Lead Analyst, MENA

Department: Technology

Team: GSMA Intelligence

Location: Dubai preferably, but open to other countries within MENA region

Position type: Fixed Term Contract, 12 months (depending on location)

What the hiring manager says

This an exceptional opportunity for an experienced industry professional to join our team of analysts and experts in a brand-new role, designed to provide fresh insights to our existing industry-leading regional research and consulting. The successful candidate will shape our research outputs and stakeholder engagement in the Middle East and North Africa, in close collaboration with the GSMA regional team and GSMA Intelligence colleagues in other locations. They will also help to expand our portfolio of reports across a range of industry topics while supporting our flagship global research and industry data forecasts with valuable local perspectives. This is an exciting opportunity for the right person to craft this new role and at the same time build their public profile in the wider telecoms industry and help grow GSMA Intelligence’s external reputation and influence.

Kenechi Okeleke, Senior Director

About the Team

GSMA Intelligence is the definitive source of global mobile operator data, analysis and forecasts, and publisher of authoritative industry reports and research. We provide the most accurate and complete set of industry metrics available, comprising tens of millions of individual data points, updated daily. GSMA Intelligence is relied on by leading operators, vendors, regulators, financial institutions and third-party industry players, to support strategic decision making and long-term investment planning. Our data and insights are frequently cited by the media, academia, and NGOs. The GSMA Intelligence team is largely based in London and Delhi but is currently expanding with new roles in other locations to build out its regional capabilities and deepen on-the-ground insights.

About the Role

As a Lead Analyst covering the Middle East and North Africa, you will be GSMA Intelligence’s expert and first point of contact for insights across a range of topics in the region. These are wide ranging, including operator strategy and performance, network transformation, AI and other emerging technologies, satellite, digital content and services, climate and sustainability, digital policy and regulations, and the socio-economic impact of mobile technologies.

You will track key developments across the entire digital ecosystem in the region and work closely with the regional team, key ecosystem players, and GSMA Intelligence colleagues to derive insights and articulate their implications for the telecoms industry. These insights will be disseminated through thought-leading reports (long-form and short-form), presentations, and other formats with internal and external stakeholders. You will also maintain existing relationships and develop new ones with industry players, including mobile operators, vendors, international organisations and regulators, and leverage analyst briefings, one-to-one meetings, and industry events, to draw insights and identify opportunities for collaboration.

Working with the GSMA’s MENA regional team will be a key priority and opportunity to parlay our assets and commercial capabilities to simultaneously support their agenda and key relationships. In addition to report delivery, this will involve sourcing new consulting and subscription business where relevant and developing proposals and workplans for project delivery. This will also involve representing GSMA Intelligence as a speaker at regional events on key topics.

You will collaborate with key members of the wider GSMA Intelligence team, including Data Forecasting, Consulting, Research, Economists, and Sales and Marketing to drive synergies and teamwork. Much of this collaboration will happen remotely with colleagues based in London, Delhi and other locations. As such, some flexibility may be required to accommodate multiple time zones.

About You

You will have demonstrable knowledge of telecoms industry dynamics and will be familiar with major trends shaping the global digital ecosystem, including technology evolution and customer behaviour in the consumer and enterprise segments. You will also have a solid understanding of the telecoms business, technology and policy landscapes in MENA and can analyse the impact of various developments on the mobile and broader telecoms sector. You will have fluent and compelling written and oral communications skills in English, and ideally Arabic (although not required), and the ability to deliver insights independently. You will be a confident communicator, able to discuss research insights with internal colleagues and present same to external stakeholders at industry events and other forums.

As this is a generalist role, you will bring – and be willing to further develop – expertise across multiple topics in the telecoms industry. Experience in modelling and/or quantitative analysis would be a bonus. You will have a proven track record of building and maintaining relationships with industry players to gather insights through briefings and meetings. You will enjoy working within a team environment and be able to build networks with key individuals to support your role but also possess the self-discipline to work independently to meet targets. You will have excellent cultural awareness and the capability to work with globally dispersed teams.

About your skills

Analysis - You will have a strong qualitative and quantitative research skills, as well as a proven track record in developing high quality written output. You will also be adept at primary and secondary research.

Delivery – You will be highly organised with excellent attention to detail, a proactive attitude, and ability to manage own time effectively as well as that of others. You will be business minded but also possess good technical literacy and a knack for seeing through complexity. Detailed understanding of the telecoms and/or digital industries is required.

Stakeholder management - You will be confident in dealing with a range of internal and external stakeholders, including senior management and board level individuals, and a strong listener driven to solve the needs of key partners. You will have strong interpersonal skills, enabling you to work well with and provide proactive support to team members, and influence senior stakeholders to build consensus around an approach.

Communication - You will be an exceptional, clear and persuasive communicator, both in writing and in person. As your work will include public facing reports and compelling, actionable insights which will be embedded into the GSMA’s programmes, you will have the ability to get consistent internal and external buy-in for your work.

Teamwork – You will have a collaborative mindset, with a view to sharing knowledge and expertise with others within your team and the wider organisation and supporting internal clients to achieve their set objectives.

Contract type

Worker type

What We Offer

Working at the GSMA offers you unparalleled access to the mobile industry. We offer a chance to truly shape the direction of mobile, whatever your role. By joining the GSMA, you will be exposed to a fast-paced rapidly evolving environment, working on global solutions, genuinely fascinating and industry-changing projects and a stimulating and dynamic environment designed to enable you to flourish.

In addition to architect-designed offices and competitive compensation, our benefits include fantastic learning & development opportunities, generous holiday allowances, four additional days off for professional development and many others.

To learn more about the GSMA, visit our career site, our LinkedIn page and our Twitter page.

Being You at the GSMA

We care deeply about diversity, equity and inclusivity and aspire to be the best at it. Your well-being and work/life balance is important, so flexi-time and remote working is available to all staff. We're keen to ensure everyone is equal, represented and connected so we particularly encourage applications from all demographics. The sucess of the GSMA year on year will continue to be contributed by people from all walks of life.

GSMA Values

Our values not only drive our culture – they shape how we work and interact inside and outside our global organisation.

Passionately driven

We approach everything we do with unparalleled capability, tenacity and commitment, knowing that the challenging scale, pace and complexity of our work is what leads to its world-changing impact.

Insightful leaders

We continually develop and engage our expertise, insight and creativity so that we’re always ready to respond to the changing landscape with authority, agility and nuance.

Stronger together

We lean on each other so the industry can lean on us, embracing our diversity by actively seeking out perspectives and skill sets beyond our own, fuelling each other’s successes and constantly asking how we can help.

Underpinning our values is our collective mindset to show up purposefully as good human beings every day, in every situation. When we’re at our best – we are collaborative, considerate and compassionate to others, and we create a safe space for one another to thrive, assuming positive intent in our colleagues. And if we aren’t at our best and the pressure is on – we feel free to be ourselves but still remain curious, lean into the tough stuff and we are always respectful to others and accountable for the part we play.