KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Innovation Strategy & Execution (30%)
Support the development and execution of the Bank’s innovation strategy aligned with business and digital transformation objectives.
Identify emerging market trends, technologies, and customers’ needs to inform innovation opportunities.
Develop and manage the innovation portfolio and pipeline.
Drive innovation initiatives that support customer acquisition, engagement, revenue growth, and operational excellence.
Promote a culture of innovation and continuous improvement across the Bank.
Innovation Ideation & Incubation (20%)
Lead innovation ideation sessions, design-thinking workshops, hackathons, and innovation challenges.
Evaluate, prioritize, and develop innovative concepts into viable business opportunities.
Build and manage processes for idea generation, assessment, incubation, and commercialization.
Facilitate rapid prototyping and proof-of-concept initiatives.
Drive experimentation and agile innovation methodologies.
Product & Solution Development (10%)
Collaborate with product teams to convert innovative ideas into customer-centric digital solutions.
Support the design and development of new digital products, channels, and service propositions.
Ensure innovation initiatives address customer pain points and market opportunities.
Participate in business case preparation and innovation investment assessments.
Drive continuous enhancement of existing products and services.
Ecosystem & Partnership Development (10%)
Establish and manage relationships with fintechs, startups, accelerators, innovation hubs, universities, and technology providers.
Identify strategic partnership opportunities that enhance KCB’s digital capabilities.
Evaluate fintech and technology solutions for potential collaboration or integration.
Support ecosystem development initiatives and innovation partnerships.
Represent the Bank in industry innovation forums and engagement platforms.
Customer Experience & Market Research (10%)
Conduct customer research, market analysis, and trend assessments to identify innovation opportunities.
Monitor local and global developments in banking, fintech, digital payments, AI, and emerging technologies.
Utilize customer insights to improve products, services, and customer journeys.
Promote human-centered design and customer-centric innovation practices.
Project Management & Governance (10%)
Manage innovation projects from concept to implementation.
Coordinate cross-functional teams to ensure timely delivery of innovation initiatives.
Monitor project performance, milestones, budgets, and outcomes.
Maintain governance controls for innovation projects, pilots, and proof-of-concept initiatives.
Ensure successful transition of validated innovations into mainstream business operations.
Performance Monitoring & Reporting (10%)
Track innovation initiatives against defined business objectives and KPIs.
Measure innovation outcomes, adoption rates, customer impact, and commercial benefits.
Prepare innovation dashboards, reports, and management updates.
Monitor return on investment and business value realization from innovation projects.
Develop recommendations to strengthen innovation effectiveness and scalability.
MINIMUM POSITION QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
Academic & Professional
Experience
[1] Need Types are: RQ = Required, AA = Added Advantage
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree from a recognized university
- Minimum 5 years total cumulative relevant experience
- Product Management qualification or experience
- Project Management qualification or experience
- AGILE practices experience or certification
- Master's degree in a business-related field
What We Do
KCB Group, is the largest financial services organization in East Africa in terms of asset size. The Group's headquarters are located in Nairobi, Kenya, with subsidiaries in Kenya, Rwanda, Southern Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Burundi. In 2015, KCB Group opened a representative office in Ethiopia, expanding the growth of the organization. The Bank is over 124 years old having started in Mombasa in 1896. KCB Group has over 354 branches, 26,394 Agents/POS Merchants and 1,103 ATMs. The bank also offers Mobile Banking though the KCB App, Internet Banking and Diaspora Banking Services platform that can be accessed 24/7 basis. The Bank services over 26.8 million customers across the region. KCB Group is the largest financial services organization in East Africa, with an estimated asset base of approximately Ksh. 1.02 trillion as at the of end H1 2021.
