M-KOPA Solar Senior Product Development Manager Job in Nairobi Kenya

M-KOPA Solar, headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, is the global leader of "pay-as-you-go" energy for off-grid customers.  

The company was founded in 2011 by former executives behind M-PESA (the world's leading mobile payment platform) on the belief that mobile technology could revolutionize energy services in emerging markets the same way it has already revolutionized the delivery of communications and financial services.  

Senior Product Development Manager
M-KOPA is seeking an experienced professional to join the M-KOPA product team and manage the development of the company’s product (device) roadmap. 

Position Overview: The Senior Product Development Manager will be responsible for the delivery of M-KOPA’s product roadmap and will be an integral member of the M-KOPA team. 

This person will be the key point person responsible for the design and coordination of tasks across the various teams engaged in the delivery of M-KOPA’s future products.  

Currently, there are multiple products in the roadmap, at various stages of development that need to be brought to commercialization. This is a high profile position with a direct reporting line to M-KOPA’s senior management team.

Location: There is a strong preference that the person be based in M-KOPA’s Head Office in Nairobi, Kenya, The role will require international travel (approx. 25%) to partner facilities in China, Hong Kong, the UK, and other M-KOPA markets. 

M-KOPA will also consider candidates who wish to be based in Hong Kong or the UK and who are willing to travel more than 50% of the time.

Compensation and Benefits: Competitive and will be based on the applicants skills and experience. 

Start Date: As soon as possible

Job Responsibilities: This Senior Product Development Managers will be a part of the Product Development Team, which operates on a matrix basis with senior managers from engineering, technology, and production teams. 

Key tasks will include:

• Owning the delivery of all the products on the M-KOPA product roadmap
• Coordination of all of the work tasks being done by the various teams as they work on new product concepts, design and testing, taking products through the new product development cycle into mass production.
• Coordinating the deliverables from supporting consultants / suppliers who work with M-KOPA on product development (e.g. design houses, manufacturers, specialist experts, etc)
• Providing consumer requirement design guidance on all products and working closely with the Engineering and Production teams to ensure that product specifications are in line with business requirements and that technical details are closed down as the product design firms up.
• Preparation of project management documentation, using on-line tools and ensuring all team members have access to up-to-date information at all times and across multiple geographies
• Ensuring good management of product details (specifications, drawings, data etc) through the design stages and hand over of this to Production team at mass production
• Logging decisions and actions and acting as secretary to the Product Committee (where Executive ownership of the roadmap resides).
• Manage the related budget related to product design and development.

Knowledge Requirement

• Experienced in production of new products from concept to delivery, with experience in product design preferable
• At least four years project management experience working on complex, multi-stakeholder projects, ideally in multiple countries with exposure to multiple cultures
• Very strong project management skills /or formal program management qualifications (e.g. Prince2)
• Demonstrable record of delivery complex outcomes on time and to budget
• Strong communicator able to manage teams across time zones and cultures
• Ability to get others to do things on time

Skills Requirement

• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Team building skills
• Analytical and problem solving skills
• Decision making skills
• Effective verbal and listening communications skills
• Attention to detail and high level of accuracy               

To Apply

To apply, send an updated detailed copy of your well named and labelled CV and a cover letter expressing why you feel you would be an excellent candidate for the role to applications@m-kopa.com with only the subject “Senior Product Development Manager” in the title.