Product Manager - Innovations
KickStart
International (www.kickstart.org) is an award-winning,
non-profit social enterprise whose mission is to provide smallholder farmers
with access to income-generating products and services that will empower them
to lift themselves out of poverty.
KickStart’s
best-selling products are low-cost, human-powered “MoneyMaker” irrigation pumps
that enable famers to move from subsistence to commercial irrigated farming.
KickStart has sold over 200,000 pumps across sub-Saharan Africa, through
retailers, distributors, and NGOs.
However,
KickStart recognizes that in order to create successful, sustainable farming
businesses, smallholder farmers also need access to other important resources,
such as other types of irrigation technologies/accessories, farmer-friendly
financing, agronomy information/training, and market linkages.
Offering
a more holistic value proposition to farmers is an integral component of
KickStart’s strategic plan to scale impact through innovative products and
services, innovative sales & marketing tactics, and strategic partnerships.
The
Job Opportunity
KickStart
is seeking an experienced and enthusiastic Product Manager to lead and manage
the enhancement of KickStart’s Value Proposition through expansion of its
product and services portfolio.
The
Product Manager - Innovations will work with members of cross-functional teams
(Marketing, Sales, Supply Chain, Product Intelligence and Development (PID),
Finance, Impact Monitoring, Business Improvement and Information Services) to
bring these new projects to fruition.
The
position will report to the Head of Marketing & Innovation and will be
based in Nairobi with travel within Kenya, Tanzania, and Zambia.
Specifically,
the job responsibilities will include:
Product Development Roadmap/Product Portfolio Management
- Facilitate
the decision-making process for expanding KickStart’s product/services
portfolio and developing KickStart’s product roadmap
- Analyze
product mix and each product’s contribution to overall gross margin
- Develop
and pilot strategy for “bundling” related products and services into a
holistic solution to be packaged and offered to customers
Product Management of Irrigation Technologies that enable
smallholder farmers to increase income by cultivating dry season crops.
- Work
with the Product Intelligence and Development and Marketing &
Innovation teams to determine product features, pricing, positioning, and
promotion
- Manage
project timelines & deliverables
- Conduct
training of Sales Team
- Evaluate
sales performance post-launch
Product Management of Financial Services that are designed
to enhance and accelerate the impact created by our Irrigation Technologies
- Tailor
design of KickStart’s existing Mobile Layaway service (micro-savings via
MPESAmobile money transfer) to target farmer groups in Kenya and Tanzania
- Design
and pilot Rent-to-Own service (micro-credit version of Mobile Layaway)
Design financial model, design systems and processes for
administering service, and define marketing strategy
Conduct training of Sales Team
Oversee the field implementation of pilot
Evaluate performance post-launch
Qualifications:
- Experience
in Product Design, Product Management, and/or Product Marketing and in
sales and marketing of physical products, ICT services, and/or financial
services
- Experience
in Project Management and Implementation
- Experience
in Team Leadership and Management with a high level of responsibility
- Strong
analytical skills including Microsoft Excel financial modeling skills
- Results/Performance
Orientation – proven “self-starter”
- Ability
to work in a dynamic and unstructured environment
- Undergraduate
degree required. MBA or relevant Masters degree preferred.
- Fluency
in English. Kiswahili preferred.
- Experience
working or living in developing countries - preferably in Africa
How
to apply
To
be considered for this position, kindly email your one page Application Letter,
together with your CV (maximum of 2 pages), with the position in the subject
line of your email to hr@kickstart.org by December 15, 2012.