Product Manager – Existing Product Improvement (Hardware) at SunCulture Kenya Ltd

Reporting to: VP of Engineering

About the role

SunCulture has reached an exciting phase in its development and is poised for significant growth. The organization needs an experienced Product Manager to take the lead with respect to existing product improvements and internal product support. The role is key to the growth of the organization due to its influence on customer satisfaction and hence SunCulture’s net promoter score.

Key Responsibilities

Existing Product Improvements            

• Manage lab and field tests of SunCulture products to generate quantitative performance data (e.g. pump efficiency, yield impact drip vs. sprinkler vs. mist, etc.). The data will be used to determine improvements to existing products
• Own technical product aftersales; work closely with aftersales engineers to resolve product bugs identified through analyzing maintenance reports and evaluating product designs
• Engage customers and staff to not only measure satisfaction with existing products  but also to solicit ideas for product improvements
• Work closely with the CTO & Head of Product to identify design enhancements to continuously improve the user experience of all existing products
• Define and implement standard testing procedures for design changes and bug fixes
• Manage the integration of approved design changes and bug fixes into the supply chain
• Maintain a close relationship with the Head of Product to ensure knowledge transfer and a smooth transition of products from  New Product Innovation (NPI) to Existing Product Innovation (EPI)

Leadership

• Build, inform and act as an ambassador for a culture of human-centered product design
• Scale-up, mentor, and coach a highly efficient and hands-on product design team
• Train the team on all changes to products to ensure the quality control, sales, installation, and maintenance teams are knowledgeable on all existing products
• Manage the performance of the team in line with agreed quarterly KPIs
• Collaborate with individuals from different departments to meet the requirements and timelines in line with existing product enhancements

Does This Sound Like You?

• 3-5 years of experience in Human-centered design (HCD), a design and management framework that develops solutions to problems by involving the human perspective in all steps of the problem-solving process
• Bachelors degree in engineering, product design, business, or another relevant field, with a Masters degree, preferred
• Experience conducting quantitative and qualitative customer research, both in the form of surveys and in-person interviews.
• Experience working in sub-Saharan Africa preferred
• Able to fluently communicate in English; Swahili a plus
• Comfortable with ambiguity in a fast-evolving environment, and able to plan, be organized, and meet deadlines
• Hands-on, detail-oriented, and with strong execution skills
• Good communication skills and should ensure Information communicated is clear and timely
• Independent thinker able to thrive and make decisions in a fast-paced dynamic environment
• Skill in prioritizing and triaging obligations
• Organized and an expert in time management 
• Thrive in resources constrained environments
• High integrity values with discretion in using budgetary allocation for the department
• A proven record of ability to work with minimal supervision
• Proactive, collaborative, organized, curious, problem solver with a “can-do” attitude