CHANCEN International is a non-profit that offers ethical financing for African youth to access quality tertiary education through Income Share Agreements (ISAs). We are looking for a Regional Product Manager to lead our technology streams.
Role Overview
The Group Product Manager is responsible for the product roadmap and delivery oversight across Chancen's two technology streams: operational automation (Layer 1 and Layer 3, owned by Central IT/MIS) and the Chancen Companion product (Layer 2, owned by Chancen Tech). This is not a coordination role — it is a builder role. The Group PM owns the product backlog, drives prioritisation, translates operational insight into product decisions, builds prototypes, and ensures that what gets built actually gets used. The role reports to the CEO as Product Owner and works in close partnership with the Head of IT and the Group SysDev Manager.
Key Responsibilities
Product Strategy and Roadmap Ownership
- Own and maintain the Group product roadmap across automation and the Chancen Companion, aligned to Chancen's 2026 OKRs and the Technology and Automation Strategy.
- Prioritise the product backlog using the Opportunity Scoring methodology — ensuring decisions are grounded in operational evidence, OKR alignment, and user impact.
- Lead the quarterly product review at the Technology Steering Committee, presenting roadmap progress, trade-offs, and recommended priorities.
- Make and document Build vs Buy recommendations for significant technology decisions.
- Translate the feedback loop between operations and innovation into concrete product decisions.
Chancen Companion Product Management
- Own the product requirements and feature backlog for the Chancen Companion across Kenya, South Africa, and Rwanda.
- Build prototypes in close collaboration with the CTO, requiring pre-existing skills or willingness to learn AI-native workflows.
- Drive the rollout programme: Kenya full rollout, South Africa and Rwanda beta/soft launch phases.
- Gather structured feedback from internal users (country operations staff) and external users (students and members).
- Monitor engagement, adoption, and user satisfaction metrics across all markets.
- Explore and propose AI-powered features for financial coaching and repayment behaviour improvement.
Operational Automation Oversight
- Work with Country Product & Systems Managers to review and score automation opportunities.
- Ensure the nine-step automation methodology is applied consistently across countries.
- Own the product sign-off at Pilot and Rollout stages.
User Insight and Continuous Improvement
- Run structured feedback sessions with country staff, students, and Partner Educational Institutions (PEIs).
- Analyse usage data, support ticket patterns, and adoption metrics to identify successes and failures.
- Maintain clear distinction between product, training, and process problems.
AI and Emerging Technology
- Stay current with AI tools relevant to financial inclusion and operational automation.
- Identify practical AI use cases for member-facing coaching and internal risk assessment.
- Run capability-building workshops, hackathons, and similar internal events.
Requirements and Qualifications
- Education: BA/BSc/HND in a relevant field.
- Experience: Minimum 7 years of professional experience, with at least four years in a product role.
- Location: Based in Rwanda, Kenya, or South Africa (Applications from outside Africa will not be considered).
- Product Skills: Clear examples of owning a backlog, driving prioritisation, and delivering working software in resource-constrained environments.
- Regional Exposure: Experience working across multiple countries or markets simultaneously, ideally within Africa.
- Technical Proficiency: Demonstrated use of AI tools in practice and understanding of data systems, APIs, and system integrations at a conceptual level.
- Soft Skills: Strong analytical instincts and excellent written and verbal communication in English.
- Industry Experience (Preferred): Experience in fintech, financial services, or edtech, particularly serving low-income communities.
- Language: French or Kinyarwanda language skills are an advantage.
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should apply via the Chancen International recruitment portal on Zoho Recruit. Applications can be submitted through the following link:
Apply Here
