Program Director | Addis Ababa

Department: Market Solutions Practice

Reports to: Chief, Market Solutions Practice

About Kifiya:

Kifiya is an AI-powered ecosystem technology company specializing in intelligent data-driven decisioning, financial services, digital agriculture, and smart mobility infrastructure solutions. For over a decade, we have built robust technological infrastructures and implemented transformative initiatives that address market failures.

We empower MSMEs, smallholder farmers, and low- to middle-income consumers by providing access to financial services and markets. Kifiya is scaling its technology infrastructure to create a more inclusive and sustainable future in Africa.

Over the past 14 years, Kifiya has grown from a startup into a leader in digital financial services and AI-driven technology, showcasing the power of data and innovation to drive meaningful change.

 

Market Solutions Practice (MSP)

MSP corrects market failures by deploying Kifiya’s core infrastructures- intelligent data & decisioning, intelligent financial services, digital agriculture – to enable MSMEs, smallholder farmers, and low-to-middle-income individuals to access finance and markets. Our work drives job creation, social inclusion, and economic empowerment, making us a partner of choice for impact funders.

 

Program Overview: SAFEE Shared Facility

Under the Sustainable Access to Finance to Enable Entrepreneurship (SAFEE) program (a Kifiya–Mastercard Foundation partnership), the Shared Facility provides digital infrastructure and data-management tools to our Foundation partners.

 

Position Summary

The Program Director provides overall strategic and operational leadership across the MSPs program portfolio including the Sustainable Access to Finance to Enable Entrepreneurship (SAFEE) program which is a shared access to finance facility. This role is responsible to translating Kifiyas capabilities into scalable high impact interventions and initiatives that expand access to finance and markets for MSMEs and small holder farmers.

You will lead a team, oversee program and intervention design and execution, manage impact partnerships and ensure that data, technology and evidence drive learning and programmatic results. As a senior leader, you will guide your team in alignment between Kifiya’s strategic objectives and our partner priorities.

 

Key Responsibilities

Strategic leadership and Program Oversight

• Lead the strategy, design and execution of MSP Programs including SAFEE Shared Facility
• Translate strategic priorities into operation plans and measurable results across the programs
• Oversee program budgets, performance targets and risk management processes
• Guide the integration of data analytics and insights to inform decisions, track outcomes and improve efficiency.

SAFEE Shared Facility Program leadership

• Drive partner adoption and satisfaction through structured engagement, data driven programmatic insights and continuous innovation
• Manage and mentor the team for high quality deliverables, standards and performance culture
• Lead all structured program governance

Partner Engagement & Stakeholders Management

• Serve as the primary contact for all partners – foundation and implementing partners
• Develop partner frameworks that align incentives, manage expectations and ensure delivery of mutual objectives
• Represent Kifiya in high level stakeholder forums, donor engagements and strategic collaborations

Data Governance and Data Driven Program Intelligence

• Oversee the data integrity, analytics and reporting across MSP Programs ensuring real time visibility of performance indicators
• Champion the use of AI/ML tools for forecasting, partner performance tracking and risk management
• Translate complex analytics into actionable insights for partners and senior leadership.

Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MERL) Coordination

• Collaborate closely with the MERL team to embed learning loops, evidence based decision making and adaptive management across all programs ensuring robust measurement of impact indicators (e.g. jobs created, financial inclusion outcomes)

Innovation & Continuous Improvement

• Identify and pilot new digital tools or delivery models that strengthen and deepen inclusion, efficiency and data intelligence
• Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration and continuous improvement within the teams
• Support institutional learning through structured after action review and knowledge dissemination

Education

• Master’s degree (preferable) in Business, Finance, Economics, Development Studies, or related field.

Experience

• 8–10 years’ experience in program or partnership management—ideally in inclusive finance, rural finance, inclusive market systems and/or digital finance
• Proven ability to design, manage and scale complex multi stakeholder programs
• Demonstrated success managing teams, budgets and relationships with multi‑disciplinary teams and high‑value partnerships.

Behavioral Competencies

• Strategic thinker with strong execution focuses and systems orientation
• Excellent communications and stakeholder management skills.
• Demonstrated leadership in complex cross functional environments

Passion for financial inclusion, technology driven development and scalable impact