Practice Lead, Strategy, Research and Design

Location: Addis Ababa

Organization: Kifiya

Deadline:  September 12, 2026

Job Description

Department: MSP

Reports To: Director, Strategy, Research and Design

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 Strategy, Research and Design function is MSP’s market formation engine. The team diagnoses market failures, designs system-level solutions, and develops reusable market formation assets that enable finance and market systems to function at scale. The function operates across priority practice domains, working in close coordination with Program Delivery, MERL, and business units to ensure that strategy translates into scalable implementation pathways.

Position Summary

The Practice Lead, Strategy, Research and Design is responsible for leading market formation within assigned practice areas by diagnosing market failures, designing solution architectures, and developing reusable practice assets that guide ecosystem engagement, program design, and scaling.

The role serves as the accountable owner of market formation outputs within assigned domains, including market diagnostics, solution blueprints, ecosystem strategies, and knowledge products. Practice Leads work closely with Analysts, who provide cross-cutting analytical support across practices, and collaborate with Program Delivery and other functions to ensure alignment between strategy, implementation, and learning.

Practice domains and priorities may evolve based on organizational strategy and market learning.

Key Responsibilities

Market Systems Diagnostics and Strategy Development

• Lead market diagnostics across assigned practice areas, including market definition, non-consumption analysis, and identification of binding constraints
• Analyze structural barriers affecting participation in finance and market systems
• Develop structured analytical frameworks to guide market formation and strategic decision making
• Maintain up-to-date market intelligence and periodically update practice strategies

Solution Architecture and Market System Design

• Design viable solution models and system architectures that enable participation in finance and market systems
• Translate diagnostics into solution blueprints, theory of change, and ecosystem engagement models
• Define Kifiya’s role within the system, including how its infrastructure can address key constraints
• Ensure that inclusion principles are integrated into solution design in collaboration with the GESI function

Market Formation Package Development

• Lead the development and maintenance of market formation and systems analysis packages for assigned practice areas, including but not limited to:
• Market snapshot
• Segment, gap and exclusion analysis
• Binding constraints diagnosis
• Ecosystem map and partner action plan
• Solution blueprint and theory of change
• Key learning questions and early indicators
• Ensure outputs are structured, reusable, and applicable across proposals, partnerships, and implementation

Ecosystem Mapping and Stakeholder Engagement

• Identify, map, and engage relevant ecosystem actors required to enable market system development
• Develop and maintain ecosystem and stakeholder maps aligned with practice priorities
• Facilitate ecosystem dialogue and alignment around solution pathways and market opportunities

Research and Knowledge Development

• Lead applied research and analysis that informs finance and market system design
• Produce practice-level research publications, analytical studies, and knowledge products
• Collaborate with MERL to integrate administrative data, platform insights, and field learning into strategy
• Ensure consistency, quality, and usability of knowledge outputs

Strategic Opportunity Shaping and Support

• Apply practice intelligence to shape concept notes, proposals, and partnership opportunities
• Support the development of strategic materials, including positioning documents and partner-facing outputs
• Contribute to opportunity assessment and prioritization aligned with MSP strategy

Collaboration and Alignment

• Provide strategic guidance to Program Delivery teams to ensure implementation is informed by robust diagnostics and solution design
• Establish feedback loops with delivery and MERL teams to continuously refine strategies and solution models
• Collaborate with business units to inform product development and scaling opportunities

Workstream Coordination

• Provide technical direction to analysts supporting assigned practice areas, ensuring high-quality analytical outputs
• Structure and coordinate workstreams across diagnostics, solution design, and research activities
• Ensure effective prioritization and alignment of analytical support across practice needs

Infrastructure Integration

• Leverage Kifiya’s core infrastructure, including intelligent data and decisioning systems, financial infrastructure, participant management systems, and digital learning platforms in diagnostics and solution design

Other Responsibilities

• Support additional business-critical initiatives as required, consistent with organizational priorities

Key Outputs

• Market formation packages and diagnostic reports
• Solution blueprints and theory of change
• Ecosystem and stakeholder maps
• Practice-level research publications and knowledge products
• Strategic inputs to program design, proposals and partnership development.

Qualifications and Experience

• Master’s degree in Economics, Business, Development Studies, Finance, Public Policy, or related field
• Minimum of 8 to 12 years of experience in strategy, consulting, financial inclusion, or market systems development
• Proven experience in market analysis, solution design, and multi-stakeholder engagement
• Experience working in fintech, development finance, or ecosystem-based programs is an advantage

Core Competencies

• Market systems thinking and structured problem solving
• Strategic analysis and solution design
• Stakeholder engagement and ecosystem mapping
• Strong analytical and synthesis capability
• Clear communication and knowledge translation
• Ability to operate in complex, evolving environments