Market Development Manager – Payments at Mukuru

• The main purpose of this role is to identify, manage and grow new business opportunities, projects and partnerships in order to enhance and develop the business by expanding the business’ product footprint, with a primary focus on Product Incubation pilot products.
• The Market Development Manager - Payments reports directly to the Head of Product Incubation. This position is responsible for developing new business opportunities, running pilot projects and managing partner relationships for new payments products in the Incubation portfolio. The Market Development Manager - Payments is required to provide strategic and operational focus to developing a new payments portfolio within Mukuru. This includes end-to-end product conceptualisation, development and management.
• The position will not only be liaising with external partners, regulators and service providers, but also partnering across Mukuru’s business with a range of departments to bring payment products to life.

Duties And Responsibilities (Include But Is Not Limited To)

• Contribute to development of Product Incubation payment products across current and new markets for Mukuru in Africa
• Identify opportunities to expand product and service offerings
• Ensure opportunities are strategically and legally viable
• Carry out market analysis and monitoring of micro and macro influences
• Conduct competitor analysis as well as gap analysis
• Drive product sales to big business / new business development
• Develop people, processes and the tech solutions for product offerings
• Run end-to-end product development from concept to launch, including collaboration on customer-led design
• Run product of new payments products post-launch
• Manage iterative product improvement cycles post-launch
• Create strategies to maximise the payments product profits in sustainable way
• Manage incubation payments product portfolio
• Collaborate with in-country representatives with regards to projects and partnerships
• Make contacts in order to develop prospects and leads with various potential partners
• Negotiate with potential partners in order to obtain mutually beneficial signed contracts
• Ensure the retention of quality partnerships
• Grow the relationship by expanding the partner service offerings through product partnerships
• Identify ways to grow partner revenue (i.e. contract extension, partnership expansion)
• Manage concentration risk
• Keep abreast of all current market activities
• Ensure a deep understanding of market trends, competitor positioning and offerings, key drivers of the business as well as industry best practice
• Analyse the metrics and identify patterns
• Provide assistance to the Head of Product Incubation on required incubation projects
• Provide support and attend meetings when necessary
• Provide strategic input when required
• Attend regular KPI meeting with Head of Product Incubation
• Attend monthly performance meeting with Head of Product Incubation
• Attend all required training courses for new products and general development
• Participate in all required compliance training and assignments

Key Requirements

• Grade 12 /or equivalent (Essential)
• Degree in any business-related field (Essential)
• 8 years’ experience in Business Development (Essential)
• In the payments / FinTech industry (Desirable)
• Experience in/exposure to product design (Essential)
• Interest in Innovation (desirable)
• Experience in financial services partnership management (Desirable)
• Experience/exposure to working in African countries (Desirable)
• Knowledge of payments
• Knowledge of product development
• Knowledge of product management
• Knowledge of business to-business sales and proposal writing
• Knowledge of commercial agreements
• Knowledge of technology development
• Knowledge of operating and financial license requirements

Additional Skills

• Leadership skills
• Product development skills
• Verbal communication skills
• Partnership management skills
• Analytical skills
• Sales and negotiation skills
• Multitasking skills
• Self-motivated / time management skills
• Organisational & administrative skills
• Conflict management skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Remote working skills