Officer, Digital Lending Product Management

Job Purpose:

• Responsible for the day-to-day product management to support growth and expansion of the Bank’s digital lending product use cases and performance. 
• The role cut across product development, commercial performance and user experiences for product competitiveness, customer centricity and sustainability.
• The position will serve as a catalyst for innovation, leveraging technology and market insights to deliver impactful digital solutions tailored to the needs of diverse customer segments.

Key Responsibilities:
Product Strategy, and Roadmap:

• Conduct market research, competitive analysis and industry trends to anchor product evolution and adoption of the best digital product strategies.
• Acquire, review and monitor customer needs and experiences to identify product gaps and generate ideas that informs new product, growth of the existing products and enhanced customer experiences. 
• Conceptualize digital products outlining effective customer acquisition strategies, customer lifetime value management and growth opportunities.  
• Work with the analytics and portfolio management teams to identify establish business opportunity and input into the appropriate strategy in alignment with the functional goals and strategic priorities for sustained growth and competitiveness. 
• Drive buy-in for the proposed product and product features to support vision, to both internal and external stakeholders. 
• Support in the management of the product and feature back-log as aligned with the product management lead. 

Product Development and Execution:

• Scope and prioritize activities based on business and customer impact.
• Draft product concept papers and alignment with stakeholders.
• Support the entire product lifecycle, from ideation to launch and iteration.
• Work with engineering, design, and data teams to deliver high-quality products on time and within budget.
• Continuously test, refine, and enhance products to optimize user experience and satisfaction.

Cross-Functional Stakeholder Management:

• Drive collaboration across IT, Design, Marketing, Sales, Credit and Operations to ensure smooth execution.
• Ensure alignment and effective communication between all stakeholders.

Performance, Compliance, and Risk Management:

• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure product success.
• Work closely with growth managers to ensure the product targets are achieved, seeking necessary enhancement to drive growth.
• Support in development and implementation of effective go-to-market (GTM) strategies, including positioning, pricing, and launch plans.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory standards and proactively mitigate risks.
• Analyze data to optimize performance, revenue growth, and profitability.

Stakeholder Empowerment:

• Train different stakeholders on the new product and features. 
• Engage and guide digital lending champions in the branches.
• Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and accountability.

Academic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Computer Science, Engineering, Economics or other related fields.
• Additional certifications in Product Management, digital banking or Fintech is a plus.

Professional Qualifications / Membership to professional bodies/ Publication:

• Relevant professional certifications in digital lending/banking or IT support will be an added advantage.

Work Experience Required:

• 3+ years of experience in credit, product management, IT, preferably in banking, fintech, telecom, mobile money.

Required Competencies:

• Experience in product development on credit management.
• Experience with customer-centric design and development methodologies (Agile, Scrum, etc.).
• Understanding of mobile money, MVNO, and banking platforms.
• Understanding data-driven decision-making skills, performance tracking.
• Knowledge of the fintech landscape, especially in the African context.
• Understanding of digital lending regulatory requirements.
• Project management skills to drive product development from concept to launch, coordinating cross-functional teams.
• Ability to understand customer needs, pain points, and market trends, and translate them into product features and innovations.