Fintech Frontiers Lead at Safaricom PLC

Job Description

The Fintech Frontiers Lead role focuses on identifying, developing, and scaling next-generation innovations that drive long-term growth, competitive advantage, and ecosystem expansion.

The role involves exploring emerging technologies, new business models, and untapped market opportunities across areas such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, embedded finance, digital identity, open banking, and decentralized finance.

Responsibilities
Key accountabilities and decision ownership:

• Emerging Trends and Innovation Scouting 
• Identify global fintech trends and disruptions 
• Monitor advancements in AI, blockchain, and open banking 
• Analyze competitive and startup ecosystems 
• Engage with innovation hubs and research bodies 
• Evaluate relevance of new technologies to business 
• Track regulatory developments impacting innovation 
• Provide insights to shape innovation strategy

Innovation Strategy Development 

• Define fintech frontier strategy aligned to business goals 
• Prioritize innovation themes and focus areas 
• Develop long-term innovation roadmaps 
• Align initiatives with customer and market needs 
• Balance experimentation with commercial viability 
• Secure leadership alignment on innovation agenda 
• Continuously refine strategy based on outcomes

Experimentation and Pilot Execution 

• Design and run proofs of concept (POCs) 
• Lead pilot programs for new technologies 
• Apply agile and rapid prototyping approaches 
• Test use cases in controlled environments 
• Measure pilot success against defined KPIs 
• Iterate solutions based on learnings 
• Scale successful pilots into full products

Ecosystem and Partnership Development 

• Build relationships with startups and fintechs 
• Collaborate with technology providers and platforms 
• Explore partnerships for co-innovation opportunities 
• Engage venture capital and innovation networks 
• Identify investment or acquisition opportunities 
• Facilitate joint product development initiatives 
• Strengthen ecosystem positioning and reach 

Product and Platform Integration 

• Integrate new technologies into existing platforms 
• Collaborate with product and tech teams 
• Ensure interoperability within ecosystem solutions 
• Support API and platform-based development 
• Align innovation with customer experience goals 
• Ensure scalability and performance of solutions 
• Drive adoption of frontier capabilities 

Commercialization and Value Realization 

• Translate innovation into revenue-generating solutions 
• Develop business cases for new initiatives 
• Define monetization and pricing strategies 
• Support go-to-market for new innovations 
• Track ROI and commercial impact 
• Align innovation with growth objectives 
• Scale solutions across markets and segments 

Governance, Risk, and Compliance 

• Ensure compliance with regulatory frameworks 
• Assess risks associated with new technologies 
• Collaborate with legal, risk, and compliance teams 
• Establish governance for innovation initiatives 
• Ensure data privacy and security standards 
• Monitor ethical implications of emerging tech 
• Balance innovation speed with risk management 

Qualifications
Must have technical / professional qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Finance, Technology, Business, Innovation, or related field (MBA preferred)  
• 8–12 years’ experience in fintech, banking, innovation, or digital transformation roles  
• Strong knowledge of emerging technologies (AI, blockchain, APIs, open banking, embedded finance)  
• Proven experience in innovation strategy, product incubation, or new venture development  
• Experience working with fintech startups, ecosystems, and partnership models  
• Solid understanding of financial services regulations, risk, and compliance frameworks  
• Strong analytical, strategic thinking, and ability to translate trends into business opportunities  
• Experience in leading cross-functional teams and driving complex innovation programs  
• Proficiency in data analysis, business case development, and ROI evaluation  
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and executive influencing skills