Job Description
The Product Specialist – Merchant & Agent Credit will own the end‑to‑end creation and execution of Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia’s M‑PESA growth strategy. Based in the MPESA Products and B2C Segments department, you will design credit and savings solutions for merchants and agents, forge partnerships with banks and fintechs, and work closely with product, risk, operations and technology teams to deliver secure, scalable digital financial services that expand financial inclusion across Ethiopia.
Responsibilities
At Safaricom Ethiopia, we are a purpose
‑
led technology company dedicated to transforming lives through digital connectivity and inclusive financial services. In less than five years, we have grown to serve 15 million customers, with our network now reaching 62% of Ethiopia’s population — a testament to our bold vision and trusted partnerships.
Guided by our core values of customer obsession, innovation, integrity, and collaboration, we are building a workplace that is dynamic, inclusive, and empowering. We believe our greatest strength lies in our people. That is why, for three consecutive years, we have proudly earned the Top Employer Award — recognition of our unwavering commitment to fostering a supportive, innovative, and inclusive environment.
Join Safaricom Ethiopia and be part of a team that is shaping the digital future of Ethiopia. Here, your work has meaning, your voice matters, and your growth is our priority. Together, we are transforming lives for a digital future.
Role purpose:
Overall responsibility for developing and driving delivery of the M-PESA growth strategy through delivery and management of Merchant and Agent credit and savings products, services and Partnerships with Banking partners. This entails digitizing of financial services to serve the unbanked population.
The role works with different strategic business partners, business unit partners and cross-functional teams to deliver complete and appropriate banking products and services that meet the customer’s needs and drive financial inclusion for the unbanked population.
Key accountabilities and decision ownership
:
Identify, define and develop Merchant and Agent savings and credit products and services in partnership with bank partners for Safaricom M-PESA.
Champion Financial Inclusion through developing relevant Merchant and Agent products and services to allow accessible and affordable financial services access in the market.
Lead the end-to-end product lifecycle from concept to launch, including market research, planning, development, testing, and deployment. Working with technical teams to design and implement solutions that meet business needs.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams including marketing, finance, operations, and technology to ensure successful product development and launch.
To manage and cultivate strategic partnerships with banks that are key to development and growth of Financial Services
and ensure that they provide benefit to Financial Services products and services.
Co-ordinate the management of ongoing relationships with existing bank partners and, where relevant, leverage those relationships to greater collective impact.
Help organize and lead critical planning meetings, status updates, business reviews and other communications with bank and financial institution partners.
Monitor market insights (market intelligence) and competitor activity within the banking sector to support overall business strategy and support decision making.
Liaise with B2B partnership, external affairs and Finance teams in updating and maintaining of relationship with the banks.
Help organize and lead critical planning meetings, status updates, business reviews and other communication related to the banking sector.
Evaluate existing business processes and recommend solutions for optimization and efficiency.
Assist in project planning, coordination, and management to ensure timely delivery of objectives.
Core competencies, knowledge and experience:
Working with Others
Consciously takes steps to make the most of every conversation/interaction
Identifies people’s needs, interests and motives to be able to influence the decisions they make
Pro-actively adapts own style and approach to build rapport, and work with others more effectively.
Builds and maintains strong relationships and networks.
Proactively engages with key stakeholders, as needed, to ensure the timely completion of key deliverables. This includes in-person meetings when other communication channels, such as emails, calls, and chats, are not effective.
Operational Excellence
Targets effort and resources on high-value, high impact activity
Focuses on achieving maximum performance and driving continuous improvement.
Thinks about processes and problems cross-functionally and end-to-end
Uses knowledge of products, technology, process, systems and policy to solve problems
Creativity and Innovation
Finds creative ways to exploit opportunities and solve problems
Takes risks and pushes what is possible
Experiments with unorthodox approaches
Business Know how
Uses data and research to make decisions that are competitively and financially robust.
Balances current and future needs
Thinks and acts like an owner of the business
Acts in line with legal, regulatory, professional and ethical standards
Working with Change
Responds flexibly to changing situations.
Manages the business and people aspects of change to drive performance.
Project and Program Management
Defines scope and deliverables in terms of time, cost, quality and business benefit
Schedules activity and identifies resource needs, dependencies and synergies
Evaluates progress, mitigates risks and addresses issues
Key performance indicator:
Adherence to set business KPIs and commitments.
Successful roll out of new merchant and agent credit solutions and services in time, and most efficient manner
Optimization of new merchant and agent credit solutions and services.
Delivery schedule of all merchant and agent credit solutions based on their priority.
Growth and retention of set merchant and agent credit solutions.
Provide guidelines and process for the implementation of reward and recognition activities.
Delivery of relevant target digitization projects/Initiatives.
Compliance with all relevant regulations and internal policies and procedures. KPIs could include regulatory compliance metrics, audit results, and risk management metrics.
Agile Maturity rating, Employee Engagement (eNPS) and Productivity
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in a technology or business-related field from a recognized university
A Master’s degree will be an added advantage
At least 1 years’ experience in a Bank or Financial Services industry handling either Project Management, Product Management related to digital lending products
Business Analysis Experience in handling either partnerships or business development is an added advantage.
Track record of innovation and development of new products and services
Must demonstrate strategy execution/delivery
Must have excellent financial and analytical skills.