Job description

Role summary

This position leads Corporate Affairs for West Africa and plays a central role in protecting PepsiCo’s ability to operate and grow in a fast-moving, high-complexity market. The role acts as a strategic adviser and external-facing representative across Foods and Beverages, helping align the company’s voice with internal leaders, government bodies, media, industry groups, communities, and other stakeholders.

The scope is broad and combines public policy, government relations, communications, brand public relations, crisis communication, social impact, CSR, and ESG-related work. It also supports PepsiCo Positive, business expansion, and reputation management across a region that is linguistically, culturally, and politically diverse.

Strategic context

The role is designed to provide a single Corporate Affairs voice across several markets and business structures, including long-standing bottling partnerships, newer beverage ventures, Foods growth, and other emerging categories. It supports business continuity by helping manage regulatory pressure, secure permits and exemptions where needed, and build strong relationships with decision-makers at local, federal, and regional levels.

It also carries responsibility for shaping the company’s presence as a growth partner in the region, strengthening stakeholder trust, supporting community programs, and ensuring external messaging reflects PepsiCo’s commercial and sustainability priorities.

Key areas of focus

Set and execute the region’s Corporate Affairs direction across public policy, regulation, government relations, trade and industry relations, communications, and CSR.
Act as a strategic partner to senior business leaders across Foods, Beverages, and regional/global Corporate Affairs functions.
Monitor regulatory, political, social, and business developments to identify risks early and convert threats into workable business actions.
Lead government engagement and stakeholder management from community level through to federal leadership.
Shape external communications, media handling, brand PR, internal engagement, and crisis response.
Support PepsiCo Positive, foundation-led programs, sustainability storytelling, and community-impact initiatives.
Coordinate closely with bottling partners, commercial teams, and cross-functional teams to align messaging and execution.

Responsibilities

Strategic leadership

Build the region’s multi-year Corporate Affairs strategy covering policy, regulation, government affairs, industry and trade relations, communications, and CSR.
Ensure Corporate Affairs targets are delivered, risks are reduced, and business opportunities are actively pursued.
Partner with local, regional, and global stakeholders to influence internal and external audiences effectively.
Embed PepsiCo’s perspective and thought leadership in government and policy discussions so the business can grow with lower risk.
Develop the policy approach for License to Thrive and guide the government engagement and lobbying plan across community, local, regional, and federal levels.
Lead external positioning, communications planning, social and print media messaging, media relations, brand PR, employee engagement, and coordination with bottling partners.
Create and execute a strong CSR plan in partnership with PepsiCo Foundation and local stakeholder groups.

Policy, regulation, and stakeholder management

Oversee important policy and regulatory matters in a fast-changing environment to safeguard growth in the region.
Track civic, social, business, and government developments to identify emerging risks before they escalate.
Build the regional regulatory risk outlook and set mitigation plans with International Beverages, MENAPAK OU Foods, and Global Corporate Affairs leaders.
Advise business and leadership teams early on regulatory threats and help align them with business plans.
Research emerging public policy matters and identify opportunities for collaboration with allied groups and industries.
Translate external political and policy conditions into practical business insight and recommendations.
Run internal and external stakeholder platforms so PepsiCo is strongly represented in relevant forums.
Lead government engagement strategy across local, regional, and federal levels and keep all key relationships active.
Maintain a stakeholder tracking and follow-up system with clear documentation and accountability.
Support strategic projects by coordinating Corporate Affairs inputs including PPGA, communications, brand PR, pep+, and social impact.

Communications, brand PR, and reputation

Manage external communications so PepsiCo is positioned as a leading international investor.
Develop and refresh the 360-degree communications approach, including tools and training that help teams use it effectively, with emphasis on PepsiCo Positive.
Connect PepsiCo in Africa to the global communications agenda and highlight West Africa’s contribution to Foods and Beverages growth.
Create content that strengthens corporate reputation through social impact, investment, sustainability, and product/brand storytelling.
Represent the business at relevant events, forums, and platforms to protect commercial interests.
Drive external communication around pep+ and its three pillars: Positive Agriculture, Positive Value Chain, and Positive Choices.
Coordinate with internal and external stakeholders to deliver high-impact communications that build reputation.
Support communications for strategic partnerships tied to global commitments, including nutrition, health and wellness, and sustainable agriculture.

Requirements

Strong senior-level experience in Corporate Affairs, public policy, government affairs, stakeholder engagement, or a closely related field.
Proven ability to advise executives and represent the business in high-stakes conversations with government and external stakeholders.
Experience working across communications, media relations, crisis response, brand PR, and social impact initiatives.
Deep understanding of complex political, regulatory, and commercial environments in West Africa or similar markets.
Ability to navigate multilingual, multicultural, and multi-country contexts with sound judgement and local awareness.
Capacity to manage sensitive, confidential, and high-risk matters with discretion.
Strong cross-functional coordination skills and the ability to influence internal and external stakeholders at senior levels.
Experience in ESG, CSR, sustainability storytelling, and community-facing programs is important.
Industry knowledge, local market acumen, and language capability are important success factors.

Additional context

The role covers a wide and complex regional footprint and may expand further as PepsiCo grows in Africa. It supports several markets and business units, with responsibility extending across Foods and Beverages and with potential future coverage of new categories. The environment is fast paced, politically dynamic, and highly sensitive to regulation and public perception, so the position requires strong strategic judgement, confidence, and adaptability.

The role also supports broader corporate reputation goals linked to health and wellness, renewable energy access, environmental protection, support for farmers, and other initiatives that contribute to growth and long-term trust in the market.

Working arrangements, salary, perks, application timeline, duration, and immediate start details were not specified in the source.

Corporate Affairs Manager

Where you'll work