At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and evolve our Product Design function to enhance user experiences across multiple markets.
- Company: Join M-KOPA, a fast-growing fintech company transforming financial services in Africa.
- Benefits: Empower your career with development programs, flexible policies, and a supportive culture.
- Why this job: Shape the future of design while making a real impact on customer empowerment.
- Qualifications: 10+ years in design leadership, strong UX strategy, and mentoring skills required.
- Other info: Frequent travel across dynamic tech hubs in Africa for hands-on experience.
The predicted salary is between 43200 - 72000 ÂŁ per year.
Overview
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We are looking for a Director – level Head of Product Design to lead and evolve our Product Design function as we scale up and drive digital and financial inclusion across our markets.
\”This role offers the opportunity to reshape how design drives business strategy and customer experience at a crucial growth moment. You\’ll lead cohesive, high-quality user experiences across all touchpoints for customers across multiple African markets, working with talented cross-functional teams including product managers, engineers, data scientists, and commercial stakeholders.\”
About Us
We foster a culture where design excellence is celebrated and design thinking is embedded throughout the organization. Our team values innovation, collaboration, and impact-driven design. You\’ll be empowered to demonstrate how exceptional design directly contributes to business success and customer empowerment, sitting at the intersection of business strategy and user needs.
At M-KOPA, design isn\’t an afterthought-it\’s central to our mission of creating transformative financial partnerships that often serve as customers\’ first entry point into formal financial services.
In this role, you would be responsible for:
- Leading the strategic direction and evolution of our Product Design function
- Collaborating with Product Management and Tech leadership to define overall UX strategy
- Building and maintaining design systems that ensure visual cohesion while enabling rapid innovation
- Reviewing design work to ensure quality and cohesion before release
- Mentoring design team members and fostering a sense of belonging while helping advance their careers
- Working with marketing teams to ensure visual cohesion across the M-KOPA brand
- Translating design metrics into business outcomes that executives understand and value
This role will require frequent travel across our operational markets, therefore an ideal candidate should either be based in one of our markets or be willing to relocate. This will allow you to be at the heart of Africa\’s most dynamic tech hubs with direct access to our core market.
Your application should demonstrate:
- 10+ years experience leading design teams and complex projects in digital products
- Deep understanding of UX strategy with the ability to balance business goals with user needs
- Experience building and maintaining design systems across multiple touchpoints
- Solid leadership and mentoring capabilities
- Ability to work with diverse, cross-functional teams across multiple countries
- Solid interpersonal, communication, and collaboration skills
- Experience translating design impact into business metrics
- Experience in fintech or similar industries
If the above is of interest to you, please apply.
Why M-Kopa?
At M-KOPA, we empower our people to own their careers through diverse development programs, coaching partnerships, and on-the-job training. We support individual journeys with family-friendly policies, prioritize well-being, and embrace flexibility.
Join us in shaping the future of M-KOPA as we grow together. Explore more at m-kopa.com.
Recognized four times by the Financial Times as one Africa\’s fastest growing companies (2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025) and by TIME100 Most influential companies in the world 2023 and 2024 , we\’ve served over 5 million customers, unlocking $1.5 billion in cumulative credit for the unbanked across Africa.
Important Notice
M-KOPA is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer committed to assembling a diverse, broadly trained staff. Women, minorities, and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.
M-KOPA explicitly prohibits the use of Forced or Child Labour and respects the rights of its employees to agree to terms and conditions of employment voluntarily, without coercion, and freely terminate their employment on appropriate notice. M-KOPA shall ensure that its Employees are of legal working age and shall comply with local laws for youth employment or student work, such as internships or apprenticeships.
M-KOPA does not collect/charge any money as a pre-employment or post-employment requirement. This means that we never ask for \’recruitment fees\’, \’processing fees\’, \’interview fees\’, or any other kind of money in exchange for offer letters or interviews at any time during the hiring process.
Applications for this position will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Shortlisting and interviews will take place at any stage during the recruitment process. We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a suitable candidate is selected before the advertised closing date.
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Head of Product Design employer: M Kopa
Contact Detail:
M Kopa Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Product Design
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the design and fintech space. Attend industry events or webinars, and don’t be shy about introducing yourself. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your portfolio! Make sure it’s up-to-date and highlights your best work. Tailor it to showcase projects that align with M-KOPA's mission and values. A strong portfolio can speak volumes about your skills and experience.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by researching M-KOPA thoroughly. Understand their products, design philosophy, and market impact. Be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with their goals and how you can contribute to their mission of financial inclusion.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining the team. Don’t forget to follow up after applying; a little persistence can go a long way!
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Product Design
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Experience: Make sure to highlight your 10+ years of experience leading design teams and complex projects. We want to see how you've balanced business goals with user needs, so don't hold back on those examples!
Tailor Your Application: Customise your application to reflect our mission at M-KOPA. Show us how your design philosophy aligns with our focus on digital and financial inclusion across African markets. This will help us see you as a perfect fit!
Highlight Collaboration Skills: Since you'll be working with cross-functional teams, emphasise your interpersonal and collaboration skills. Share specific instances where you've successfully worked with product managers, engineers, or marketing teams to achieve design excellence.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity to shape the future of M-KOPA!
How to prepare for a job interview at M Kopa
✨Know Your Design Impact
Make sure you can articulate how your design work has driven business outcomes in the past. Prepare specific examples that showcase your ability to translate design metrics into tangible results, especially in fintech or similar industries.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a Head of Product Design, you'll be expected to lead and mentor teams. Be ready to discuss your leadership style and provide examples of how you've fostered collaboration and growth within your design teams.
✨Understand the Market
Research M-KOPA and its operational markets thoroughly. Familiarise yourself with the challenges and opportunities in the African tech landscape, and think about how your design strategies can address these effectively.
✨Prepare for Cross-Functional Collaboration
Since you'll be working with product managers, engineers, and commercial stakeholders, prepare to discuss how you've successfully collaborated with diverse teams in the past. Highlight your communication skills and your approach to integrating user needs with business goals.