Senior Principal Product Owner Banking at Cellulant

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Role Summary: 

• We are seeking a highly skilled Banking Payments Product Specialist with a strong focus on understanding and driving product innovation for the African payments landscape. This role demands expertise in product management, a commercial mindset, and the ability to build trust and credibility with stakeholders. The ideal candidate will play a critical role in shaping payment solutions for banking customers, contributing to our growth and market leadership in Africa.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Product Vision and Leadership:

• Develop a comprehensive product vision and strategy that aligns with both Cellulant's overarching business goals and the evolving needs of the payments industry.
• Lead the product team in envisioning future innovations, drawing inspiration from market leaders who continuously evolve their product offerings to stay ahead in the global payments landscape.
• Develop a deep understanding of banking product needs from a payments enablement perspective.
• Innovate and deliver cutting-edge payment solutions tailored to banking customers.
• Drive the adoption of product management best practices across the team.

In-depth Market and Competitive Analysis:

• Conduct detailed market research to identify and understand emerging trends, customer expectations, and potential technological advancements that could impact the banking sector.
• Analyse competitive landscapes to benchmark against industry leaders and identify areas for differentiation and improvement.
• Collaborate with existing and potential customers to understand their needs and provide tailored payment solutions.
• Build strong relationships with stakeholders, earning trust through expertise and reliability.

Roadmap Development and Prioritisation:

• Define the product roadmap with clear, actionable items that prioritise features based on their potential impact on customer satisfaction and business objectives.
• Use data-driven insights to adjust priorities as market conditions evolve, ensuring that product development aligns with user needs and company goals.

Cross-functional Team Leadership and Collaboration:

• Foster a collaborative environment across various departments (Engineering, UX/UI Design, Marketing, Sales, and Customer Support) to ensure that all aspects of product development are aligned and that deliverables meet the highest standards.
• Organise and lead regular cross-departmental meetings to discuss progress, tackle roadblocks, and adjust strategies as necessary, ensuring all stakeholders are informed and engaged in the product's success.

Lifecycle Management from Concept to Launch:

• Manage all phases of the product life cycle, from initial concept, through development, to launch and post-launch analysis.
• Implement agile methodologies to enhance product development processes, ensuring flexibility and rapid adaptation to new information or market changes.

Compliance and Regulatory Adherence:

• Ensure all product developments comply with relevant local and international regulatory standards, including data protection laws, payment industry standards (e.g., PCI DSS), and anti-money laundering (AML) regulations.
• Regularly update the product team and stakeholders on regulatory changes and adjust the product roadmap to accommodate these changes, ensuring compliance at all stages of the product life cycle.

Performance Monitoring and Optimisation:

• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess the product's market performance and operational efficiency.
• Analyse product usage and customer feedback to continuously refine and improve the product offerings. Utilise A/B testing, user satisfaction surveys, and usage data to make informed decisions about product adjustments and enhancements.
• Provide enterprise-level pre-sales support, offering technical and strategic insights to secure customer partnerships

Stakeholder Communication and Reporting:

• Communicate effectively with all stakeholders, including senior management, team members, and external partners, about the product's progress, challenges, and strategic direction.
• Prepare detailed reports and presentations that summarise product performance, market insights, and strategic recommendations, ensuring transparency and informed decision-making at the executive level.

Key Competencies

• Technical Proficiency: Deep understanding of the payments ecosystem, including trends in digital payments, cross-border transactions, and regulatory challenges.
• Strategic Thinking: Ability to craft long-term strategies that align with both customer needs and business goals.
• Leadership and Communication: Strong leadership skills to manage and inspire a team, and excellent communication abilities to liaise with stakeholders and executive leadership.

Educational and Experience Requirements:
Experience:

• Minimum of 8 years in product management Experience with financial technologies and payment systems is crucial.
• Deep understanding of banking product needs from a payments enablement perspective.
• Comprehensive knowledge of the African payments landscape.
• Proficiency in product management best practices, including innovation and execution.
• Experience in enterprise pre-sales (preferred but not required).
• Strong commercial acumen with a focus on driving business growth and profitability.
• Proven history of successful product innovation and implementation.
• Strong leadership skills, with the ability to manage and inspire a team of product managers.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and stakeholder management skills, essential for coordinating with multiple teams and reporting to executive leadership.
• Strong number crunching capabilities with the ability to navigate and use data analysis tools to drive a data-driven approach to insights and recommendations
• A strategic mindset capable of balancing various perspectives and making informed decisions that align with business goals.

Education:

• A base degree in a relevant field plus at least one additional qualification (e.g., MBA or a specialised Master's in finance or technology).