Our mission
We're making Africa the first cashless continent.
In 2017, over half the population in Sub-Saharan Africa had no bank account. That's for good reason—the fees are too high, the closest branch can be miles away, and nobody takes cards. Without access to financial institutions, people are forced to keep their savings under the mattress. Small business owners rely on lenders who charge extortionate rates. Parents spend hours waiting in line to pay school fees in cash.
We're solving this by building financial services that just work: no account fees, instantly available, and accepted everywhere. In places where electricity, water and roads don't always work, you can still send money with Wave. In November 2017, we launched a mobile app in Senegal for cash deposit, withdrawal, and peer-to-peer and business payments. In 2019, we expanded to Cote d'Ivoire. Now, we have millions of users and are growing fast. Our goal is to make Africa the first cashless continent. And that's where you come in....
How you'll help us achieve it
We're looking for a PR & Communications Lead who is a seasoned external relations and corporate/brand communication specialist (one who thrives in storytelling, decision-making and influences strategies in highly competitive and/or scrutinized sectors).
This dynamic, in-house position focuses on managing a team across West Africa, reporting directly to an executive team member.
In this role, you'll:
- Build and manage our communications and public relations strategy.
- Develop and drive robust communication and storytelling media strategy.
- Collaborate with our Policy team to advocate Wave's point of view on the industry and regulatory topics, growing our profile as a thought leader among relevant stakeholders (such as banks, telecoms, relevant regulators, and other global influencers).
- Educate key business global press and media on Wave's products, market opportunity, competitive differentiation, and the dependencies that fin-tech has on incumbent telecom operators.
- Collaborate with our Talent team to attract top talent across Africa and internationally by telling stories about our mission and culture.
- Work with internal spokespeople to develop their messaging.
- Monitor media and track all global media placements and international public outreach.
- Broaden awareness of Wave's PR & Comms strategy, CSR programs, and priorities within Wave and with key stakeholders.
- Oversee and develop relevant business content, such as blogs and media content for international audiences.
- Work with external agencies and freelancers to provide extra support when needed.
Key details
- Location: Senegal/Cote d'Ivoire or based anywhere in Francophone West Africa, and open to relocation or frequent travels.
- Our salaries are competitive and calculated using a transparent formula.
- We run performance reviews twice a year and award bonuses to strong performers who have been with the company for more than 6 months.
- We pay 100% of your health care insurance premium cost for yourself and your dependents.
- We support working parents - we offer generous parental leave policies (26 weeks for mothers and 4 weeks for fathers) and subsidized childcare when you return to work.
- We help you live your fullest life now! We subsidize gym memberships, fitness classes, and workout equipment.
- Airtime reimbursement.
- Free food and beautiful office space.
Requirements
- 10+ years of experience in communications at high growth and highly competitive technology, financial service company, or large multinational company in West Africa.
- Excellent knowledge of the Senegalese and Ivorian PR sector would be a strong advantage.
- 2+ years of experience managing a team of more than 3 people.
- Fluent in English and French, with working proficiency.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Relationships with key media and technology reporters across West Africa and the ability to build new ones quickly.
- Able to collaborate with executives, brand spokespeople, and members of the media.
- Openness and curiosity. We maximize our rate of learning at Wave, and since the media landscape is constantly changing, we're looking for someone who can be flexible in the face of ambiguity with a growth mindset.
You might be a good fit if you
- Enjoy working at fast-growing startups and technology companies or are passionate about financial inclusion.
- Are data-oriented and able to measure and report successes/failures.
- Possess a bias toward action and testing and are analytical and intellectually curious.
- Are creative in the way you go about tackling problems and embrace failure as a means to spark innovation and growth.
- You can handle multiple projects and thrive in a very dynamic environment.
- A self-starter who is dedicated and demonstrates creative and critical thinking abilities.
Our team
- We have a rapidly growing in-country team in Senegal, Côte D'Ivoire, Mali, Burkina Faso, Gambia, and Uganda, plus remote team members spread across the world. We're deeply passionate about our mission of bringing radically affordable financial services to the people who need them most.
- We foster autonomy for our employees. You'll own your own projects at every stage, from understanding the problem to monitoring your solution in production.
- We’re backed by world-class investors including Founders Fund, Sequoia Heritage, Stripe, Ribbit Capital, Y Combinator and Partech Africa.
How to apply
Fill out the form below, and upload a resume in English.
Optional: Please feel free to add a cover letter or note if there is anything additional that you would like to share about your interest in Wave/the role or your experience. We review applications on a rolling basis.
Wave is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.