Fintech Frontiers Lead at Safaricom Kenya

Responsibilities

Key accountabilities and decision ownership:

Emerging Trends and Innovation Scouting

Identify global fintech trends and disruptions

Monitor advancements in AI, blockchain, and open banking

Analyze competitive and startup ecosystems

Engage with innovation hubs and research bodies

Evaluate relevance of new technologies to business

Track regulatory developments impacting innovation

Provide insights to shape innovation strategy

Innovation Strategy Development

Define fintech frontier strategy aligned to business goals

Prioritize innovation themes and focus areas

Develop long-term innovation roadmaps

Align initiatives with customer and market needs

Balance experimentation with commercial viability

Secure leadership alignment on innovation agenda

Continuously refine strategy based on outcomes

Experimentation and Pilot Execution

Design and run proofs of concept (POCs)

Lead pilot programs for new technologies

Apply agile and rapid prototyping approaches

Test use cases in controlled environments

Measure pilot success against defined KPIs

Iterate solutions based on learnings

Scale successful pilots into full products

Ecosystem and Partnership Development

Build relationships with startups and fintechs

Collaborate with technology providers and platforms

Explore partnerships for co-innovation opportunities

Engage venture capital and innovation networks

Identify investment or acquisition opportunities

Facilitate joint product development initiatives

Strengthen ecosystem positioning and reach

Product and Platform Integration

Integrate new technologies into existing platforms

Collaborate with product and tech teams

Ensure interoperability within ecosystem solutions

Support API and platform-based development

Align innovation with customer experience goals

Ensure scalability and performance of solutions

Drive adoption of frontier capabilities

Commercialization and Value Realization

Translate innovation into revenue-generating solutions

Develop business cases for new initiatives

Define monetization and pricing strategies

Support go-to-market for new innovations

Track ROI and commercial impact

Align innovation with growth objectives

Scale solutions across markets and segments

Governance, Risk, and Compliance

Ensure compliance with regulatory frameworks

Assess risks associated with new technologies

Collaborate with legal, risk, and compliance teams

Establish governance for innovation initiatives

Ensure data privacy and security standards

Monitor ethical implications of emerging tech

Balance innovation speed with risk management

Qualifications

Must have technical / professional qualifications:

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Finance, Technology, Business, Innovation, or related field (MBA preferred)

8–12 years’ experience in fintech, banking, innovation, or digital transformation roles

Strong knowledge of emerging technologies (AI, blockchain, APIs, open banking, embedded finance)

Proven experience in innovation strategy, product incubation, or new venture development

Experience working with fintech startups, ecosystems, and partnership models

Solid understanding of financial services regulations, risk, and compliance frameworks

Strong analytical, strategic thinking, and ability to translate trends into business opportunities

Experience in leading cross-functional teams and driving complex innovation programs

Proficiency in data analysis, business case development, and ROI evaluation

Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and executive influencing skills

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