Principal Specialist: Foundation & Social Impact

At Cell C, we are not just a telecommunications company; we are a people-centric and consumer-focused organization committed to delivering exceptional experiences to our customers. In line with our dedication to customer-centricity, we are seeking a seasoned professional as a Principal Specialist:
Cell C Foundation & Social Impact to join a dynamic team of #Unstoppables
.

To position Cell C as a Responsible, Inclusive Digital Ally by leading the Cell C Foundation as the primary delivery and governance vehicle for the Group's Social Impact agenda, advancing the Social ("S") component of Cell C's ESG strategy through credible, measurable, national-scale programmes.

The role drives long-term, sustainable social impact focused on youth empowerment, digital inclusion, entrepreneurship, education, and gender-based violence (GBV) response. It ensures alignment with Cell C's brand promise, post-listing narrative, and the Group's strategic pillars, while ope rationalising social outcomes as inputs to enterprise value creation, licence to operate, and stakeholder trust.

This role is not accountable for Cell C's overall ESG or Sustainability strategy (owned by the Chief Strategy Officer / EXCO Sustainability Sponsor). It is accountable for the credible design, delivery, measurement and reporting of the Social component of ESG, and for interlocking Foundation activity with the enterprise ESG scorecard, Social & Ethics Committee, and Integrated Reporting cycle.

• Lead the development, refresh and execution of the Cell C Foundation strategy, aligned to Corporate Affairs Strategy and Cell C’s post-listing narrative
• Operationalise the Social component of Cell C's ESG strategy through the Foundation, ensuring social outcomes are decision-shaping - not narrative-only
• Translate the ESG ambition into a coherent, multi-year Social Impact roadmap anchored in national priorities and UN SDGs (4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 16)
• Interlock with the EXCO ESG Sponsor and Sustainability Committee to ensure Foundation activity is embedded in the enterprise ESG scorecard, not run as a parallel agenda
• Contribute Social inputs to the Social Compact, Stakeholder Engagement Policy, and Cell C’s Integrated Reporting cycle
• Lead the Foundation's flagship programme portfolio, including:
• Workplace exposure:
  Take a Child to Work (TACTW) -
• Education & STEM:
  Edu Cate matric revision programme
• Digital access & skills
• GBV & gender equality: partner-led response programmes advancing safer digital and economic participation
• Reframe legacy CSI (Acts of Kindness, employee volunteerism) into an integrated, Foundation-led national platform
• Leverage Cell C's asset-light platform, MVNO ecosystem and zero-rated channels to expand the reach and depth of programmes
• Cultivate and manage strategic partnerships with NGOs, government, regulators, provincial/municipal authorities, educational institutions, private-sector partners, and multilateral bodies
• Build a network of mentors, industry experts and advisors to support programme participants
• Collaborate with Marketing, Brand, HR, Government Relations, Regulatory Affairs and Investor Relations to identify synergies between Foundation programmes and enterprise priorities (e.g. Cell C Business, MVNO growth, executive profiling)
• Manage delivery partners and specialist agencies with clear scopes, KPIs and value-for-money accountability

• Establish and maintain a credible impact-measurement and reporting system distinguishing between reach and outcome metrics, in partnership with research providers
• Own the Social KPIs in the Group ESG Scorecard, and cumulative youth empowerment reach and outcomes
  
  Provide Social inputs to disclosure frameworks: IFRS S1, GRI alignment, JSE Listings Requirements, King IV/V principles, and (as they mature) CDP, MSCI and S&P Global ratings
• Prepare and present the Social chapter of the Integrated Annual Report and Social & Ethics Committee submissions
• Ensure the Foundation is governed in line with its Charter, the Group's Delegation of Authority,…