Sun King

Off-grid solar home systems provider

Head of Marketing Southern Africa

Marketing Generalist & ManagementUpdated on Nov 13

Full-timeLusaka, ZambiaNo salary listedHybrid

About the Job

Requirements

A bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, or a related field is required.
At least 10 years of progressive marketing experience is required, including at least 5 years managing marketing teams or functions.
Strong knowledge of emerging-market consumer behavior and last-mile distribution dynamics is required.
Experience building and managing integrated marketing campaigns across digital, ATL/BTL, and community-based channels is required.
Solid data and financial acumen, including managing budgets and interpreting performance data, is required.
Demonstrated ability to manage multicultural teams and agencies across multiple countries is required.
Ability to operate across global and local contexts in cross-functional environments is required.

Responsibilities

Oversee the development and execution of marketing strategies that strengthen brand position, market growth, and customer adoption across the company’s products.
Translate the company’s mission of energy access and affordable products into compelling, data-informed campaigns that accelerate sales and build long-term brand confidence across Southern Africa.
Work periodically with other Heads of Marketing, global Marketing teams, and cross-functional teams to design and develop global cross-functional marketing initiatives.
Partner with the Vice President of Marketing to design and execute the global marketing strategy across Southern Africa, including Zambia, Mozambique, South Africa, and expansion markets.
Align marketing goals with commercial sales management and ensure measurable contribution to business performance.
Apply customer segmentation and targeted marketing approaches to deliver the right quality of customer.
Promote customer and market insights to shape campaigns, product design, pricing initiatives, and communication strategies.
Strengthen the company’s position as a valued, premium provider of clean energy and solar technology.
Work with the global communication and content team to design integrated brand campaigns that communicate functional product value and personal value.
Use storytelling to create strong brand sentiment.
Promote consistent brand identity across retail, digital, and community-level activation channels.
Develop go-to-market strategies for new product launches and market entries.
Work with sales to build effective agent and customer marketing programs.
Enable last-mile sales activities with localized materials, brand visibility, and consumer education initiatives.
Oversee digital transformation of the marketing function by building performance marketing, customer relationship management, and data insight capabilities.
Work with the digital content team to strengthen direct-to-customer engagement through digital channels where applicable.
Use data insights to measure customer engagement, prospect generation, and conversion effectiveness.
Manage, mentor, and develop regional and functional marketing teams, enabling team members to develop their careers and capabilities.
Foster a high-performance, purpose-focused culture centered on teamwork and innovation.
Manage agency partnerships and ensure excellence in creative output and campaign efficiency.

Desired Qualifications

An MBA is preferred.
Experience in renewable energy, off-grid solar, fast-moving consumer goods, or durable goods targeting base-of-pyramid consumers is a bonus.
Purpose-focused professional passionate about energy access and sustainability.
Strategic and commercial thinker with strong execution discipline.
Excellent communicator with strong storytelling skills.
Creative and data-focused, and effective in cross-functional environments.
Resilient, adaptable, and comfortable in high-growth, fast-changing environments.

Job Location: Lusaka, Zambia.

About The Role:

The Head of Marketing Southern Africa oversees the development and execution of marketing strategies that strengthen brand position, market growth, and customer adoption across Sun King’s range of products – from off-grid solar solutions, mobile phones and clean cooking solutions.

Reporting to the Vice President of Marketing, this role is accountable for translating the company’s mission of energy access and affordable products into compelling, data-informed campaigns that accelerate sales and build long-term brand confidence across Southern Africa.

The role combines strategic direction, deep knowledge of consumer behavior, and strong commercial acumen to ensure marketing directly contributes to business growth and impact.

In addition, the Head of Marketing Southern Africa will periodically work with other Heads of Marketing, global Marketing teams and cross-functional teams in the design and development of global cross-functional marketing initiatives.

1. Strategic Marketing Direction

Partner with the VP of Marketing to design and execute the global marketing strategy across Southern Africa (Zambia, Mozambique, South Africa and expansion markets).
Align marketing goals with commercial sales management, ensuring measurable contribution to business performance.
Demonstrate customer segmentation and targeted marketing approaches to deliver the right quality of customer.
Promote customer and market insights to shape campaigns, product design, pricing initiatives and communication strategies.

2. Brand Positioning & Campaign Messaging

Strengthen the company’s position as a valued, premium provider of clean energy and solar technology.
Work closely with the global communication and content team to design integrated brand campaigns that communicate both functional product value (affordability, durability, innovation) and personal value (powering access to lives, empowerment, sustainability and opportunity).
Incorporate storytelling to create a strong brand sentiment.
Promote consistent brand identity across all channels — retail, digital and community-level activation.

3. Go-to-Market (GTM) & Channel Enablement

Develop GTM strategies for new product launches and market entries.
Work with sales to build effective agent and customer marketing programs.
Enable last-mile sales activities with localized materials, brand visibility and consumer education initiatives.

4. Digital & Performance Marketing

Oversee digital transformation of the marketing function, building strong performance marketing, CRM and data insight capabilities.
Work with the digital content team to strengthen direct-to-customer engagement through digital channels where applicable.
Use data insights to measure customer engagement, prospect generation and conversion effectiveness.

5. Team Management & Development

Demonstrated track record of managing high-performing teams to deliver marketing campaigns.
Manage, mentor and develop regional and functional marketing teams, enabling team members to develop their careers and capabilities.
Foster a high-performance, purpose-focused culture centered on teamwork and innovation.
Manage agency partnerships, ensuring excellence in creative output and campaign efficiency.

A Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, Communications or a related field; MBA preferred.
10+ years of progressive marketing experience, with 5+ years managing marketing teams or functions.
Proven experience in renewable energy, off-grid solar, FMCG or durable goods targeting base-of-pyramid consumers is a bonus.
Strong knowledge of emerging-market consumer behavior and last-mile distribution dynamics.
Experience building and managing integrated marketing campaigns (digital, ATL/BTL and community-based).
Solid data and financial acumen — comfortable managing budgets and interpreting performance data.
A demonstrated ability to manage multicultural teams and agencies across multiple countries.

Personal Attributes

Purpose-focused professional passionate about energy access and sustainability.
Strategic and commercial thinker with strong execution discipline.
Excellent communicator with strong storytelling skills.
Creative, data-focused and effective in cross-functional environments, with the ability to operate across global and local contexts.
Resilient, adaptable and comfortable in high-growth, fast-changing environments.

About the Company

Sun King

Off-grid solar home systems provider

Sun King designs, manufactures, distributes, and finances solar home energy products for off-grid communities in Africa and Asia. Its range includes solar lanterns and solar home systems with inverters and storage that can power lights, radios, phones, and household appliances, all financed through a pay-as-you-go model with small mobile money installments after a low upfront payment. The company differentiates itself with an end-to-end approach—handling product design, manufacturing, distribution, and financing—supported by a large field-agent network and strategic acquisitions like PayGo Energy to expand into clean cooking. Its goal is to increase energy access by helping households leapfrog kerosene and unreliable grids, aiming to reach millions of homes and businesses, including over 2 million in Ethiopia by 2030.

Company size: 1,001-5,000
Company stage: Debt Financing
Total funding: $864.9M
Headquarters: Chicago, IL
Founded: 2008

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