Group
Reports To: Group COO
Contract Type: Full-time

Position Overview

We are seeking a highly structured and independent Compliance & Risk Specialist to establish, operate, and continuously strengthen Telecel Group’s compliance, governance, and internal control framework across all operating companies, shared services, and third-party relationships.

This role is central to Telecel’s ability to remain audit-ready, regulator-compliant, investor-grade, and IPO-ready always. The Compliance Specialist will act as the Group’s second line of defense, ensuring that policies, controls, and regulatory obligations are not only defined, but actively enforced, evidenced, and monitored.

You will work directly with the Process Director to translate Telecel’s governance architecture into a living, operating compliance system across Africa, Europe, and shared services.

You will:

Build and maintain Telecel’s Group-wide compliance framework covering regulatory, financial, HR, data protection, ESG, procurement, and governance obligations.
Translate policies into controls, ownership, and evidence requirements across all entities.
Operate the Group compliance calendar, ensuring that statutory filings, audits, certifications, and regulatory obligations are completed on time.
Maintain the Group policy library, control register, and compliance evidence repository.
Serve as the central audit and due-diligence interface for external auditors, investors, banks, regulators, and advisors.
Track and escalate compliance risks, breaches, and control failures across OPCOs.
Oversee third-party and vendor compliance, including KYC, sanctions, Code of Conduct, and procurement governance.
Ensure that employment law, data protection, and telecom regulatory requirements are consistently met across jurisdictions.
Produce audit-ready evidence packs, compliance dashboards, and management reports for Group leadership.
Work with HR, IT, Finance, Legal, and Operations to embed compliance into day-to-day execution.
Support the Process Director in governance design, DoA enforcement, and investor-grade control frameworks.
Identifying, assessing, monitoring, and escalating strategic, operational, financial, regulatory, and compliance risks
Monitoring control effectiveness and identifying control failures across the organisation.
Supporting audit readiness and providing evidence for investors, lenders, regulators, and auditors.

Deliverables (Ongoing)

• Group-wide Compliance & Risk Framework
• Master Policy Library & Versioned Control Register
• OPCO Compliance Dashboards & Risk Registers
• Audit, Due Diligence & Investor Evidence Packs
• Regulatory & Statutory Compliance Tracker
• Vendor & Third-Party Compliance Repository
• Incident & Breach Logs with Remediation Plans
• Quarterly Risk & Compliance Reporting to stakeholders

What You Need to Get the Job Done

• Bachelor’s degree in law, Accounting, Risk, Governance, Business, or a related field.
• 8+ years of experience in compliance, audit, risk, internal controls, or regulatory governance.
• Experience working with multi-country, regulated, or telecom environments.
• Strong understanding of audit frameworks, ISO controls, financial governance, and regulatory compliance.
• Demonstrated ability to build compliance systems, not just write policies.
• Strong documentation, evidence management, and reporting skills.
• Comfortable challenging senior stakeholders and escalating risk when needed.
• Proficient in Microsoft 365, SharePoint, and compliance documentation tools & Tech-savvy.

What Will Make Us REALLY Love You

• Experience in telecom, financial services, infrastructure, or Big-4 environments.
• Exposure to bond issuance, IPO preparation, or M&A due diligence.
• Familiarity with ESG, data protection, and third-party risk frameworks.
• Experience implementing ISO-style control and governance systems.
• A mindset that treats compliance as an operating discipline, not a checkbox.

About Us

Telecel Group is a dynamic telecommunications and technology company operating across Africa and beyond. With a presence in over 20 countries, we specialize in mobile communications, internet services, fintech solutions, and digital infrastructure. Our mission is to bridge the digital divide by providing innovative, inclusive, and scalable connectivity solutions that empower communities and drive socio-economic growth.

Guided by a strong commitment to transformation and impact, Telecel Group leads strategic investments, mergers and acquisitions, and digital innovations that shape the future of connectivity. Our diverse team works across our operational entities, technology ventures, and group-level initiatives to create sustainable value for customers, partners, and shareholders.

What sets us apart isn’t just what we do, but how we do it: with openness, integrity, and a shared commitment to doing the right thing.
At Telecel, we don’t just connect networks, we connect people, possibilities, and progress.

Telecel Group is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations throughout the hiring process. If you’d like to request accommodations, please let your recruiter know.
Telecel Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer.