Head of Strategic Initiatives

Department: Strategy

Team: Strategic Initiatives

Location: London (Hybrid)

Position type: Permanent Full time

What the hiring manager says

Strategy only matters if it translates into meaningful impact.

The Head of Strategic Initiatives will ensure that GSMA does not simply observe industry shifts but actively shapes them. This role will identify champion and amplify high-impact priorities across the mobile ecosystem - ensuring that when GSMA selects a strategic focus area we lead with scale coordination and visible impact.

This is about making GSMA the centre of gravity for selected industry priorities - leveraging our technical expertise policy leadership global convening power and brand to deliver outsized impact for our members.

Hakan Dursun Chief Strategy Officer

About the Team

The Strategy team shapes the long-term direction of the GSMA to ensure we provide maximum value to our members and the broader mobile ecosystem.

The team is responsible for:

• Sector Strategy & Projects defining the industrys 35 year outlook and implications for GSMA.

• Corporate Strategy & Projects developing the 3-year strategic roadmap of GSMA KPIs business plan and high-level operating plan.

• Strategic Initiatives leading/ coordinating cross-functional initiatives externally and internally (e.g. 5G monetisation 6G AI Innovation inorganic growth opportunities AI-first GSMA etc.).

• GSMA Intelligence the only data and insights source built from inside the telecoms industry delivering trusted forecasts real-time insights and deep research across the global telecoms ecosystem

• Strategy Group convening telecom CSOs to align on industry-level priorities.

As a small high-impact team we work across functions and regions to drive clarity alignment and execution against long-term goals.

About the role

The Head of Strategic Initiatives is responsible for identifying shaping and amplifying high-impact strategic priorities for GSMA and the broader mobile ecosystem.

The role brings a top-down ecosystem-level perspective to selected industry priorities (e.g. 5G monetisation 6G AI innovation inorganic growth opportunities AI-first GSMA) and ensures GSMA delivers maximum value and visible leadership in those domains. This is not about taking over operational ownership. It is about:

• Setting direction

• Mapping the ecosystem

• Identifying gaps and opportunities

• Coordinating internal capabilities

• Elevating impact to industry scale

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Priority Identification & Scoping

• Identify and champion high-impact strategic initiatives aligned with sector and corporate strategy

• Define clear ambition scope and outcomes for selected priority areas

• Develop initiative charters and strategic roadmaps

Ecosystem Mapping & Opportunity Identification

• Map the industry landscape for each priority:

  • Key players and competitors

  • Existing industry initiatives

  • Potential partners and collaborators

  • White spaces and gaps

• Identify where GSMA can uniquely add value and differentiate

Cross-Functional Orchestration

• Coordinate across GSMA functions (policy technical domains events marketing regional teams GSMA Intelligence)

• Ensure initiatives leverage GSMAs full capability stack:

  • Technical expertise

  • Policy influence

  • Global events and convening power

  • Brand and communications

• Align stakeholders around shared objectives and measurable outcomes

Execution Oversight & Impact Amplification

• Establish governance and progress tracking mechanisms for key initiatives

• Ensure initiatives move beyond concept into visible measurable impact

• Identify and resolve execution bottlenecks

• Drive storytelling and positioning to reinforce GSMAs leadership in selected domains

• Ensure the GSMA stamp is clearly visible in priority areas

Partnership & External Engagement

• Develop strategic partnerships that accelerate impact

• Represent GSMA in relevant industry forums and working groups

• Strengthen GSMAs position as the industrys coordination platform for priority domains

About You

• Significant experience leading complex cross-functional strategic initiatives

• Strong understanding of the telecom and broader digital ecosystem

• Demonstrated ability to orchestrate across multiple stakeholders without direct authority

• Strong commercial and strategic acumen

• Experience shaping large-scale programmes or ecosystem initiatives

• Comfortable operating at executive level and influencing senior leaders

• Pragmatic impact-oriented and execution-focused

• Experience operating in fast-paced or high-growth environments

• Results orientated problem-solver with strong resilience and adaptability

About Your Skills

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. Were 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 were 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 others 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 were 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 arent 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.