Senior Principal Product Owner: Core at Cellulant Corporation

JOB DESCRIPTION:

The Senior Product Owner: Core at Cellulant will play a pivotal role in driving the strategy and execution of our financial transaction products with a strong focus on business solution architecture and business analysis principles.

This role combines the strategic, market-focused responsibilities of a Product Manager with the solution-oriented, engineering-focused duties of a Product Owner. The successful candidate will bridge the gap between engineering and business teams to deliver exceptional payment solutions across multiple African markets. At the core of this role is a person with great business analysis fundamentals.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop and execute the product strategy, aligning with Cellulant's business goals and market opportunities.
• Conduct market research to identify trends and opportunities in the African financial services landscape, specifically related to Payment Collections in local and foreign currencies, Local payouts and IMTO, Treasury, FX, Float, Recon & Settlements, Mobile money, Card Payments, EFT and APMs.
• Analyse customer needs and pain points through user research and feedback loops.
• Translate market insights into a clear product vision and roadmap that aligns with Cellulant's overall business objectives.
• Define product vision and roadmap, prioritising features and enhancements based on market demand and business value (i.e.: the benefits you identify).
• Deliver features against the roadmap you define and the benefits you identified.
• Manage timelines and stakeholder expectations around product/feature delivery and be ultimately accountable for the production go-lives.
• Act as the bridge between business and technical teams to design and deliver scalable solutions.
• Lead the creation of detailed business requirements documents (BRDs), user stories, and acceptance criteria.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to design workflows that align with both business needs and technical capabilities.
• Map and optimize end-to-end processes such as reconciliation, settlement (incl FX settlement), and treasury management, ensuring efficiency and accuracy. Have an ability to identify and define technical and operational requirements for those complex systems.
• Develop solutions that address AML, fraud prevention, and other regulatory requirements in financial transactions.
• Proactively identify risks, gaps, and opportunities in product workflows and recommend actionable improvements.
• Engage with key stakeholders, including merchants, financial institutions, and regulatory bodies, to gather feedback and ensure product alignment with market requirements.
• Collaborate with sales, marketing, and business development teams to ensure product-market fit and drive customer acquisition.
• Work closely with the software engineering team to translate product vision into detailed user stories, requirements, and acceptance criteria.
• Prioritize features and user stories for development sprints, ensuring alignment with the product roadmap and business goals.
• Conduct user acceptance testing (UAT) to validate that delivered features meet the specified requirements and user expectations.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including QA, UX/UI, and customer support, to ensure a seamless end-to-end product delivery.
• Monitor and analyse product performance, using data-driven insights to make informed decisions and drive continuous improvement.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:

• 7-10 years of experience in product management, with at least 5 years in fintech or payments within African markets. Demonstrable experience working within the African market, understanding its unique dynamics, regulatory frameworks, and cultural nuances.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Information Systems, or a related field.
• Certifications in Agile (e.g., Certified Scrum Product Owner) and Business Analysis (e.g., CBAP, ECBA) are highly desirable.
• Proven track record of successfully launching and scaling products in multiple African countries.
• Deep understanding of Mobile Money ecosystems and operations in Africa, In-depth knowledge of mobile money platforms, including their design, functionality, and adoption patterns.
• Extensive knowledge of various payment methods, preferable if you also know about card payments.
• Strong experience with reconciliation and settlement processes in financial transactions. Ability to address discrepancies and manage financial flows efficiently.
• Familiarity with core banking platforms and integration methodologies.
• Understanding of treasury management principles and practices; treasury operations, liquidity management, and risk mitigation strategies specifically, account floats, balancing and settlement.
• Strong background in security considerations for financial transactions.
• Proven track record of successfully launching and scaling products in African markets.
• Strong understanding of payment systems, mobile money, and cross-border transactions.
• Experience with Agile methodologies and product ownership.
• Strong communication and leadership abilities.
• Fluency in English; knowledge of other African languages is a plus.
• Experience with multi-channel payment methods, including card acceptance, mobile money, API integration, USSD, and web portals.
• Excellent communication and leadership skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate with cross-functional teams.
• Data-driven mindset with strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES PREFERRED:

• Expertise in financial technologies and payment systems, with a strong understanding of digital payment gateways and security protocols.
• Strong leadership skills, with the ability to manage and inspire a team of product managers.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, essential for coordinating with multiple teams and reporting to executive leadership.
• Strong number crunching capabilities with the ability to navigate and use data analysis tools to drive a data driven approach to insights and recommendations
• A strategic mindset capable of balancing various perspectives and making informed decisions that align with business goals.