Devices and Innovation Lead

Safaricom PLC is a leading telecommunications company in Kenya, founded in 1997, providing mobile network services and digital solutions.

Devices and Innovation Lead

1. Uphold the company code of conduct, policies and procedures, ensuring integrity and accountability in every aspect of your work.
2. All employees have a responsibility to adhere to safety, health, and wellbeing policies, guidelines and procedures in all actions and decisions.
3. Develop and execute the overall devices strategy aligned with business objectives.
4. Identify market trends and customer needs to recommend device propositions that drive growth.
5. Monitor device performance, sales, profitability, and customer adoption metrics.
6. Drive lifecycle management of devices from launch to retirement.
7. Lead the innovation agenda by identifying emerging technologies, industry trends, and new business opportunities.
8. Evaluate and pilot innovative solutions, products, and services to enhance customer value.
9. Lead the ideation, development, and commercialization of new products and services.
10. Establish innovation frameworks and processes to accelerate experimentation and commercialization.
11. Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to develop and test new concepts.
12. Build and maintain an innovation pipeline aligned with strategic priorities.
13. Develop compelling device propositions and bundled offerings.
14. Define business requirements and customer journeys for new products and services.
15. Ensure products meet customer expectations and deliver measurable business outcomes.
16. Own and deliver device, innovation, and partnership-related revenue, profitability, and market share targets.
17. Develop business cases, investment proposals, and financial models for new products, services, and innovation initiatives.
18. Monitor key commercial KPIs and implement corrective actions to improve performance.
19. Track product portfolio performance and recommend actions to maximize return on investment.
20. Conduct market analysis, competitive benchmarking, and customer research.
21. Identify emerging consumer behaviors and technology trends to identify unmet customers’ need and provide recommendations based on market intelligence and insights.
22. Utilize customer insights, analytics, and market research to improve product and service experiences.
23. Develop and execute partnership strategies with device manufacturers, technology providers, digital platforms, fintechs, startups, and ecosystem players.
24. Identify, evaluate, and onboard strategic partners that enhance customer value propositions and support business growth objectives.
25. Negotiate commercial agreements, joint business plans, and co-marketing initiatives.
26. Drive ecosystem-based solutions by integrating devices, connectivity, digital services, and emerging technologies.
27. Build and maintain strong stakeholder relationships to accelerate innovation and market leadership.
28. Continuously assess partnership performance and identify opportunities for optimization and expansion.
29. Lead and inspire cross-functional agile squads comprising commercial, technology, digital, marketing, finance, and operations teams.
30. Define squad objectives, priorities, and delivery roadmaps aligned with strategic business goals.
31. Drive agile ways of working, fostering collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
32. Manage sprint planning, backlog prioritization, and delivery tracking to ensure timely execution of initiatives.
33. Remove delivery impediments and facilitate effective decision-making within the squad.
34. Coach and mentor squad members to build high-performing teams and cultivate an innovation-driven culture.
35. Monitor initiative outcomes and ensure delivery of measurable customer and commercial value.
36. Lead the design and continuous improvement of end-to-end customer journeys across devices and digital ecosystems.
37. Identify customer pain points and implement solutions that enhance adoption, engagement, and satisfaction.
38. Ensure seamless integration of devices, connectivity, digital applications, and support services.
39. Drive customer-centric innovation initiatives that improve retention, loyalty, and Net Promoter Score (NPS).
40. Collaborate with Customer Experience, Digital, and Technology teams to deliver exceptional customer outcomes.

1. 5 years of relevant experience in telecommunications, technology, consumer electronics, digital products, innovation management, or product development.
2. Proven experience in managing device portfolios, digital products, or customer propositions.
3. Demonstrated success in developing and launching commercially viable products and services.
4. Familiarity with Agile, Scrum, Design Thinking, and innovation frameworks.
5. Strong understanding of mobile devices, IoT, connected technologies, and digital ecosystems.
6. Knowledge of emerging technologies such as AI, 5G, fintech, cloud services, and smart devices.
7. Experience in strategic partnership management and vendor negotiations.
8. Experience leading cross-functional and agile teams to deliver business outcomes.
9. Strong track record in driving revenue growth, customer acquisition, and customer retention initiatives.
10. Experience using data analytics and market insights to drive decision-making.
11. Experience in business case development, financial analysis, and commercial performance management.