We are pleased to announce the subject career opportunity within Big Data and Analytics at Safaricom PLC reporting to the Head of Big Data and Analytics, AI Tribe Lead.

Role Description

Safaricom is a pioneering fintech business and global market leader in mobile money. From starting in 2007 as a convenient means by which the unbanked and underbanked can make digital payments, Safaricom has now grown to offer over 50 million active customers financial services, enterprise, merchant and retail solutions. We are proud of our work in enabling the digital economy in our markets, and in driving financial inclusion.

Safaricom is now making strides to deepen and strengthen its offering to consumers and businesses in our operating countries, making it easier for them to manage their money and get more from their limited resources. Your role sits within the Big Data and Analytics  within the Finance Unit.

Working within the scaled agile framework (SAFe), you will perform all aspects of the Product Owner role for Big Data and Analytics. This includes taking ownership of the team backlog, user story content and setting priorities for your Agile Team to maximise business value. You will also work within the context of a wider Product Management team, helping to define features and drive evolution of our Big Data and AI Products based on your business strategic understanding and Big Data mission.

Key Role Responsibilities

Owns the team backlog in line with mission:

• Provide Big Data product management and alignment with commercial tribes
• Provides priorities, success measures to Big Data Agile team based on agreed criteria and in line with Big Data product delivery  road map
• Drive company-wide AI appreciation metric

Represents the end-user:

• Works with SME’s to understand requirements, supporting the definition of features, and co-creating user stories and other required artefacts
• Understand the core technology platform capability and collaborate with developers in the best way to meet product objectives, acts as the customer for developer questions
• Leads the system demo together with the chapter leads for their agile team after each iteration

Inputs into iteration planning session:

• Reviews and reprioritises backlog in preparation for Iteration Planning, including coordination of dependencies with other Product Owners and earliest delivery of value to our customers
• Collaborates with the team to detail stories with acceptance criteria and associated acceptance tests
• Communicates story detail and priorities, ensuring the team aligns and agrees on the final iteration plan

Understands enabler work:

• Collaborates with the Systems Architect, Business Analysts to assist with decision-making and sequencing/prioritisation of technical enablers

Accepts stories as done:

• Validates the story meets the acceptance criteria and complies with the definition of done

Works closely with product management team:

• Works alongside the product manager to ensure features are well documented, and that business priority is understood and aligned with team activities
• Actively participates in program ceremonies, PI Planning, PO-Sync, System Demos, Backlog refinement sessions, and Inspect and Adapt Workshop
• Performs preparation activities for quarterly business reviews (QBRs), helps drive quarterly objectives at Tribe level

Exhibits Lean-Agile leadership:

• Exhibits the behaviors of a Lean-Agile Leader with a Lean-Agile Mindset and deep understanding of analytical models and business strategy 
• Helps the team embrace SAFe Core Values, adopt, and apply SAFe Principles, implement SAFe practices

Core competencies, knowledge, and experience

• Strong understanding of / experience with business intelligence, big data,  reporting and AI concepts and technologies.
• Experience of software development lifecycle in complex, data-driven initiatives is essential, especially within agile methodologies (e.g. Scrum, SAFe)
• Experienced in leading agile feature teams to deliver both new and continuous improvements to customers
• Strong data analytical skills, able to identify solutions to complex problems.
• Business and customer focus and an appreciation of customer-led design and user experience techniques
• Ability to work proactively within a demanding environment, being a key contributor to a fast-moving product development process
• Able to communicate and influence with tact and diplomacy.
• Able to understand and explain complex technical concepts to business stakeholders
• Demonstrable numerical, analytical, and verbal skills, in particular well-developed written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Contagious passion for, and commitment to, driving mobile money growth and innovation
• Demonstrated communication and relationship management experience
• Contagious passion for, and commitment to, driving mobile and GSM growth and innovation
• Demonstrated communication and relationship management experience
• Excellent problem analysis and resolution skills to support work in reactive and proactive environments

• Bachelor’s Degree in any IT or Quantitative relevant field
• Master of Business Administration (MBA)
• Agile Experience – minimum 2 years
• Relevant certified Product Owner or Business Analysis qualification, for example, SAFe Product Owner or equivalent is a must.
• Experience with business intelligence, big data, data lake, reporting, and AI concepts and technologies.
• Minimum 2 years’ experience in Mobile Payment or Financial Services and Telecommunication

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

Last Date to Apply: Sep 28, 2022