Senior Manager, Strategy & Product Development (Strategic Data & Intelligence) at African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank)

Reference: SM-STPD-SDI-2025

Job Summary

• The Senior Manager, Strategic Data & Intelligence plays a critical role in driving the Bank’s transition into a data-powered Strategy organization. 
• The role focuses on integrating data science, analytics, and AI/ML technologies into strategic planning, execution, monitoring, and evaluation processes. 
• The incumbent will design and manage advanced analytics models, AI assets, scenario simulations, and predictive insights to support high-level decision-making by the President, Executive Management, and the Board.
• This position sits within the Strategy & Product Development Division, under the Strategy Data and Intelligence Unit.

Key Responsibilities
Strategic Data, AI & Analytics Leadership:

• Develop and manage a proprietary Strategic Intelligence Knowledge Base using AI, ML, and advanced analytics.
• Design, build, and deploy predictive models and simulations to identify risks, trends, foresight, and new strategic opportunities.
• Integrate generative AI and machine learning models into the Bank’s strategy planning, implementation, and performance tracking cycles.
• Run AI experimentation cycles, simulate economic and geopolitical scenarios, and generate insights to support organizational preparedness.
• Lead strategic insight generation by using data and AI to improve decision-making on development impact, project design, and investment strategy.

Development Impact Analysis & Predictive Modeling:

• Collaborate with the development impact team to improve impact assessment methodologies using AI algorithms and predictive analytics.
• Build custom tools for profitability analysis, segmentation, forecasting, optimization, and performance modeling.
• Enhance the Bank’s data-driven decision-making culture through AI/ML-based strategic diagnostics.

Strategic Planning & Board Engagement:

• Support the preparation of Board papers and strategy documents using data-informed insights.
• Generate reports on strategic foresight, scenario analysis, and AI-supported evaluations of emerging challenges and opportunities.

Organizational Integration & Operationalization:

• Partner with the Organizational Architecture team to design target operating models that integrate AI capabilities.
• Contribute to the planning team by generating actionable insights for business plans and market expansion strategies.
• Improve the Bank’s strategic responsiveness by identifying emerging risks and opportunities across industries and geographies.

Ethics, Governance & Responsible AI:

• Implement AI governance and ethical frameworks, ensuring transparency, fairness, and legal compliance.
• Promote a responsible use of AI and align AI initiatives with the Bank’s mandate and public interest.

Leadership & Collaboration:

• Lead a high-performing team of AI/ML professionals, driving a culture of continuous innovation.
• Collaborate across internal departments and with external partners to embed AI in core business functions.

Minimum Qualifications & Experience
Educational Qualification:

• Master’s Degree in Mathematics, Engineering, Computer Science, Data Science, Economics, Artificial Intelligence, or a related field.
• A PhD is preferred.

Experience:

• At least 10 years of experience in AI/ML, advanced analytics, statistical modeling, and data science, preferably in financial services or consulting.
• Strong leadership experience in deploying AI/ML models in production and enterprise settings.
• Solid understanding of AI architectures including Transformers, GNNs, GANs, RNNs.
• Hands-on experience with tools like PyTorch, TensorFlow, Hugging Face, SQL, Python, R, Spark.
• Expertise in data visualization tools like Tableau, Power BI.
• Strong command of forecasting techniques, neural networks, gradient boosting, regression models, etc.
• Deep understanding of data pipelines, infrastructure, and resilience in large-scale AI deployments.
• High proficiency in communicating complex technical ideas to senior stakeholders.