Head of Product - Gadget Financing

About the role

The Head of Product for Gadget Financing owns the strategy, design, launch and performance of the smartphone, tablet and laptop financing portfolio, taking customers from their first inquiry to final ownership. The role aims to make smartphones affordable to low-income, thin-file and unbanked Kenyans through responsible pay-as-you-go credit, reporting to the CEO within Business Development.

Key responsibilities

• Own the product P&L (disbursements, yield, margins, credit losses) and define the vision, route-to-market and annual plan
• Segment the market by customer type and monitor competitors to adjust pricing and positioning
• Design the financing proposition (device range, deposits, tenor, instalments, fees) and map the customer journey
• Build low-literacy solutions via USSD, SMS and mobile apps, with Swahili and English support and agent-assisted onboarding
• Track portfolio performance indicators and design a fair, consistent device lock and collections strategy
• Implement fraud controls such as IMEI blacklisting, identity checks and SIM-swap safeguards
• Select and manage device suppliers and distributors, and build the agent and merchant network
• Ensure compliance with the Central Bank of Kenya framework, the Data Protection Act 2019, AML/CFT rules and consumer protection requirements
• Lead regional managers and report product performance and risks to the Executive Committee

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Economics, Information Systems or a related field
• At least 8 years in product management, digital lending or retail credit, including 3 years in a senior product leadership role
• Proven track record of launching and scaling a consumer or SME credit product
• Experience managing a P&L and leading cross-functional teams

Required skills

• Hands-on experience with mobile money integrations (M-PESA Daraja API or similar), mobile/USSD channels and a loan management system
• Strong understanding of credit risk, portfolio metrics and collections
• Working knowledge of the Kenyan credit regulatory environment, data protection and AML/CFT
• SQL, dashboards and cohort analysis