Kyosk Digital Services Limited Careers

Role Profile:

• Kyosk is looking for a passionate Senior Software Engineer to help strengthen the development competency of a team of software engineers who are developing solutions on the leading edge of innovation in Africa. The successful candidate will play a leading role in the full SDLC of the team's output.  
• As a Senior Software Engineer, you’ll join our growing team of Product and Technology professionals who share a passion for leveraging technology to empower informal retailers across the African continent. You’ll work with teams from multiple countries across the organization to imagine and build innovative solutions for Kyosk’s customers and internal teams.
• To be successful in this role you will need to be a strong technologist, innovator and an analytical problem solver. You will need to develop high quality, resilient, scalable software.

Key Responsibilities

• Play a leading role in the design and development of  software solutions
• Triage, investigate and resolve errors
• Adhere to, promote and help to improve Kyosk's development processes
• Code reviews
• Mentor less experienced software engineers
• Experiment with new technologies/solutions and develop a PoC

Minimum Technical Requirements:

• 6 years of software development experience
• 2 years experience of the full SDLC (analysis, design, development, testing, integration, deployment, documentation, triage)
• Experience working with Agile methodologies
• Proficiency with administrative tools, e.g. Issue Tracking, Wikis, etc
• Advanced level user of dev tool chain (e.g. IDE, CI/CD, version control)
• Backend dev: Advanced knowledge of Java, SpringBoot, Hibernate.
• Working knowledge of containerization and orchestration
• Experience implementing the microservices design pattern
• Working knowledge of any cloud platform
• Experience designing and implementing a system from scratch
• Experience implementing complex automated tests (unit, integration, performance, etc)
• Demonstrates a clear understanding of system non-functional requirements (e.g. code readability, maintainability, scalability, extensibility, testability, etc), and can weigh the pros and cons of a solution w.r.t. non-functional requirements.

Minimum Behavioural and Soft Skills Requirements:

• Strong work ethic
• Focus on delivery
• Punctual
• Works independently
• Expectation management
• Passion for learning
• Ability to lead a discussion with clients in a professional manner
• Ability to give reasonably accurate time estimates
• Proactively accommodates value chain outside of sphere of responsibility
• Ability to communicate technical information clearly and concisely
• Can take the lead on small projects

Desired Technical Competencies

• 8+ years of software development experience
• 3+ year of experience of the full SDLC
• Working knowledge of Kafka
• Experience in e-commerce, payments, and/or distribution of FMCG products
• Experience using GCP
• Working knowledge of Docker containers and Kubernetes for orchestration
• Practitioner of the shift-left approach
• Experience introducing automated tests into a code base
• Experience architecting, designing and implementing a software system

Desired Behavioral Competencies

• Constantly seeks to improve tech and processes to streamline development
• Ability to work under pressure, with tight timelines and ambitious deadlines
• You have integrity: You do what you say you will do and make no excuses.
• Promote psychological safety in the team, as well as across the entire organisation.

 

Role Profile

We are looking for a talented person to join our Sales team as a supervisor tasked with managing a team of field-based Market Developers. You will be required to monitor the performance of each person in your team and send daily reports to the Territory Manager. You will support in training and hiring of your team from time to time.

Duties:

• Revenue Generation: Take ownership of the commercial revenue targets for the market and work collaboratively with the Area Manager to drive commercial activities in the market towards the achievement of these targets. Develop and execute various RTM strategies to ensure proper market penetration. Responsible for 100% of the Revenue target allocated to the market and individual Market Developers.
• Market Intelligence and Analysis: Undertake frequent market surveys and analysis to identify opportunities the business can capitalize on, understand competitor activities and appreciate customer dynamics. Escalate customer feedback to the management to ensure course correction where necessary.
• Sales Effectiveness: Coordinate with the Area Manager on key strategies and initiatives to drive sales effectiveness in-market including aspects focused on driving 100% duka App utilization; driving basket assortment for the stocked SKUs; reduced cancellations among others. Collaborate with the Fulfillment team to ensure On-time In Full delivery of customer orders.
• Customer Onboarding: Lead various initiatives aimed at onboarding new Dukas to the Kyosk platform whilst overseeing the retention of existing customers. Work through the team to drive our value proposition to the Dukas. Establish relationships with new customers through recruiting and onboarding.
• Customer Focus: Guide the team on how to meet with customers to determine their specific needs and wants while managing the whole Value Chain with courtesy and Finesse to deliver results. Coach the team to anticipate the needs of clients and address them accordingly; Follow up on customer orders as necessary.
• People Management: & Team Training: Lead the overall delivery of the team and manage execution to drive target achievement. Onboard and train new Market Developers on the SFA, Duka and Agent Apps. Drive a high level of knowledge about existing products and services, and frequently upskill the team on new products and services as they come in.
• Reporting: Prepare daily, weekly and monthly reports on target achievement, commercial activities, competitor activities and market intelligence and share them with the Area Manager & Regional Commercial Managers to inform business decisions.

Minimum Requirements: 

• Bachelor's degree in a business-related course;
• A professional qualification is an added advantage;
• A minimum of 5 years of experience in field sales within FMCG or retail with a least 2 years of experience managing a team;
• Background of using Sales Force Automation (SFA) is preferred;
• Superior interpersonal skills;
• Ability to take initiative and work independently;
• Exceptional organizational skills;
• Good familiarity with word processing, spreadsheet and database applications;
• Strong knowledge of retail industry standards;
• Confident and charismatic approach to people.

Key Competencies

• Commercial Acumen;
• Sales Leadership;
• Problem Solving Skills;
• Strong Communication Skills;
• Customer Focus;
• Tech Savvy;

Role Profile

The role can cover the areas of Distribution Requirement Planning (DRP) and/or Supply Network Planning (SNP) and/or Inter-Market Supply (IMS).

To manage the Supply Network of the assigned area of the business by replenishing each dispatch point to meet customer service objectives whilst maintaining optimal stock cover that also takes into account the distribution costs.

Key Responsibilities:

Supply planning: 

• Analyze net dispatch requirements and prepare/maintain a coordinated set of supply and deployment plans of finished goods in order to meet customer demand within min/max stock corridors, whilst minimizing the total delivered costs, taking into account the network complexity and the supply constraints.
• Provide visibility to the warehouse, dispatch and purchasing teams on medium/long term horizons to prepare the price negotiations(purchasing teams) and capacity booking/planning.
• Ensure smooth implementation of promotional activities and new product launches protecting COF and minimizing write off

Inventory Management:

• Balance the need for product availability versus the need to minimize costs of inventory to ensure optimum stocks of the right material in the right location and with the required freshness.
• Establish and revise regularly the stock policies for Finished Goods for all stock locations, together with purchasing and warehouse teams. Pro-actively look for solutions in case of deviations.  
• Monitor requirements evolution and determine key issues with volume variance that may impact supply and highlight them to Purchasing and Are managers.
• Provide visibility on future supply issue or constraint and support decision making by providing simulated alternative supply scenarios that balance available capacity and demand.
• Challenge purchasing managers and suppliers on a regular basis to drive optimum FG inventory required freshness level. 
• Effectively communicate relevant information highlighting all supply issues, detailing impacts of proposed actions and related trade offs and ensuring that actions and Supply Plans are realistic and achievable in accordance with the Business Planning process and the long term Supply schedule.  
• Review and maintain all relevant master data
• Ensure proper Event Management related SNP visibility (new product launches, discontinuations etc..) 
• Contribute and/or drive to key meetings & reviews as required (Demand Supply Reconciliation, etc..). Support and/or drive VMI initiatives Engage proactively with peer Planners to share best practices, liaise with demand planners and purchasing managers to drive continuous improvement and improve ways of working and efficiency.  
• Train and support junior supply planners, as needed.
• Develop, revise and update relevant training and learning material, as needed
• Act as a super user and/or expert in different forums (networks, workplace groups...) within own category/market and with other categories/markets/zones.

Minimum Requirements & Key Skills:

• A minimum of 3 years’ experience in a demand planning/forecasting or inventory management role;
• Bachelor’s degree in business, supply chain or other relevant fields.
• At least 5 years of relevant operational experience in one or several of the following areas:
  • Factory planning, FG Planning;
• Vendor management supply call off scheduling, supply Chain development;
• Helpful to have had exposure in Customer Service / Customer Facing Supply Chain;
• Demonstrated understanding of the procurement and supply chain process;
• Solid understanding of inventory management practices and procedures;
• Analytical background is an added advantage;
• Capability to multitask in a fast-paced environment;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Competencies and Key Skills:

• Using available dashboards & Excel to analyze large data sets
• Compiling charts, tables, and other elements of data visualization
• Creating financial models to support business decisions
• Understanding business strategies, goals, and requirements
• Forecasting and performing both variance analysis and financial analysis
• Shares experience and contribute to increase knowledge & capabilities in own area of expertise, within and/or outside own category/market in the Group.

Role Profile

We are seeking an experienced commercial Team Member to join our dynamic team as a Commercial Partner. In this role, you will be responsible for end-to-end management of clients from acquisition to order generation and customer engagement, ensuring customer satisfaction and revenue generation. The primary focus will be driving and maximizing revenue through servicing corporate entities (Commercial Kitchens / HORECA) for the overall growth and success of the business.

Key Responsibilities:

Customer Acquisition:

• Identify and target potential customers, initiating contact to expand the customer base within your assigned zone / portfolio.
• Understand customer needs and pain points, effectively communicate our value proposition.
• Negotiate and onboard customers, covering product offerings, pricing, payment terms, and delivery schedules.

Revenue Generation

• Manage and nurture a sales pipeline, ensuring a consistent flow of potential opportunities and converting them into revenue-generating customers.
• Develop a comprehensive sales plan that outlines specific goals, targets, and strategies for the assigned zone / portfolio. 
• Conduct regular visits to clients within the sales area to strengthen relationships, understand their evolving needs, and identify opportunities for upselling or cross-selling.
• Monitor and analyze key performance indicators (KPIs) related to revenue generation, adjusting strategies as needed for optimal results.

Customer Relationship Management:

• Offer exceptional customer support throughout the customer journey to enhance user experience, build loyalty, and drive revenue growth.
• Handle escalated customer issues and work towards solutions that not only resolve immediate concerns but also contribute to long-term customer satisfaction and retention.
• Foster customer loyalty, minimise churn and turn satisfied customers into advocates who promote our brand 

App Adoption:

• Clearly communicate the benefits and value that the app provides to our customers highlighting unique features and advantages.
• Provide comprehensive training and dedicated support to facilitate a smooth adoption of the app.

Data Analysis and Reporting:

• Oversee the collection of relevant data related to performance metrics and customer activity, ensuring accuracy and completeness
• Create clear and comprehensive reports that communicate performance metrics and customer behavior insights effectively
• Leverage data insights to contribute to customer retention strategies, addressing any issues and identifying opportunities to enhance the customer experience.

Minimum Qualifications & Desired Skills:

• Bachelor's degree in marketing, Business Administration or a related field.
• Minimum 3 years previous experience in sales or a similar role.
• Proven experience in sales, with a track record of achieving and exceeding sales targets. 
• Familiarity with the HORECA industry is an added advantage.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills. The ability to articulate ideas clearly, negotiate effectively, and build rapport with clients is crucial.
• Effective negotiation skills to secure customers and manage the contracting process.
• Excellent time management skills to prioritize tasks, meet deadlines, and efficiently handle multiple responsibilities.
• A customer-centric mindset with a focus on understanding and meeting customer needs.
• Results driven
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in a team environment.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite.

Competencies & Key Skills:

• Commercially savvy / Entrepreneurial mindset;
• Networking and relationship building;
• Excellent people skills;
• Good communication skills;
• Ability to perform autonomously.

Role Purpose

• Responsible for the management of timeline and accurate reporting both management and statutory for the country by overseeing the accounting and reporting team
• Responsible for budgeting, forecasting and business performance elaboration including variance analysis and actuals vs budget for the country
• Treasury management and cash flow forecasting including monitoring of burn
• Management of outsourced business partners; statutory auditors, tax consultants, company secretarial, legal and insurance
• Take direct charge of the provision of business planning and financial analysis, information and insights which enable the various departments of Kyosk Digital Services to make appropriate business decisions with the help of the business analyst
• Be a strategic finance Business Partner and provide support for operations and commercial teams
• Take direct charge of the system of internal controls, risk and governance working closely with the IC&PO Manager
• All aspects of legal entity controllership
• Lead and own the adoption of global best practices defined in the business to bring about best practice institutionalisation at the local entity and ensure that the country stays ahead of such standardisation and continuous improvement

Key Responsibilities

Facilitating accurate, timely and pertinent internal Reporting

• Make sure that all deadlines are respected working closely with Reporting and Accounting team and interlocking with operations and commercial teams w.r.t the monthly close process and requirements.
• Ownership of the trial balance and review of all general ledger postings as well as in-depth monthly balance sheet reviews.
• Provision of reliable figures and in-depth knowledge of the relevant business metrics. Analysis ranges from top-level reviews to detailed research.
• Prepare and share key financial statements on a monthly basis
• Prepare ad hoc reports to analyse any variances against targets e.g., volume and mix analysis
• Own the periodic (weekly, monthly, quarterly, bi-annual and annual as well as ad hoc business review needs i.e., prepare and generate reports, templates, slides etc required for business review to track performance against KPIs.
• Prepare and distribute key business reports and analyses (Revenues): daily, weekly, monthly, YTD, quarterly, bi-annual, and annual against targets.
• Increase productivity by developing automated reporting/forecasting tools

Performance Monitoring

• Preparation of the company’s annual budget and strategic capital allocation, working with the various operational heads
• Monitor the Company’s key financial performance indicators based on approved forecasts; and regularly
• Support in the preparation of Statutory Annual Reports and Monthly management Reports (MMR)
• Organizing and leading periodic meetings with other departments, where key financial information can be shared and disseminated.
• Responsible for driving key discussion topics and agenda for each meeting

People Management  and country functional leadership

• Lead, train and support a growing team of managers, controllers, analysts, and accountants as the business expands across the country to ensure strict adherence to Kyosk Digital Services standards and compliance with procedures
• Develop a strong-performing team, by taking care of the career paths of all direct reports and teams

 Ad hoc Tasks

• As may from time to time be delegated upon by Country Head of Finance& Global Head of Finance subject to evolving business needs

 Key Contacts

• Country Head of Finance
• Global Head of Finance
• Country General Manager
• Global CEO
• Other functional Heads and managers

Role Profile

We are looking for an experienced Product Manager - Financial Services to own all our payments-related products from discovery to execution and rally a remote cross-functional team to deliver them and iterate until the user and business outcomes are met. 

The Product Manager we are looking for will guide our Financial Services Development Team towards the automation and digitization of both payment collections and payment disbursements, via a plethora of different payment methods, across multiple countries in Africa.

As PM you will need to innovate on behalf your colleagues, based on a deep understanding of users’ pain points as well as business needs and priorities. You will utilise metrics to measure and effectively manage the deployment of solutions that optimize various customer-facing apps.

To be successful in this role you will need to be detail oriented, able to surface relevant business analysis and an analytical problem solver. You will need to think and act fast, deal with ambiguity and be able to develop ideas into scalable products that work on a Pan-African scale.  

This is a rare opportunity to impact not just the future of Kyosk, but the future of digital service delivery across Africa.

 Key Responsibilities:

• Product Ownership: Own your specific product roadmap. Define what needs to be built in line with the company’s objectives and product strategy for your product line by ensuring product/market fit.  You will be responsible for grooming and maintaining the product backlog.
• Market Analysis: Assess the product landscape as related to new customer needs, feeding our roadmap and backlog for continuing product development and enhancements. Collaborate with other stakeholders to conduct user research and gather customer feedback to inform future product development and optimization.
• Product Analysis - Develop business cases and product design documents based on priority capturing user-journeys, market feedback, pricing analysis and other relevant metrics to inform product prioritization decisions.
• Product Definition: Collaborate with Engineering to discuss release planning, Proof-of-Concepts and agree on specific timelines for functional solutions. Help to champion and model an agile approach to product design and management.
• User Experience enhancement: As the primary owner of the User Experience for your product, you will translate user research and hypothesis testing into product requirements to enhance user experience. Work closely with User Interface Design to craft simple, valuable experiences that can be captured into the business requirements documentation.
• Product Review: Conduct regular user testing and analyses of products and services to ensure they are meeting user needs and growing the retention metric. Review and report on your products key success metrics. Monitor the project and keep stakeholders updated on progress and escalate any risks to delivery.
• Documentation: Occasionally create support and training documents for users. Produce and prioritise product backlogs and other relevant project documentation using the team tools provided.

 Skills & Key Competencies:

Required:

• Degree in Computer Science, or Business Administration, or related technical degree.
• Between 2-7 years’ experience as a product manager within a technical environment, with a focus on building and delivering customer-centric solutions;
• Between 2 and 5 years' experience in product management for digital payment products, whether integrating platforms with digital payment providers, or in building in-house digital payment products. Relevant experience includes: building/integrating with mobile money solutions, digitized credit card and POS payments, digital bank transfers, e-wallet infrastructures.
• Communication - Excellent communication and presentation skills -- to motivate, influence and lead a cross-functional team toward a goal, while also getting buy-in from others (whether that be someone on another team or an exec).  Prepare and deliver various product portfolio-related presentations, both internally and externally. 
• Ownership - Must take on tasks and workstreams with full ownership to execution.  Quick to take the blame if something goes wrong, and equally quick to give credit to the rest of the team when it goes well
• Collaboration - Demonstrated experience creating product plans and a story to explain what’s next while also taking into account the many moving parts across a team, product, or organization.  Internally, you’ve closely worked with Engineering, Design and Data/Data Science using an Agile methodology and development sprints.
• Time management -- distinguish between urgent, and important, and know how to prioritize and plan your time.  A desire for continuous improvement and ability to work under pressure and with tight timelines. Experience in handling the pressure of fast-paced, startup environments where you wore multiple hats and used limited resources
• User understanding -- to empathize, listen, and co-create with the end customer and solve an existing pain point or identify new pain points.  You have an eye for good design and user experience.
• Work Ethic -- genuine care for the product and willingness to go to any necessary length to ensure its success;

Desired: 

• Empathy for, and experience in working with people in lower socio-economic segments.  
• Experience in a high growth of startup environment with an emphasis on speed.
• Previous experience with toolsets -  Jira, Confluence and Productboard 

Role Profile:

Kyosk is looking for a passionate Software Engineering Manager to provide leadership to a team of software engineers who are developing solutions on the leading edge of innovation in Africa. The successful candidate will be responsible for all aspects of a team’s performance and success while forging strong, collaborative relationships with other product and technology stakeholders.  

As a Software Engineering Manager, you’ll join our growing team of Product and Technology professionals who share a passion for leveraging technology to empower informal retailers across the African continent. You’ll work with teams from multiple countries across the organization to imagine and build innovative solutions for Kyosk’s customers and internal teams.

To be successful in this role you will need to be a great communicator, innovator, influencer, and an analytical problem solver. You will need to think and act fast, deal with ambiguity and constraints, and help to develop ideas into products that work on a global scale.

Key Responsibilities

• Leadership: Be the leader who your team looks up to. Improve processes to make your team more effective. Develop knowledge and domain expertise. Take ownership of what you and the team build and coordinate efforts across the team to ensure efficient completion of tasks. Eliminate obstacles that prevent your team from performing optimally.
• People Management: Actively seek to build a great team. Ensure effective recruitment, training and development programs are adopted to promote productivity, retention, motivation and morale. Manage the career path and goals of your team members, conducting regular 1-on-1s and having monthly performance dialogues. Review candidate profiles and conduct interviews keeping Kyosk’s growth and culture objectives in mind.
• Performance Management: Set and review performance and development goals for your team. Identify timeframes and readiness for promotion of direct reports; solicit cross functional feedback in support of promotions and employee rewards. Coach and mentor engineers, showing them the next steps in their careers. Craft a winning culture built on collaboration and shared accomplishments while having fun along the way.
• Integrator: As a senior member of Kyosk’s Core engineering team you will work to harmoniously integrate the various engineering teams through the consistent adoption of tools, methodologies and processes. You will create the glue that holds the engineering teams together in their ways of working.
• Capacity Planning: Establish staffing needs and a hiring strategy by working collaboratively with the broader Product and Technology management team. Balance the size and composition of your teams against the expected deliverables while ensuring optimal team performance.
• Strategic Thinking: Plan and execute long term strategies that benefit the team and their product(s). Work closely with your manager and other senior members of the Product and Engineering team to ensure that the roadmap is clearly understood and translated into requirements that the Core team should drive forward. 
• Technical Delivery: Take ownership of the progress, costs, and quality of delivering engineering outcomes. Adopt, enforce, and contribute to the agile processes that define Kyosk’s way of working to deliver multiple product releases at scale. Own and refine the processes that your team uses to build and support products within the business. 
• Technical Monitoring: Build a deep understanding of how our products work and are built. Though you will not be expected to code regularly or at all, you need to grasp code and architecture concerns. Identify and track metrics that can be used to ensure objectives are met and recommend process improvements. Understand engineering metrics and seek to improve them.
• Process Improvement: Regularly monitor, determine and recommend methods to streamline and improve development processes and procedures. Spearhead various research and development initiatives to identify opportunities for new projects and improved processes.
• Stakeholder Management: Prepare and deliver various engineering-related presentations, both internally and externally. Act as the point of contact with the business and technical leadership communicating their priorities to the team and vice versa.

Minimum Requirements & Key Skills:

• 7+ years of software development or technical product management experience with the full software development life-cycle: design, coding, testing, mocking, deployment and maintenance of software to real production environments;
• 3+ years as a software engineering manager with people management responsibilities and a track record of hiring and growing a talented team of engineers;
• Experience working with micro services, Kubernetes/Docker, and GCP/AWS services;
• Experience working with Agile methodologies, Scrum and demonstrated experience in managing end-to-end software development lifecycles.
• Proficiency with tools of the product and engineering trade for issue tracking, technical documentation, diagramming, roadmapping, project management, CI/CD, etc.
• The ability to align people behind a common goal. You can explain and materialize objectives of the team;
• Working knowledge of large-scale service-oriented infrastructure and the design of scalable, highly available systems in the real world;
• Strong overall knowledge of development and quality assurance methodologies;
• Ability to successfully collaborate with multiple technical functions in the areas of infrastructure, devops, architects and other software engineers;
• Outstanding organizational, communication, interpersonal and relationship building skills

Desired Technical Competencies

• Conversational knowledge of modern programming language and frameworks like Java, Angular, C++, Android, Python, etc;
• Experience organizing, leading, and growing an engineering team or organization from scratch preferred;
• Experience in e-commerce, payments, and/or distribution of FMCG products is a plus
• Exposure to micro services, Kubernetes/Docker, and GCP/AWS services strongly preferred;
• You’ve worked with 3rd parties to integrate and scale products and services for rapid product growth.
• You have a genuine knack for numbers and how they are represented, and you are super comfortable with Excel and/or Google Sheets.

Desired Behavioral Competencies

• You have experience in handling the pressure of fast-paced environments typical of a tech startup environment where you wear multiple hats and have access to limited resources 
• You have a strong desire for continuous improvement
• You can work under pressure, with tight timelines and ambitious deadlines
• You have a passion for digital products 
• You can stay motivated through difficult challenges, and occasional long hours
• Your passion is contagious, and you use it to inspire the rest of the team
• You have equal empathy for internal users, and our target market of informal retailers
• You have a strong work ethic and exhibit genuine care for the team and their products, with a willingness to go to any necessary length to ensure their success
• You have integrity: You do what you say you will do and make no excuses. 
• You develop a deep understanding and respect for what each team member is responsible for, and trust them to do their job
• Your confidence and experience make you trust your instinct and communicate persuasively. You know when to make decisions (even when others might disagree) vs when to build consensus, and you can articulate the strategy and business rationale behind your decisions.
• You are comfortable taking the blame if something goes wrong, and equally quick to give credit to the rest of the team when it goes well
• You are detail-oriented, process-driven, and organized, and can stay two steps ahead of the work your team is doing
• You understand devops as culture not as a role, and seek to automate manual processes where it makes sense.

Role Profile

We are seeking an experienced & skilled and Technical Product Manager (PM) to take full ownership of our core platform's strategy, ensuring it aligns with business requirements for scalability, stability, and security.

As the Product Manager for our core platform, you will play a pivotal role in formulating and executing the strategic roadmap for its development. Your expertise will be central in defining how the platform meets our business needs and requirements, particularly in terms of scaling to accommodate growth, ensuring stability, and fortifying security measures.
Your responsibilities will involve collaborating with cross-functional teams, including engineering, architecture, and operations, to ensure a cohesive and well-coordinated approach to platform enhancements. Your deep understanding of technical aspects and market trends will be essential in making informed decisions and leading the platform's growth.
Success in this role hinges on your ability to navigate complex technical challenges, devise innovative solutions, and drive continuous improvements to optimize the core platform. If you are passionate about owning and shaping the technical direction of a core platform to meet business objectives and thrive in a fast-paced e-commerce environment, we invite you to join our team and play a crucial role in shaping the future of our company. 
This is a rare opportunity to impact not just the future of Kyosk, but the future of digital service delivery across Africa.

Key Responsibilities

As the  Product Manager for the Core Platform, you will play a critical role in driving the vision, strategy, and execution of our platform to support our e-commerce business. You will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including engineering, design, marketing, and customer support, to deliver cutting-edge solutions.

• Product Ownership and Strategy:
  • Take full ownership of the roadmap and strategy for the core software platform, ensuring alignment with the company's overall business objectives and product vision.
  • Define the key features, functionalities, and improvements required for the core software platform based on technical requirements and market analysis.
  • Drive the product strategy by collaborating with key stakeholders, including engineering, architecture, and executive teams, to prioritize initiatives that enhance the platform's performance and scalability.
•  Technical Roadmap Development:
  • Develop a comprehensive and detailed technical roadmap for the core platform, outlining major technology upgrades, system architecture enhancements, and infrastructure improvements.
  • Work closely with the engineering team to identify technical debt, prioritize its resolution, and ensure the platform remains maintainable and scalable.
• Market and Technology Analysis:
  • Conduct thorough market analysis, focusing on technical trends and advancements, to identify opportunities for innovation and competitive advantage within the core platform.
  • Stay abreast of industry best practices, emerging technologies, and advancements in software development, integrating relevant insights into the platform's strategy and roadmap.
• Product Definition and Backlog Management::
  • Collaborate closely with the engineering team to define clear and precise product specifications and user stories that address technical requirements and align with the platform's objectives.
  • Take charge of grooming and maintaining the technical product backlog, ensuring that technical tasks and deliverables are prioritized effectively.
• Agile Development and Release Planning:
  • Champion and implement agile methodologies for the technical product development process, facilitating effective collaboration between product, engineering, and other cross-functional teams.
  • Collaborate with the engineering team to plan releases, set timelines for functional solutions, and coordinate product feature delivery within development sprints.
• Technical Documentation:
  • Collaborate with technical stakeholders to create and maintain comprehensive technical documentation for the core software platform, including system architecture diagrams, API documentation, and technical specifications.
  • Ensure that technical documentation is up-to-date, easily accessible, and serves as a valuable resource for development teams.
• Product Performance Analysis:
  • Establish and track key performance indicators (KPIs) for the core platform's technical aspects, regularly analyzing and reporting on these metrics to identify areas for optimization and improvement.
  • Utilize data-driven insights to make informed decisions and prioritize future technical enhancements.
• Collaboration and Communication:
  • Foster effective communication and collaboration between cross-functional teams, including engineering, architecture, and product teams, to ensure a seamless and successful development process.
  • Keep stakeholders informed of the progress of technical initiatives, milestones, and any potential risks to delivery.

Skills & Key Competencies

Required:

• Technical Background: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field. Demonstrated experience of 2-7 years as a product manager within a technical environment, with a strong focus on building and delivering customer-centric solutions for a core platform.
• Fintech Expertise: Between 2 and 5 years of hands-on experience in building Fintech applications or platforms, or integrating Fintech services into mobile or web applications. This includes experience in areas such as Buy Now Pay Later, Stock Financing, E-Wallet, Insurance, Savings, or Agency Banking.
• Communication: Excellent communication and presentation skills to effectively motivate, influence, and lead cross-functional teams towards common goals. Ability to secure buy-in from stakeholders, whether internal teams or executives. Capable of preparing and delivering product portfolio-related presentations both internally and externally.
• Ownership: Demonstrate a sense of ownership in taking on tasks and workstreams, showing commitment to seeing projects through to successful execution. Willingness to take responsibility when things go wrong and generously give credit to the team when things go well.
•  Collaboration and Agile Methodology: Proven experience in creating product plans and effectively communicating the product roadmap. Demonstrated success in working closely with Engineering, Design, and Data/Data Science teams using Agile methodology and development sprints.
• Time Management: Exceptional time management skills to differentiate between urgent and important tasks and effectively prioritize and plan work. Adaptability to thrive in a fast-paced environment with tight timelines and a desire for continuous improvement.
• User-Centric Approach: Strong user understanding and empathy, enabling the ability to co-create with end customers and address their pain points effectively. A keen eye for good design and user experience to drive product enhancements.
•  Work Ethic: Display a genuine care for the core platform and demonstrate a proactive attitude, willing to go the extra mile to ensure its success.

Desired:

• Empathy for Lower Socio-economic Segments: Experience in working with and understanding the needs of people in lower socio-economic segments, and a desire to develop solutions that cater to their specific requirements.
• High-Growth Startup Experience: Previous experience working in a high-growth startup environment, with a strong emphasis on speed and agility in product development and deployment.
• Toolset Familiarity: Familiarity with product management tools such as Jira, Confluence, and Productboard to streamline product development processes and enhance collaboration.

Role Profile

• We are looking for an experienced Senior Product Manager (SPM) to own a line of products from discovery to execution and rally a remote cross-functional team to deliver them and iterate until the user and business outcomes are met.
• As SPM you will need to innovate on behalf of your stakeholders, based on a deep understanding of users’ pain points as well as business needs and priorities. You will also develop metrics to measure and effectively manage the deployment of solutions that optimize various customer-facing apps.
• To be successful in this role you will need to be a great communicator, innovator, influencer and an analytical problem solver. You will need to think and act fast, deal with ambiguity and be able to develop ideas into scalable products that work on a Pan-African scale.  You will provide the relevant guidance to the teams delivering the requirements and communicate progress efficiently to the leadership team.
• This is a rare opportunity to impact not just the future of Kyosk, but the future of digital service delivery across Africa.

 Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic alignment: Contribute to and define the vision, roadmap, and strategy of market apps and tools, and the different stakeholders they transact and interact with.
• Product Discovery: Collect, organize and prioritize product enhancements for maximum business/user impact. Define what needs to be built in line with the company’s objectives and product strategy for multiple products by ensuring product/market fit.
• Market Analysis: Assess the product landscape as related to new software needs, feeding our roadmap and backlog for continuing product development and enhancements. Collaborate with other stakeholders to conduct user research and gather customer feedback to inform future product development and optimization
• Scope Definition: Collaborate with Engineering to discuss scope trade-offs, and agree on specific timelines for functional solutions within your product space. Help to champion and model an agile approach to product design and management.
• User Experience enhancement: As the primary owner of the User Experience on the team, translate user research and hypothesis testing into product requirements to enhance user experience. Work closely with User Interface Design to craft simple, valuable experiences.
• Product Review: Conduct regular user testing and analyses of products and services to ensure they are meeting user needs and growing the retention metric.
• Reporting: Review and report on your team’s key success metrics. Monitor the product and team performance and keep stakeholders updated on progress and escalate any risks to delivery.
• Documentation: Occasionally create support and training documents for users. Produce and prioritise product backlogs and other relevant project documentations, using the team tools provided.

Skills & Key Competencies:

Required:

• Bachelors degree in Computer Science, Engineering or related technical degree.  At least 7 years’ experience as a Product Manager within a technical environment, with a focus on building and delivering customer-centric solutions;
• Communication - Excellent communication and presentation skills -- to motivate, influence and lead a cross-functional team toward a goal, while also getting buy-in from others (whether that be someone on another team or an exec).  Prepare and deliver various product portfolio-related presentations, both internally and externally.
• Team Management - Define responsibilities within a team environment and stakeholders.  Ability to provide product leadership within squads and team members. Act as a senior point of contact between the product, business and engineering leadership, communicating their needs to the team and vice versa.
• Ownership - Must take on tasks and workstreams with full ownership to execution.  Quick to take the blame if something goes wrong, and equally quick to give credit to the rest of the team when it goes well
• Collaboration - Demonstrated experience creating product plans and a story to explain what’s next while also taking into account the many moving parts across a team, product, or organization.  Internally, you’ve closely worked with Engineering, Design and Data/Data Science using an Agile methodology and development sprints.
• Time management -- distinguish between urgent, and important, and know how to prioritize and plan your time.  A desire for continuous improvement and ability to work under pressure and with tight timelines. Experience in handling the pressure of fast-paced, startup environments where you wore multiple hats and used limited resources
• User understanding -- to empathize, listen, and co-create with the end customer and solve an existing pain point or identify new pain points.  You have an eye for good design and user experience.
• Work Ethic -- genuine care for the product and willingness to go to any necessary length to ensure its success;

Desired:

•  Empathy for, and experience in working with people in lower socio-economic segments. 
• Experience in a high growth startup environment with an emphasis on speed.
• Previous experience with toolsets -  Jira, Confluence and Productboard