Principal Consultant: Regulatory (M&A and Business Development)

About this role

MTN, a major telecommunications group with a strong focus on Africa, is recruiting a Principal Consultant for its regulatory team. Based in Roodepoort, Gauteng, the role leads the regulatory side of acquisitions, mergers and business development deals across several countries.

What you’ll do

• Deal origination: Lead the regulatory approach for identified deals and assess early-stage approval routes, licence impacts, ownership limits and competition or foreign investment issues.
• Due diligence: Lead regulatory due diligence on targets, assets and partners, covering licences, spectrum rights, compliance history and change-of-control rules.
• Risk management: Keep a regulatory risk register and make clear recommendations on accepting, reducing, transferring or walking away from risk.
• Deal documents: Advise on regulatory terms in term sheets, sale agreements, shareholder and joint venture agreements, and guide negotiation positions.
• Authority engagement: Coordinate multi-country approval strategies, filings and engagement with telecoms regulators, competition authorities and government departments.
• Closing and after: Confirm regulatory readiness for closing, plan post-deal integration and monitor compliance once a deal is complete.
• Leadership and reporting: Brief executives and governance committees, manage external advisers and budgets, and coach transaction teams.

What you need

• A minimum 4-year degree in Law, Accounting or Audit.
• A relevant postgraduate qualification such as a Masters or MBA (advantageous).
• Relevant professional certification, accreditation or membership, as required for the role.
• At least 5 years of senior management experience, with at least 3 years in the relevant sector or specialist area.
• Seasoned regulatory experience, including senior advisory work in telecoms, digital infrastructure, technology or another highly regulated sector.
• Proven experience supporting M&A and business development deals, including due diligence, structuring, regulatory approvals and post-close implementation.
• Experience in a multinational or emerging-market setting, across multiple jurisdictions and cultures (strongly preferred).
• Experience influencing senior stakeholders in matrixed, cross-functional teams.
• Knowledge of telecoms and digital regulation, licensing, competition merger control, foreign investment rules and cross-border deal execution.
• Strong skills in regulatory analysis, negotiation, executive communication, report writing and managing advisers.

Is this job for you?

This role suits a senior regulatory professional who has worked on complex deals in a highly regulated industry. You should be comfortable dealing with several countries’ rules at once and briefing senior leaders on risk and decisions.

Tips before you apply

• Have your degree, postgraduate qualifications and any professional membership certificates ready to upload.
• Show your years of senior regulatory and M&A work clearly, with the sectors, countries and deal types you handled.
• Give short examples of approvals or deals you helped move forward, including the regulators involved and your role in the outcome.

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