Job Summary:
We are seeking an experienced Senior Product Manager to lead product strategy and execution across our diverse product portfolio, which includes Lending, Savings & Deposits, FX, and our soon-to-be-launched Trade Finance offering. Reporting directly to the Product Lead, this role involves close collaboration with the CEO to shape and drive product vision. This is a highly specialized position that operates within Rumba’s AI-driven ecosystem. Utilizing tools like Claude Code, Claude Design, Codex, and similar platforms, the Senior PM will craft AI-executable product and technical specifications, oversee end-to-end delivery, and, when advantageous, contribute directly by shipping small pull requests. Additionally, you will bridge cross-functional teams to transform product concepts into scalable business solutions while taking full ownership of the resulting outcomes. Expect a pace that is tenfold faster than traditional environments—without compromising excellence.
Oversee and execute a comprehensive range of duties encompassing daily operations, project management, and strategic initiatives to ensure organizational objectives are met. Develop and implement efficient workflows to streamline processes while maintaining high standards of accuracy and productivity. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to foster innovation, resolve challenges, and drive continuous improvement across departments. Ensure adherence to company policies, industry regulations, and quality assurance standards. Monitor performance metrics, analyze data trends, and generate actionable insights to support data-driven decision-making. Provide leadership and mentorship to junior staff, fostering professional development and a culture of accountability.
The position encompasses two distinct domains:
The Strategy & Discovery team is responsible for driving innovation and uncovering new opportunities to enhance our market position and customer experience. They analyze industry trends, competitive landscapes, and consumer behaviors to inform strategic decision-making. Key responsibilities include conducting comprehensive market research, synthesizing insights, and translating findings into actionable recommendations for leadership. The team collaborates closely with cross-functional stakeholders to ensure alignment with business objectives and to foster a data-driven culture across the organization. Ideal candidates possess strong analytical skills, strategic thinking, and the ability to communicate complex ideas effectively to diverse audiences.
Responsible for developing and executing the strategic roadmap across key product lines, including lending (Logbook, Asset Finance, Embassy Loans), Savings & Fixed Deposits, FX (Exchange, Virtual Account Numbers, international payouts), and the upcoming Trade Finance offering.
Conduct in-person or virtual customer discovery sessions with key segments, including freelancers, small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) exporters and importers, as well as individual borrowers and savers.
Identify growth opportunities, analyze user funnels, and test hypotheses using live production data without relying on an analyst’s input.
Evaluate and determine strategic priorities among diverse product initiatives—such as adjusting credit policies, implementing new foreign exchange corridors, or launching deposit campaigns—and justify these decisions with data-driven insights and quantitative analysis.
Monitor and analyze the strategies employed by key competitors within Africa’s fintech sector—including Ever send, Wave, Flutter wave, and Kuda—and leverage these insights to inform critical product development choices.
Delivers results with precision and accountability, ensuring all tasks and projects are completed on time and meet established standards. Maintains responsibility for the timely and accurate fulfillment of obligations, overseeing execution to achieve desired outcomes. Focuses on delivering high-quality results consistently while adhering to deadlines and performance expectations.
Develop comprehensive product and technical specifications that engineers and AI coding agents can execute without additional modifications.
Highly precise, without ambiguity, and rigorously verifiable.
Develop prototypes using Claude Design to assess concept viability prior to allocating engineering resources.
Code small pull requests independently using Claude Code when doing so proves more efficient than delegating tasks. At Rumba, product managers actively participate within the codebase.
Deliver end-to-end logistics operations with full accountability for scope, timeline, and quality standards.
Execute delivery operations within Linear, our innovative product and project management platform.
Oversee the scheduling and execution of regular engineering touchpoints, including daily standups, sprint reviews, issue resolution, bug triage sessions, and critical trade-off discussions to address any project delays.
Collaborate with key stakeholders, including the CEO, Engineering, Data, Credit, Operations, Risk, Compliance, and Marketing teams, to ensure alignment and effective communication across all parties.
Align objectives, release schedules, and resource allocation decisions while reconciling conflicting priorities across teams with varying goals.
Focus initiatives on measurable business impact rather than mere activity. Align each project explicitly with revenue generation, growth objectives, or risk mitigation targets. Continuously monitor performance post-implementation and refine approaches until the designated metric demonstrates tangible improvement.
Review artificial intelligence-generated implementations, prototypes, and analyses to ensure their accuracy, assess potential edge cases, and evaluate their alignment with business objectives.
Develop feedback mechanisms that connect customer insights, specifications, AI-driven development, performance metrics, and subsequent specifications. Accelerate this iterative process to achieve faster cycle times.
Develop and execute the launch communications strategy while leading internal enablement initiatives.
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience, is required. Minimum of 5 years of professional software development experience is necessary, with a strong background in Python, Java, or C++ preferred. Proficiency in data structures, algorithms, and problem-solving is essential. Demonstrated expertise in designing and implementing scalable systems is crucial. Experience with cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud is highly desirable. Excellent communication and collaboration skills are vital for working effectively in a team environment.
Experienced product manager with over five years of specialized expertise in the field.
Direct experience shipping consumer or SME products in fintech, banking, or lending.
You possess a proven ability to drive results, holding yourself accountable for achieving key performance indicators such as revenue growth or user engagement metrics.
Track performance is evaluated based on actual outcomes, such as default rates and deposit growth, rather than projected or shipped metrics.
You excel in stakeholder coordination by fostering alignment among diverse cross-functional teams while maintaining a clear and consistent focus on your objectives.
Proven ability to craft clear, detailed specifications that require no further clarification from senior engineers.
Comfortable reading production data yourself. SQL fluency, or willing to get there in week one.
Demonstrated proficiency with AI tools in your daily workflow (Claude Code, Claude Design, Codex, and similar tools). You have shipped real work with them, not just experimented.
Comfortable reading and writing code, enough to ship a small PR with Claude Code.
You operate with a high degree of autonomy, continuously progressing from identifying challenges to developing validated solutions and delivering finished products without requiring explicit direction.
Proficient in interpreting CBK/CBN regulatory guidance documents to derive and implement corresponding product specifications and requirements.
Highly Preferred
Proven expertise in credit product lifecycle management, including origination, scoring, and collections, as well as deposit product domains such as rate strategy, treasury operations, and funding strategies.
Familiarity with foreign exchange processes, international transaction systems, stablecoin ecosystems, or virtual account frameworks is required.
Proficiency in collaborating with engineering teams that integrate AI coding assistants into live production environments is required.
Proven experience in emerging markets, with a strong emphasis on fintech initiatives across regions such as Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America.
Bonus
Founder or 0 to 1 product experience.
Possesses comprehensive knowledge of trade finance instruments, including invoice factoring, letter of purchase order (LPO) financing, and purchase order financing.
Application Requirements
Salary expectations in Kenyan Shillings are subject to negotiation based on qualifications, experience, and industry standards.
Craft a concise overview of an end-to-end AI project you developed, detailing its purpose, the AI methodologies employed, and the final deliverables produced.
Eligible candidates must possess legal authorization to work in Kenya.
A Nairobi-based position requiring on-site attendance is available.
Qualifications
BA/BSc/HND
Experience Required
5 years
