Safaricom is the leading provider of converged communication solutions in Kenya. In addition to providing a broad range of first-class products and services for Telephony, Broadband Internet, and Financial services, Safaricom seeks to uplift the welfare of Kenyans through value-added services and support for community projects. The Product Manager for IoT Solutions is responsible for defining and owning the strategy and roadmap for IoT connectivity, platforms, and industry-specific solutions. This role involves managing the entire product lifecycle from market research and development to commercial performance and go-to-market strategies.
Responsibilities
Product Strategy & Roadmap
- Define and own the strategy and roadmap for IoT connectivity, platforms, and industry solutions.
- Conduct market research on IoT technologies, emerging trends, and enterprise adoption patterns.
- Align IoT product direction with corporate digital transformation and revenue targets.
Product Development & Delivery
- Collaborate with engineering, network, IT, and device teams to deliver IoT products and features.
- Prioritize backlog, manage requirements, and ensure quality assurance of delivered capabilities.
- Define acceptance criteria and ensure compliance with security and interoperability standards.
Commercial & Financial Management
- Own P&L/revenue performance for the IoT product portfolio.
- Develop business cases, pricing models, and revenue forecasts for IoT initiatives.
- Optimize cost structures and partner models to ensure profitability.
Go-to-Market & Sales Enablement
- Work with marketing to develop value propositions, campaigns, and sales materials.
- Enable sales teams through training, demos, and competitive positioning.
- Support enterprise deals requiring IoT technical and business expertise.
Partner & Vendor Management
- Engage with IoT platform providers, device vendors, and solution integrators.
- Evaluate and onboard partners that strengthen the IoT ecosystem.
- Negotiate commercial terms, SLAs, and ensure partner performance tracking.
Risk, Compliance & Security Governance
- Ensure all IoT products comply with industry and regulatory requirements.
- Work with legal, risk, and technology teams to maintain compliance across IoT solutions.
- Monitor IoT security threats and drive proactive product improvements.
Performance Management & Reporting
- Track KPIs such as revenue, adoption, churn, uptime, device performance, and customer feedback.
- Provide regular reporting on IoT product performance and roadmap execution.
- Drive continuous improvements based on analytics and customer insights.
Qualifications & Requirements
- BSc in Computer Science, Engineering, IT, Telecommunications, or a related field.
- Certifications such as IoT Foundations, CCNA IoT, AWS/Azure IoT, Product Owner/Agile are highly desirable.
- Minimum of 5+ years’ experience in IoT, telecom product development, or related technical roles.
- Experience with IoT platforms, connectivity technologies (NB-IoT, LTE-M, M2M), and devices.
- Strong analytical, commercial, and stakeholder engagement skills.
- Vendor and partner management experience.
- Hands-on project management experience.
