Housing Finance Company of Kenya (HF Group) is seeking a Research Manager to lead its research initiatives. The Research Manager is responsible for developing and driving the departmental research agenda aligned with the organization's digital and innovation strategy. This role involves defining research priorities based on business needs, product pipelines, and emerging market opportunities while providing methodological oversight to ensure consistency and rigor across all research initiatives.
Principle Accountabilities
Research Strategy & Leadership
- Develop and drive the departmental research agenda aligned to digital and innovation strategy.
- Define research priorities based on business needs, product pipelines, and emerging market opportunities.
- Provide methodological oversight to ensure consistency, rigor, and institutional continuity.
- Guide and mentor junior research staff where applicable.
Field Research & User Insights
- Oversee and conduct field visits, ethnographic studies, interviews, and usability testing.
- Identify critical customer pain points, behavioral patterns, and unmet needs.
- Ensure appropriate participant recruitment and stakeholder engagement.
- Escalate key insights and strategic implications to senior leadership for prioritization and action.
Desk Research & Market Intelligence
- Lead trend analysis on local and international digital banking developments, fintech innovations, and competitor activity.
- Monitor regulatory developments impacting digital products and innovation initiatives.
- Interpret macroeconomic, technological, and regulatory trends to inform strategic positioning.
Synthesis, Analytics & Evidence Generation
- Lead thematic and quantitative analysis of research findings.
- Oversee the development of user personas, customer journey maps, and opportunity frameworks.
- Ensure structured documentation and maintenance of institutional research databases.
- Translate raw data into strategic insights and business cases for decision-making.
Communication & Executive Reporting
- Prepare and present insight reports, dashboards, and executive summaries to senior management.
- Convert complex research outputs into clear, actionable strategic recommendations.
- Support board or executive-level innovation reporting where required.
- Ensure adherence to reporting standards and quality assurance processes.
Continuous Improvement & Capability Building
- Introduce improved research methodologies, tools, and analytics capabilities.
- Promote a culture of evidence-based decision-making within Innovation and Digital teams.
- Stay updated on emerging research practices, digital tools, and innovation frameworks.
Principal Outputs
- Strategic research agenda aligned to innovation priorities.
- Executive-level research briefs and insight reports.
- Market intelligence updates and competitor benchmarking reports.
- Structured and reliable research database.
- Actionable recommendations influencing product design and digital transformation.
Key Competencies and Skills
- Strategic Thinking & Insight Generation
- Advanced Analytical & Critical Thinking
- Research Leadership & Methodological Expertise
- Digital & Innovation Awareness
- Executive Communication & Influence
- Stakeholder Management
- Decision Support & Business Acumen
- Adaptability & Continuous Learning
Minimum Qualifications, Knowledge and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Statistics, Economics, Data Science, Business Analytics, Information Systems, Social Research, Sociology, or related discipline.
- Postgraduate qualification (MBA, MSc, or equivalent) is an added advantage.
- Professional certification in Research Methods, Data Analytics, Business Intelligence, or Digital Transformation is desirable.
- Strong proficiency in Excel, Power BI/Tableau, and research tools.
- Minimum 5–7 years relevant experience in research, analytics, innovation, digital strategy, or customer insights.
- Demonstrated experience leading research initiatives or managing research projects.
- Experience within financial services, fintech, digital platforms, or innovation environments is highly desirable.
- Experience presenting insights to senior stakeholders.
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates are encouraged to apply online through the HF Group career portal. Please visit HF Group on www.hfgroup.co.ke to submit your application.
