Director of Product, Commerce

Carry1st is Africa’s leading games publisher and monetization platform. Our Platform business unit helps top global companies grow their player base and revenues across Africa and the Middle East; while our Studio unit acquires, develops, and publishes first-party mobile games for global audiences. 

Our partners include Activision, EA, Riot Games, and NetEase and we’re backed by top investors like a16z, Bitkraft, Google, Konvoy, Sony, Riot Games, and Nas. 

We’re scaling awesome content by solving hard problems at the intersection of content, publishing, and digital commerce.

As the Director of Product, Commerce, you will lead the strategy, execution, and growth of our content distribution business. This role oversees the B2C Carry1st Shop (Web, Android, iOS) and B2B Distribution API, while exploring new and exciting distribution opportunities on the horizon with innovations in AI.

You will recruit and mentor a team of product managers and designers, establish a clear product vision, and drive measurable impact across B2C and B2B distribution channels.

You will…

• Set the vision & strategy for the Carry1st Shop and Distribution API, while exploring new channels to expand reach and monetisation.
• Build and lead a team of product managers and designers, fostering accountability, collaboration, and user-centred design.
• Deliver impact by prioritising initiatives and developing features like loyalty and personalisation to drive customer and commercial value.
• Collaborate across teams (Engineering, Growth, BD, Legal, Ops) to ensure execution and measurable outcomes.
• Understand our customers deeply — designing for local realities, behaviours, and constraints across Africa and the Middle East.
• Communicate clearly with executives, stakeholders, and partners to align product priorities and progress.

What makes you a great candidate?

• 8+ years of product management experience, including 3+ years leading product teams
• Proven success scaling B2C and/or B2B digital products (experience in e-commerce, fintech, gaming, or digital platforms strongly preferred)
• Experience building user-facing features such as loyalty, personalization, social commerce, or referrals
• Exceptional communication skills — written, verbal, and executive-level
• Commercially driven; able to back up priorities with data and expected outcomes
• Collaborative and empathetic leader with strong convictions and openness to learning
• Deep curiosity about new markets and passion for solving diverse user needs

What will it be like to work at Carry1st?

Carry1st is a fast-paced and dynamic place to work. Our team is diverse and global as we operate fully-remotely across 25+ countries. At Carry1st, you will have the opportunity to…

• Shape the future of digital distribution in Africa and the Middle East — one of the world’s fastest-growing consumer markets
• Build awesome, industry-changing products, every day
• Grow with a VC-backed startup at the intersection of gaming and fintech
• Work from anywhere in the world with international teammates
• Own shares in the Company - enabling you to benefit from the value you create 

Some additional perks…

• Co-working excursions: Travel to meet your colleagues in cities around the world
• Awesome equipment: Get everything you need to work effectively 
• Remote working allowance: Put an additional $600 / year to optimise your WFH experience
• Learning and development: Attend courses, conferences and training events
• Social events: Participate in regular company events to relax and connect with teammates
• Birthday leave: Enjoy a paid day off on your special day  

We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds, not just because it's the right thing to do, but because it makes our company stronger. Join us!

Learn more about Carry1st…

• shared why they invested in Carry1st
• announced that Carry1st has raised $27 million to develop and publish mobile games in Africa
• hosted Cordel on a podcast to discuss Carry1st and the African gaming market