Chief Product Officer at Kuda Bank

Role Overview:

The Chief Product Officer’s role is to ensure the successful execution of the company’s product mission through the development and deployment of Kuda’s web and apps platforms, and other channels such as USSD, APIs etc. They will be responsible for the strategy and execution of all product-related activities. Establishing a product vision, product innovation, product development, product design, and building a product organization all fall under this umbrella.

This requires envisioning the company’s service offerings as a digital business, leading the product team in the implementation of applications and features, and planning for risk, monetisation, and growth. You will lead and facilitate the creation of products that deliver value to both customers and the business, and lead a product management (PM) team in building great products that deliver sustainable value to the business. The Chief Product Officer role is therefore responsible for the strategic product direction - including product vision, product innovation, product design, product development, product marketing, project management, and project resources planning.

You will make sure services and product offerings are all functioning supremely well, and you will possess keen leadership and organisational skills, a sharp and creative mind, and a successful track record of managing and motivating product teams at scale.

Responsibilities include:

• The product strategy, identifying the target market, customer segments and unique selling points that our product suite needs to deliver in order to succeed. You would also identify opportunities and risks for delivering the company’s services, including identification of competitive services, opportunities for innovation, and assessment of marketplace obstacles and technical hurdles to the business success.
• Management of company staff or outsourced vendors who will implement the applications.
• To lead and coach a high-performing team to run effective products that deliver customer and business value. You will also be expected to help grow this team.
• Identify technology trends and evolving social behaviour that may support or impede the success of the business.
• Lead strategic planning to achieve business goals by identifying and prioritizing development initiatives and setting timetables for the evaluation, development, and deployment of all web-based services.
• Participate as a member of the senior management team in establishing governance processes of direction and control to ensure that objectives are achieved, risks are managed appropriately, and Kuda’s resources are used responsibly.
• In collaboration with the CTO and Compliance department, direct development and execution of a company-wide information security and disaster recovery and business continuity plan pertaining to the Products.
• Responsibility for the product and customer development process for the company as a whole, helping your teams to test hypotheses, break down complex problems and ensure good feedback loops are in place.
• Help set up the structure and team for success, making sure we define goals to be achieved, build a team of internal and external hires, assign responsibility, and deliver on commitments.
• Development of roadmaps (we have several products at different stages which you will oversee).
• Communicate Kuda’s product strategy to investors, management, staff, partners, customers, and stakeholders.
• Establish and supervise quality assurance processes, including integration and system testing.
• Review and approve proposed development releases and manage the release process.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of technology standards, industry trends, emerging technologies, and software development best practices by attending relevant conferences and reading.
• Help to develop, track, and control the development and deployment of annual operating and capital budgets for purchasing, staffing, and operations.
• Supervise or be involved in the recruitment, training, retention, and organization of all product team staff.
• Establish standards of performance and monitor performance for staff (through performance review) and vendors (through service level agreements).
• Input into finance (P&L management), Marketing, strategy, hiring plans, and other departments where reasonably required.

Requirements

• Have led products across all stages of the product life cycle, and have ideally worked in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
• Have experience in the B2C and B2B sectors, specifically something finance-related (challenger banks, payments, fintech, etc.).
• Be happy with a "hands-on" role even when the team grows.
• Whilst being hands-on, be able to step back and be involved with the CEO and Founders on the highest level of strategy for the business.
• 10 -15 years of experience in Product development roles.
• At least 5 years in a very senior/leadership capacity.
• Very good level of technical understanding.
• Ability to articulate ideas to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
• Exceptionally self-motivated and directed.
• Superior analytical, evaluative, and problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent relationship building, stakeholder engagement and stakeholder management skills.

Benefits

Why join Kuda?

Become a part of one of the trailblazers in the challenger banking arena by joining the exciting and ambitious team at Kuda Bank as we work to become the neobank for ‘every African on the planet’.

• An exciting and flexible work environment
• Competitive pay
• Smart and kind coworkers
• Full pension contribution
• Reliable health insurance