Malawi Operations & Growth Lead

Malawi Operations & Growth Lead  
Location: Lilongwe or Blantyre Malawi (with regular travel within country) 
Reports to: Regional Operations Manager, (Nairobi, Kenya based) 

About Kuunda 

Kuunda is a B2B embedded digital financial company that provides liquidity to the informal sector through digital infrastructure and advanced decisioning models. We specialize in real-time, transaction-based lending solutions that support sustainable economic productivity. Our work enables agent networks, small businesses, and consumers to access financing products and services that drive growth and resilience. 

Role Purpose 

Kuunda is looking for a highly execution-focused Operations & Growth Lead to own our Malawi market. You will be the day-to-day driver of performance for our products with our MNO partner(s) and banks as our balance sheet partners, acting as the “glue” between the MNO, the bank, and Kuunda. Your job is to grow the product portfolio, protect portfolio quality, and ensure our products deliver real value to end users. 

This is a great opportunity for an ambitious operator to take full ownership of a market and work directly with senior stakeholders. 

Key Responsibilities

Market Ownership & Partner Management

• Act as Kuunda’s primary in-country contact for MNO and bank partners across commercial, product, and operations teams. 

• Build and maintain strong relationships with heads of departments and executives, becoming a trusted partner for problem-solving and growth. 

• Coordinate regular performance reviews, working sessions, and roadmap discussions with partner teams. 

Product Growth & Campaign Execution

• Support partners with planning and execution of growth campaigns (digital, ATL, BTL and on-ground) to drive usage, adoption, and revenue. 

• Translate partner and market insights into clear growth plans with measurable targets. 

• Track and report on key KPIs (active users, disbursements, repeat usage, churn, NPL, etc.) and adjust tactics in real time. 
  

Deep Market & Customer Understanding 

• Have a deep understanding of the Malawi lending landscape – both formal and informal – particularly for financially excluded and underserved segments. 

• Continuously monitor competitor products, pricing, usage trends, and customer behaviour. 

• Champion the customer voice in all discussions, feeding insights into product design, user experience, and communication strategies. 

Portfolio Quality, Controls & Collections 

• “Own” market-level performance metrics including product growth, NPL, collections effectiveness, and reconciliation accuracy for partners.  

• Work with partner teams to refine collections strategies, agent/customer engagement, and risk controls. 

• Drive timely issue-resolution on operational and reconciliation problems in coordination with Kuunda’s shared services team. 

Product Enhancements & New Launches 

• Support scoping, testing, and rollout of new product features and enhancements with MNOs, banks, and Kuunda’s product/tech teams. 

• Coordinate in-country pilots, training, and go-live activities, ensuring smooth execution and robust feedback loops. 

• Escalate risks, dependencies, and partner constraints early, with clear options and recommendations. 

Collaboration with Central Teams 

• Work closely with Kuunda’s teams in Nairobi and Cape Town to align on priorities, share insights, and execute shared objectives. 

• Provide clear, concise documentation and updates that help central teams move faster (e.g., market feedback, operational issues, data requests). 

• Contribute learnings from Malawi to improve Kuunda’s playbooks, processes, and future market launches. 

Experience & Qualifications 

Required 

• 4–6 years of experience in digital financial services, banking, microfinance, mobile money, or related financial services in Malawi. 

• Proven track record as a doer – someone who can plan, prioritize, and execute without close supervision. 

• Strong understanding of lending products and practices in Malawi, especially for traditionally excluded segments (e.g., informal workers, micro-SMEs, group savings & loans, rural customers). 

• Comfortable analysing basic performance data and turning it into clear actions. 
• Excellent written and spoken English. 

Preferred / Nice to Have 

• Experience operating or managing an SME, and/or as a user of localized digital lending or mobile money products. 

• Prior exposure to managing marketing or growth campaigns (ATL/BTL, agent activation, or on-ground promotions). 
• Valid driver's license and the ability to drive throughout the country for field visits. 

• Experience working in cross-country or remote teams. 

Education 

• A university degree is not required. We care about practical experience, judgment, integrity, and the ability to deliver results on the ground. 

Personal Attributes 

• Execution-focused: biased towards action and delivery over theory. 

• Strong relationship-builder: able to engage confidently with both frontline teams and senior executives. 

• Ownership mindset: treats Malawi as “my market” and is accountable for results. 

• Structured and self-managing: can prioritise in a complex environment and keep multiple workstreams moving. 

• Curious and customer-centric: always seeking to understand the “why” behind customer behaviour and product performance. 
  

What You’ll Get From Us 

We’re a team of independent-minded people with diverse skills and shared purpose. Our culture of collaboration and resilience allows us to amplify each other’s strengths and create meaningful change. 

We offer: 

• Competitive salary and performance-based bonus. 

• Professional development and career growth opportunities. 

• Flexible work arrangements and an inclusive culture. 

• An exciting environment at the forefront of fintech innovation. 

If you’re passionate about digital finance, driven to expand fair and responsible lending for Malawians who’ve been left out of the system, and ready to lead a market end-to-end, we’d love to hear from you. 
Please note, only apply if you reside in Lilongwe OR Blantyre Malawi (with regular travel within country)