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