Commercial Manager – Youth Financial Services at Co-operative Bank of Kenya

Job Description

As Commercial Manager – Youth Financial Services (YFS), you will drive the commercial performance and growth of an assigned youth customer portfolio, translating customer insights and business strategy into impactful propositions, effective go-to-market initiatives and sustainable customer value. You will own the end-to-end customer journey, from acquisition and activation to engagement, retention and long-term growth. Working collaboratively across business functions and external partnerships, you will help position Co-op Bank as a preferred financial partner for young customers.

The Role

Specifically, the successful jobholder will be required to:

• Own the commercial performance of the assigned youth customer portfolio, delivering agreed targets for customer acquisition, activation, product uptake, usage, retention and profitability.
• Translate business priorities and customer insights into effective commercial plans, campaigns, propositions and market activation initiatives with clear objectives and measurable outcomes.
• Build a deep understanding of youth needs, behaviours and emerging trends through research, customer engagement, market intelligence and performance analytics.
• Partner with Product Owners and cross-functional teams to develop, test and commercialise relevant products, customer journeys, pricing and offers.
• Identify and develop partnerships with universities, schools, employers, youth organisations, businesses, fintechs and other ecosystem players to expand market reach and accelerate growth.
• Collaborate with Brand & Communications and agency partners to deliver distinctive, relevant and engaging campaigns that strengthen the YFS proposition and support commercial objectives.
• Work with branches, sales teams, relationship managers and digital channels to drive customer acquisition, product adoption and sustained engagement.
• Analyse customer behaviour, campaign effectiveness, portfolio performance and return on investment to identify opportunities and improve commercial results.
• Ensure effective budget utilisation, value for money, sound commercial decision-making and adherence to applicable regulatory, risk, data privacy and customer protection requirements.
• Build strong relationships across internal teams and external stakeholders, develop compelling business cases and presentations, and drive the timely execution of commercial initiatives.

Qualifications, Skills & Attributes

The successful jobholder will be required to possess the following qualifications:

• A Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Commerce, Economics, Finance, Communications or a related discipline.
• At least five (5) years’ relevant experience in commercial management, go-to-market strategy, business growth, segment or category management, marketing, partnerships, business development, customer strategy or a related commercial field.
• Demonstrated experience translating customer insights and business strategies into commercial initiatives that deliver measurable results.
• Strong commercial and business acumen, including experience managing targets, budgets, customer growth metrics, performance funnels and return on investment.
• Proven ability to influence stakeholders, collaborate across multiple functions and manage strategic partnerships.
• Strong analytical, communication, presentation, negotiation and relationship management skills.
• A customer-centric, innovative and results-oriented mindset, with the ability to adapt to changing customer needs and market dynamics.