Head, Financial Product Design

• Department: Financial and Market Linkage Solutions
• Reports To: Chief, Financial and Market Linkage solutions

About Kifiya:

Kifiya is an AI-powered financial and market infrastructure company advancing inclusive economic growth across Africa. We design and deploy risk decisioning systems, intelligent financial infrastructure, and market linkage platforms that unlock credit, insurance, payments, and capital access for MSMEs and smallholder farmers. We build the AI, data, and financial infrastructure that helps financial institutions serve hard-to-finance segments at scale.

Business Unit Description

The Financial Product Design function sits at the core of Kifiya’s Financial and Market Linkage Solutions (FMLS) unit, which serves as the company’s commercial engine. The unit translates Kifiya’s AI-enabled financial infrastructure, digital platforms, and ecosystem capabilities into deployed capital, scalable financial products, and sustainable revenue streams.

The function is responsible for designing and structuring partner-facing financial solutions that enable banks, financial institutions, ecosystem partners, and value chain actors to deploy capital efficiently through Kifiya’s digital platforms.

The role ensures that financial products are commercially viable, operationally scalable, risk-aligned, and technologically integrated within partner bank ecosystems while supporting Kifiya’s mission of expanding access to finance across underserved markets.

In addition to product structuring, the role plays a critical client-facing function by framing financial solutions, preparing commercial proposals, and presenting product structures to partner banks, financial institutions, and ecosystem stakeholders.

Position Summary

The Manager, Financial Product Design leads the design, structuring, and continuous evolution of innovative financial products that enable partner banks and ecosystem actors to expand access to finance for emerging and underserved customer segments.

Operating within Kifiya’s Financial and Market Linkage Solutions (FMLS) unit, the role translates financial sector opportunities into scalable digital financial solutions that leverage Kifiya’s AI-enabled infrastructure, distribution networks, and data-driven credit capabilities.

Sitting at the intersection of banking, credit, and technology, the role combines deep expertise in banking operations, credit processes, and financial structuring with modern digital product development practices. The Manager ensures that financial products are commercially sustainable, operationally feasible, regulatorily compliant, and seamlessly integrated with Kifiya’s digital platforms and partner bank systems.

The position also plays a central role in framing financial solutions, developing product architectures, and presenting structured financing programs to partner banks, financial institutions, and ecosystem partners, enabling efficient capital deployment and sustainable revenue generation.

Key Responsibilities

Product Strategy and Structuring

• Lead end-to-end design of digital lending products, MSME finance solutions, embedded finance models, and AI-enabled credit offerings.
• Translate customer needs, partner bank requirements, and market opportunities into structured financial product concepts and detailed design specifications that define product features, eligibility criteria, credit processes, operational workflows, and digital platform integration requirements.
• Develop and define product pricing and financial models that align with partner bank capital costs, expected loss assumptions, portfolio risk segmentation frameworks, and targeted return thresholds, ensuring that financial products remain commercially viable while supporting sustainable access to finance.
• Plays crucial role in the development and introduction of new financial products and program structures by conducting market research, preparing product documentation, coordinating internal testing, and supporting cross-functional teams to ensure new solutions are operationally ready, risk-aligned, and integrated into Kifiya’s digital platforms.
• Develop comprehensive product design documentation including product requirement documents, credit frameworks, and operational workflows.
• Align product roadmaps with FMLS growth priorities and capital deployment strategies.
• Support the design, documentation, testing, rollout, and continuous improvement of existing and new financial products, including digital lending, embedded finance, invoice financing, device and asset financing (mobile devices, solar, productive assets), Agri-finance, Sharia-compliant financing, insurance-linked solutions, and digital market linkage programs by translating partner bank and business requirements into structured product specifications, operational workflows, and performance monitoring frameworks.

Credit Process and Risk Integration

• Coordinate with partner banks to develop adaptable credit policies, underwriting frameworks, scoring model integration, and portfolio management structures.
• Support banks in transitioning from traditional credit processes to digital, data-driven, and AI-supported environments.
• Ensure alignment between product features and portfolio risk appetite.
• Incorporate preventive NPL management logic and early risk detection mechanisms into product design.

Technology Enablement and Platform Integration

• Work closely with Kifiya Technology teams to translate product requirements into technical specifications and scalable system features.
• Contribute to the design of digital lending workflows, automation logic, and API integrations with core banking systems.
• Participate in user acceptance testing, pilot deployments, and system validation processes.
• Ensure product scalability across multiple partner banks and ecosystems.
• Oversee product testing, pilot implementation, and market rollout of newly designed financial products.
• Continuously refine product structures based on market feedback, partner input, and performance analytics.

Stakeholder and Partner Management

• Engage directly with partner banks to understand operational realities, regulatory constraints, and system capabilities.
• Facilitate product co-creation workshops and structured design sessions.
• Advocate for product innovation within bank leadership teams.
• Provide technical product guidance during rollout and refinement phases.
• Maintain structured communication and feedback loops with institutional partners.
• Lead the preparation and presentation of financial product proposals and solution frameworks to partner banks and financial institutions.
• Frame financial solutions that align with partner bank credit frameworks, funding strategies, and regulatory requirements.
• Support commercial discussions and negotiations with partners regarding product design, implementation structures, and capital deployment models.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Continuous Improvement

• Define and track key product performance indicators including disbursement velocity, portfolio quality, yield, and customer retention.
• Develop product performance dashboards and reporting frameworks.
• Continuously iterate product features based on analytics insights and partner feedback.
• Conduct post-launch product reviews and optimization cycles.
• Monitor market and regulatory developments to ensure ongoing compliance and competitiveness.
• Track product performance indicators including:
o Customer adoption levels
o Portfolio growth and capital deployment
o Portfolio quality indicators
o Operational efficiency metrics
• Identify performance gaps and support the refinement of product features, workflows, and operational processes.

Governance and Documentation Discipline

• Maintain comprehensive product documentation including pricing logic, credit criteria, workflow designs, and regulatory compliance records.
• Ensure audit-ready documentation across all product launches and iterations.
• Support regulatory engagement processes where required.
• Align product development cycles with agile delivery standards and structured governance gates.

Key Outputs

• Structured and scalable financial product portfolio supporting digital lending, embedded finance, invoice financing, device and asset financing, Agri-finance, and Sharia-compliant financial solutions.
• Comprehensive product design documentation and credit framework specifications defining eligibility criteria, pricing structures, operational workflows, and risk parameters.
• Seamless integration of digital lending workflows within partner bank systems and Kifiya’s AI-enabled infrastructure.
• Successful pilot launches and implementation of roadmaps enabling the rollout of new financial products across partner ecosystems.
• Improved portfolio quality, yield performance, and capital utilization through well-structured financial product design.
• High partner bank engagement and satisfaction, reflected in strong adoption of financial products and financing programs.
• Reliable product performance dashboards and optimization reports supporting continuous monitoring and product improvement.
• Scalable financial product architectures enable partner banks to deploy capital efficiently across underserved segments.
• Sustainable portfolio performance and risk alignment, balancing financial inclusion with responsible lending practices.
• Continuous innovation in financial product design, enabling new ecosystem financing models and expansion into emerging market opportunities.

• Master’s degree in Finance, Economics, Business Administration, or related field.
• Minimum seven to ten years of experience in banking, financial services, or fintech environments.
• Demonstrated experience in credit underwriting, loan portfolio management, or credit operations.
• Proven track record designing and launching digital lending or MSME financial products.
• Strong understanding of core banking systems, digital lending platforms, and credit scoring infrastructure.
• Experience working with cross-functional teams and multi-stakeholder ecosystems.
• Knowledge of regulatory frameworks governing lending and banking operations.

Core Competencies

• Financial product innovation and structuring
• Technology fluency and digital workflow design
• Credit and portfolio risk expertise
• Analytical and data-driven decision making
• Strong banking systems knowledge
• Stakeholder and institutional relationship management
• Agile product development discipline
• Strategic and hands-on execution capability