Fresh Jobs 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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Responsibilities
Health and Safety

• Uphold the company code of conduct, policies and procedures, ensuring integrity and accountability in every aspect of your work.
• All employees have a responsibility to adhere to safety, health, and wellbeing policies, guidelines and procedures in all actions and decisions.

Compliance Management

• Support engagement with CBK, CMA mandated bodies, and the Financial Reporting Centre on virtual assets regulatory compliance, reporting obligations, and emerging policy developments.
• Monitor and interpret evolving virtual assets regulations, translating requirements into actionable compliance programmes across the business.
• Support risk assessments and due diligence for onboarding virtual assets partnerships.
• Ensure timely and accurate submission of Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) and Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) related to virtual assets activity.
• Serve as the reporting lead for virtual assets under applicable AML/CFT/CPF frameworks regulations for virtual assets.

Compliance by Design & Product Advisory

• Embed AML/CFT controls at the design and build stage of all virtual assets products, features, and third-party integrations — ensuring compliance is built in, not bolted on.
• Act as the trusted compliance advisor to product, technology, and business teams, providing regulatory guidance throughout the Agile delivery lifecycle.
• Review and approve new virtual assets product propositions, partnerships, and integrations against applicable regulatory standards before launch.
• Champion a compliance-by-design culture across all teams involved in virtual assets development and deployment.

Enhanced Due Diligence & Risk Management

• Own and continuously enhance the due diligence framework governing virtual asset partnerships, service providers, and customers.
• Ensure robust risk assessment processes are in place for onboarding and ongoing monitoring of virtual assets counterparties, with clear escalation pathways for high-risk relationships.
• Conduct and oversee periodic financial crime risk assessments specific to the virtual assets portfolio, ensuring Safaricom's exposure is well-understood and well-managed.
• Maintain a current and comprehensive understanding of the virtual assets risk landscape, including emerging threats, typologies, and industry best practice.

Stakeholder Engagement & Industry Leadership

• Represent Safaricom in regulatory forums, industry working groups, and policy consultations related to virtual assets financial crime compliance.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with regulators, law enforcement, and industry peers to facilitate intelligence sharing and proactive regulatory engagement.
• Provide regular reporting and briefings to senior leadership on the virtual assets regulatory environment, compliance programme performance, and emerging risks.

Core competencies, knowledge and experience:
Customer Obsession

• Deepen team connection to our customers and communities.
• Foster authentic relationships with customers and partners that build trust.
• Explicitly take customer-centric decisions and take personal ownership to achieve results.
• Simplify processes through digitalization and promote a digital mindset and digital first customer experience.
• Stay focused on the big priorities, know when to make meaningful trade-offs and demonstrate brilliant execution.
   

Purpose

• Create an inspiring vision for your team to drive strategy and performance.
• Show ambition and courage, empowering others to go beyond the plan.
• Bold and challenge teams to reimagine how things are done.
• Prompt new thinking and ideas by asking “what if” questions.
• Use knowledge of the external environment (customers, partners, competition, external bodies) to identify and act on opportunities for growth at pace.

Innovation

• Create psychological safety so everyone can have an impact.
• Fuel innovative ideas from others and test them to enable growth.
• Explore successes and failures with curiosity and resilience; fearlessly recognizing lessons learned.
• Share your ongoing learning and personal purpose with others.
• Learn fast from digital adoption, using learnings to drive simplicity, scale and efficiency.

Collaboration

• Articulate your team’s role in making our strategy happen, prioritizing and aligning resources with current and future needs.
• Actively collaborate to break silos and hold stakeholders accountable to do the same.
• Develop others to make the most of their talents and coach them to take ownership to get things done.
• Create an inclusive environment ensuring the safety and wellbeing of others.
• Live our Purpose and demonstrate the highest Standard of integrity.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Risk Management, Law, Business, Statistics, IT or a related discipline.
• Minimum 6 years experience in financial crime compliance with demonstrated exposure to virtual assets/VASP regulatory frameworks, fintech product compliance, or digital payments.
• Professional certification in AML/CFT/CPF Compliance (e.g. CAMS, CAMS Crypto, ICA or equivalent).
• Strong knowledge of virtual assets regulatory frameworks including FATF guidance, CBK and CMA regulations, and global best practice.
• Certification in Chainalysis Certifications e.g. Chainalysis Reactor Certification, Crypto Investigator/ Compliance courses will be an added advantage.
• Proven track record advising product/ technology teams in a compliance-by-design capacity.