Africa Operations Director - Nairobi at Kuunda 3D

THE ROLE AS OPERATIONS DIRECTOR OF KUUNDA AFRICA 

The ideal candidate is business savvy, has an entrepreneurial spirit, have a proven operational track record of operational experience, with an innovative approach to problem solving, and a strong network in digital financial services across Africa.  The role requires a leader with the capacity for strategic insight combined with hands-on operational capability.   

The Operations Director will be expected to set and deliver the operational objectives for Kuunda in Africa, managing the P&L, Product Performance and Revenue Growth, aligned to the Kuunda Group strategy.  

They will represent Kuunda in-country and be responsible for stakeholder engagement, relationship-building,  governance and  compliance with local regulations. Also managing our partnerships & implementing all product offerings with the support from the Group Shared Services team.  

The successful candidate will be an effective leader of people, able to manage and coach the performance of the in-country managers and teams to achieve set goals within agreed timelines. 

 Reporting to the Group Chief Commercial Officer, the Operations Director will be responsible for: 

 Lead Operations & Financial Performance 

• Implementing the strategy for the company and define the overall operational objectives from market / partnership launches to scale, including long-term goals; 
• Drive Revenue growth and profitability against targets; 
• Identify and secure new Commercial and Bank Partnerships 
• Develop and implement scalable and efficient strategies to ensure both consistent results and exponential growth. 

Build Great Teams and Support Great Talent  

• Effective People Leadership and Talent Growth 
• Clear alignment through setting operational KPIs and performance management;   
• Cultivate a high-performing, agile, one-team culture. 

Execute with Excellence 

• Drive day-to-day operations; 
• Align resources to achieve key business priorities; 
• Proactively mitigate business, operational & governance risks; 
• Own the operational budget and manage burn rate while growing the business ahead of market disruptions. 

Mobilize Stakeholders 

• Build meaningful partnerships with our strategic partnerships to drive growth 
• Regularly report updates to partners and Group Share Services 

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR: 

Expertise and Experience 

• Bachelor’s degree (Master’s degree preferred).  
• +7 years of experience with solid understanding of the banking and mobile network digital payment ecosystem in Africa; 
• P&L responsibilities at MD level or head of significant BU; 
• Proven track record of implementing and managing B2B products  
• Managing high calibre teams from the ground up, ideally in current roles; 
• Prior working experience in developing digital products and solutions in start-ups or experience in digital transformation projects in the digital financial services  / fintech industry.  
• Prior experience with the operational aspects of how to scale digital products and services in African Markets. 
• Relevant industry experience within digital financial services; 
• Experience in managing stakeholders with regular operational and performance updates on business performance and progress; 

Technical Capabilities 

• Proficiency with Microsoft Suite  
• Experience with Agile methodology 
• Excellent Process Management e.g. Project Management Professional (PMP) / Six Sigma, highly desirable. 
• Proficiency with Jira would be advantageous 
• Proficiency providing with Product Performance / Business Insights 

Desired Attributes 

• Hands-On: A “Doer”, who is willing to roll up one’s sleeves to get the job done 
• Travel: The ability to travel to give situational support to teams on the ground is crucial for the effective execution of this role and to support scale-up plans. 
• Strong attention to detail: Need to be able to identify relevant details and dismiss irrelevant ones in order to ensure no loophole is created 
• Problem solver: Strong problem-solving skills 
• Listener: Ability to listen to partners and to potential users and relate their needs without biases 
• Genuine interest in the economics of the informal market: Ability to take time to understand the economics of the informal market 
• Quantitative analysis: Ability to analyse and interpret quantitative data. 
• Qualitative analysis: Ability to analyse and interpret qualitative data. 
• Growth: Ability to understand the current growth barriers and implement solutions 
• Cross-function: Proven ability to work with the shared services teams and other Kuunda Executives. 
• Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills  
• Being able to convince: Proven ability to create buy-in for the company vision both internally and with key external partners