AI National Skills Director, South Africa Full-time

Microsoft Philanthropies (MSP) is a global social business that provides affordable technology and enables digital and AI transformation to nonprofits and intergovernmental organizations, AI skilling at scale to help everyone participate in the digital economy, and strategic community engagement initiatives, to expand opportunity for people around the world.

The AI National Skills Initiative (AINSI) is one of our primary programs to deliver AI at scale in priority Microsoft markets. As the AI National Skills Director for South Africa, this role leads the AINSI program within the country including (1) developing and executing strategic partnerships with government, education, private sector, and civil society (NGO/IGOs, industry associations, workforce development and labor organizations) to skill individuals and organizations at scale on generative AI, (2) coordinating and aligning priorities to execute AINSI with key internal stakeholders across local Microsoft teams, (3) landing global Microsoft skilling programs, tailored to local country needs, (4) sharing breakthrough best practices and success stories with policy makers and influencers to further AI skills development within the country.

Responsibilities:

Responsibilities

Strategy/Program Management

• Develops strategic goals for and executes the AI National Skills Initiative at the country level selecting skilling and training program offerings from across the company to drive skilling at-scale in partnership with external stakeholders and organizations such as governments, educational institutions, industry, and civil society.
• Formulates Microsoft’s AI National Skills Initiative.
• Advises on and responds strategic issues on AI skilling, and recommends well thought-out actions by prioritizing, ensuring alignment with internal and external stakeholder positions, leveraging specialists, or escalating matters.
• Shapes Microsoft’s policy agenda that addresses complex societal issues and business priorities with a focus on AI skilling.
• Identifies and recommends AI skilling initiatives to address complex local, regional, national, and global community and civic engagement needs in alignment with Microsoft’s corporate social responsibility standards.
• Develops and manages AINSI programs and/or initiatives that build resiliency, self-sufficiency, and opportunities for individuals and communities.
• Develops and manages matrixed, highly complex project timelines, budgets, and plans for AINSI.
• Develops processes to facilitate program development, outreach, and execution, and assesses feasibility of program extension to other internal and external communities, including key internal stakeholders such as country level leadership.

Business, Technical, and Societal Expertise

• Develops and/or recommends highly impactful solutions for advancing Microsoft AI skilling agenda, while managing risks and consequences.
• Identifies and gathers resources across internal and external communities to ensure a positive impact of AINSI.

Representing Microsoft

• Communicates Microsoft’s perspective on key strategic AI skilling issues and garners the support of influential internal and external stakeholders to advance Microsoft’s CSR agenda.
• Influences and contributes to the messaging and communications strategy as a spokesperson to ensure programs are integrated into internal and external stakeholder messaging.
• Understands and applies detailed knowledge of Microsoft and Corporate and Legal Affairs strategies to drive results and program integrity, especially as the relate to AI skilling.
• Develops recommendations for how Microsoft products and software can be used to solve societal issues and create opportunities in the community.
• Participates in large internal and external events to advocate for Microsoft skilling programs

External Relationships

• Identifies and manages partnerships (e.g., nonprofit, international, advocacy, academic) to advance AI skilling programs.
• Implements improvements to corporate social responsibility (e.g., philanthropies, accessibility, sustainability) initiatives based on community and stakeholder feedback.

Internal Collaboration

• Serves as a strategic partner for AI skilling by supporting business development opportunities and assisting in navigating, minimizing, or removing roadblocks in order to drive business results.
• Participates in and/or leads intra-group and/or cross-group projects and ensures accountability by leveraging project management approaches.
• Escalates intra- and cross-group misalignment as needed.
• Proactively collaborates with and influences internal stakeholders across functions to ensure a mutual understanding and alignment of objectives, priorities, and resources.

Other

• Embody our culture and values

Qualifications:

Required/Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree AND 7+ years experience in corporate social responsibility, philanthropies, corporate affairs, or related area
  • OR 10+ years experience in corporate social responsibility, philanthropies, corporate affairs, or related area.

Additional or Preferred Qualifications

• 12+ years experience in corporate social responsibility, philanthropies, corporate affairs, or related area.In-house counsel experience
• 3+ years experience managing a corporate social responsibility or related program.
• 3+ years experience working in or with a large, matrixed organization.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via the Accommodation request form .

Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.