This senior leadership role is dedicated to defining and executing the strategic direction for KCB Bank Kenya's retail product portfolio. The Head of Products (Retail) provides oversight of the entire product lifecycle, from ideation and development through to commercialization and retirement. This ensures alignment with overall business objectives, regulatory compliance, and evolving customer needs. The role is pivotal in driving innovation and leading a high-performing product management team.
Key Responsibilities:
Product Strategy & Lifecycle Management
- Define and execute the Retail product strategy in alignment with overall business objectives.
- Provide oversight of the end-to-end product lifecycle, from ideation to commercialization and retirement.
- Ensure products remain competitive, compliant, and responsive to evolving customer needs.
Research, Analysis & Innovation
- Lead market research, competitor analysis, and customer insights to inform product strategy.
- Identify innovation opportunities to reimagine customer engagement and enhance product relevance.
- Pilot new concepts and technologies to validate market potential and scalability.
Product Development & Commercialization
- Oversee the design, testing, and launch of new products and enhancements.
- Ensure effective go-to-market strategies, pricing, and positioning to drive adoption.
- Monitor performance of products post-launch and recommend refinements to maximize value.
Stakeholder Engagement & Collaboration
- Collaborate with internal teams (Digital, Marketing, Operations, Risk, Compliance, Legal) to deliver product initiatives.
- Build external partnerships with fintechs, industry players, and regulators to support product development.
- Promote cross-functional alignment to ensure timely and effective execution.
Governance, Risk & Compliance
- Ensure all products adhere to regulatory requirements, internal policies, and risk frameworks.
- Monitor emerging risks across the product portfolio and implement mitigation measures.
- Provide reporting and insights to senior leadership on product performance, risks, and opportunities.
Leadership & Capability Development
- Lead, mentor, and develop the Product Management team to strengthen execution capability.
- Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and customer focus within the product function.
- Build capacity for continuous improvement and best practice adoption in product management.
Minimum Position Qualification Requirements
Academic & Professional
- Education: Bachelors Degree (Any subject is required – RQ).
- Professional Qualifications: Added Advantage (AA).
- Masters Degree: Added Advantage (AA).
Experience
- Total Minimum No of Years Experience Required: 10 years.
- Sales: Minimum 6 years (Essential – ES).
- Stakeholder Management: Minimum 4 years (Essential – ES).
- Strategic Planning: Minimum 4 years (Required – RQ).
- Team Management: Minimum 4 years (Required – RQ).
- Product development: Minimum 2 years (Added Advantage – AA).
- Project Management: Minimum 2 years (Added Advantage – AA).
