Product Owner - Credit at Unifi Group

About the role

• Unifi Africa is seeking a strategically minded and experienced Product Owner – Credit to lead the end-to-end design, development, and implementation of credit and risk software solutions across our microlending operations in South Africa, Zambia, Uganda, and Kenya.
• This is a high-impact role at the crossroads of product innovation, credit strategy, risk management, compliance, and technology. You will play a pivotal part in shaping how Unifi delivers responsible, scalable, and customer-centric financial products across diverse markets.
• We’re looking for a candidate with deep expertise in financial services, a comprehensive understanding of the credit lifecycle, and a track record of building scalable, compliant digital lending solutions.
• The ideal candidate is analytical, inquisitive, and execution-oriented—a systems thinker who excels at navigating complexity and driving results in a dynamic, high-growth environment.

Responsibilities

• Own the full product lifecycle for software and systems supporting credit and risk policy—from ideation through delivery, iteration, and scaling.
• Define and maintain a clear product vision, roadmap, and backlog aligned with the organisation’s credit and risk strategy, in close collaboration with the Credit and Risk team.
• Translate complex credit policies, underwriting models, and regulatory requirements into scalable product features and decision logic.
• Continuously evaluate product performance using analytics, credit KPIs, and customer feedback to drive enhancements and maintain compliance.
• Develop deep expertise in the lending platform’s core mechanics, including transaction processing, general ledger flows, repayment schedules, and configuration settings.
• Ensure all products comply with local regulatory frameworks, including but not limited to NCR (South Africa), BoZ (Zambia), BoU (Uganda), and CBK (Kenya), while promoting innovation and commercial growth.
• Champion a data-driven culture by embedding robust analytics, monitoring, and reporting capabilities into product architecture.
• Communicate product performance, risk impacts, and strategic insights to Unifi’s leadership across regional markets.
• Lead initiatives to build and enhance fraud detection and prevention systems, proactively addressing emerging risks in each operating environment.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Business, Finance, Computer Science, or a related field.
• Over 10 years of professional experience, with a minimum of 5 years in product management or product ownership roles within financial services or fintech.
• Background in microlending, consumer credit, or digital financial inclusion.
• Deep knowledge of credit policies, lending platform architecture, credit scoring methodologies, and risk modeling.
• Demonstrated success in developing and managing digital lending products.
• Experience with decision engines, credit bureau integrations, fraud detection systems, and KYC/AML compliance frameworks.
• Product management certification (e.g., Pragmatic Institute, AIPMM, Product School, SAFe PM/PO) is a strong advantage.
• Passion for Africa and a strong desire to contribute to a mission-driven, high-growth organisation.
• Openness to travel across the African continent as required.

Closing Date 19 August 2025