Product Manager_ Simu

WatuKampala, UgandaOnsite

Job Description

Product Manager | Watu SIMURole Profile:Position Title: Product ManagerPosition Start: ImmediateReporting to: Group Head of Technical Product / Uganda Country ManagerDepartment: Product OperationsLocation: WatuSIMUHQ (Ad Hoc travel to Field)Direct Reports:Aftersales Lead, Product Support OfficerIndirect Reports:Aftersales Process Officers,In-House Couriers/Support, Back Office Lead, Back OfficersThe Company:Watu is an Asset FinTech revolutionising access to mass-market mobility and connectivity across Africa by bridging the gap between people and accessibility to flexible financing.Our vision is to provide asset financing services for mobility assets (motorcycles, three-wheelers, and vehicles) and smartphones to ambitious individuals who believe that, when provided with the right tools, they can fulfill their dreams as entrepreneurs and prosper in life while supporting the needs of their families and community.

We, therefore, have a commitment to Empower Entrepreneurs by providing the means needed to move and improve in their lives.We have so far provided over 2 million loans across 8 countries and positively impacted the lives of more than 8 million people. We are also actively promoting financial literacy and independence, adoption of digital payments and increased regulatory and safety compliances.As we expand our footprint across new markets, we have made a conscious decision to be the pioneers of Africa’s movement toward ‘clean and green mobility’.

Through the financing of new electric motorbikes, we are leading the way to a cleaner and sustainable continent.Joining Watu Uganda at this stage provides an opportunity for you to influence the strategy of a growing business, and to make a difference in the lives of millions of Ugandans. We are a vibrant company where ideas and passion are welcomed, and where you get responsibilities from day one. Our people are our greatest asset and, as an equal opportunities employer, we encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds to work with us.How will your role contribute to company’s success:The Product Manager plays a crucial role within the Top Management team by leading the end-to-end design and execution of Watu SIMU’s product strategy, customer experience and aftersales operational processes. This includes optimising customer and device onboarding, maximizing user experience and payment flows, overseeing asset protection and fraud detection efforts, driving workflow automation and developing post-sale support. You will achieve this through data-driven decision making, experimentation and collaboration with cross functional leads as well as through the leadership of your own team of Product Support and Aftersales professionals.. You will constantly look at ways to make our products and customer experience better by coordinating with internal teams and external partners including OEMs, MNOs, Wallet Providers, Credit Reference Bureaus, repair partners, device seller partners, and their agents to ensure seamless product delivery.Responsibilities:

Product Strategy & Ownership

Define, defend & iterate the product roadmap for all digital channels and Aftersales workflows, balancing compliance requirements, automation, and customer satisfaction.

Prioritise localised product requirements and collaborate with Group product and in country XFN stakeholders to shape sprint goals.

Lead localisation initiatives including regional UX adaptations, language translations, and contextual UX flows.

Own digital platform experience across our Android & USSD Apps, WhatsApp & In-App Bots, and IVR channels, with a focus on self service adoption & first call resolution.

Lead the design and execution of experiments and user research to optimise customer experience across our digital channels.

Design and roll out support tooling and workflows for frontline teams including branch officers, and field & customer care agents.

Product Growth & Marketing

Drive product/feature GTM execution in collaboration with XFN stakeholders.

Define and maintain locally relevant buyer personas for both onboarding and aftersales use cases.

Collaborate on the development of training material, FAQ content, walkthroughs, and targeted product announcements.

Drive initiatives that reduce customer support dependency and adoption of digital channels

MDM/MIS Platforms Management

Establish, maintain and enforce policies for device enrolment, firmware updates, unlocking, and deactivation across all stakeholder channels.

Design, test and launch automation initiatives for the on-boarding process.

Liaise with OEMs and MDM providers to address platform bugs, integration issues, and feature customisation.

Monitor MDM system usage, device lock status, and audit trails to ensure compliance with internal SLAs and customer protection standards.

Asset Security

Lead penetration testing and counter fraud experiments (eg MDM bypass, payment diversion, device tampering etc) and liaise with OEMs and MDM providers to address platform/OS security loopholes

Collaborate with Data & Risk to design & execute detection workflows

Aftersales Operations

Oversee Tier 1–3 customer support processes for device unlocks, returns, replacements, and SLA compliance.

Manage escalation channels and the performance of After Sales Support Officers and other teams that deliver SIMU Customer Support.

Drive standardisation and process excellence across branches and third party collection points via audit loops, error dashboards, and compliance incentives.

Product Partnerships

Serve as the primary product interface for Uganda facing stakeholders including MNOs, CRBs, policy regulators, technical integration teams, and retail partners.

Champion co-marketing and joint support initiatives with third-party players

Liaise with Group Partnerships Manager on long-term interoperability and feature alignment with key ecosystem players.

What we are looking for:Must - Haves:

5+ years’ experience in product management, operations, or customer lifecycle management within fintech/BNPL,
Hands-on experience localising product experiences across markets,
Ability to translate operational friction into product and automation opportunities,
Proficiency in SQL, Google Cloud/Workspace (Apps Script), and workflow design,
Strong stakeholder communication — across tech, support, marketing, and external partners,
High bias for execution, field visibility, and data-backed decisions,
Familiarity with API integrations in the finance and telco ecosystem.

Nice-to-Haves:

Experience with Customer & Operations Analytics Analytics and ML modelling for credit risk or fraud detection
Familiarity with API integrations
Knowledge of asset recovery workflows and device-level security

Life at Watu

Thrive Here & What We ValueDaily morning huddles | Weekly 1:1s with manager | Regular side-by-sides with operating teams | Work from home 1 day per week, travel ~10% | Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.</s> | 1. Dynamic and Collaborative Working Environment | 2. ValueDriven Company with a Strong Growth Trajectory | 3. Attractive Medical Insurance Package, including Family Coverage | 4. Generous Leave Allowance and Additional Employee Benefits | 5. Opportunity to be Part of a Leading Asset Finance Company in Africa</s> | 1. CustomerCentric Approach | 2. FocusDriven Company | 3. Commitment to Empowering Entrepreneurs | 4. Rapid Business Growth | 5. Community Engagement and Commitment</s> | 1. Be a part of an international, dynamic, and driven team that has set their aspirations high and work hard to achieve those | 2. Opportunities to learn and grow together with us | 3. Competitive compensation package | 4. Health benefits</s> | 1. Collaborative and supportive work environment | 2. Opportunities to learn and grow together with us. | 3. Be a part of an international, dynamic and driven team that has set their aspirations high and work hard to achieve those.</s> | 1. Passion for financial technology and commitment to driving financial inclusion | 2. Proven experience in managing and motivating highperforming sales teams | 3. A knack for thinking outside the box, exploring new avenues, and staying ahead of curve | 4. Exceptional customer relationship skills and a genuine desire to make a positive impact on people's lives | 5. The ability to thrive in a dynamic, fastpaced environment and embrace change as an opportunity | 6. Learn and grow with Watu. We empower our employees to be the leaders our people want to follow. | 7. Keep updated on any changes in policies, schedules and product knowledge to the team.</s> | 1. Focusdriven and customer-centric | 2. Believes everyone deserves the opportunity to be an entrepreneur and achieve their ambitious goals in life. | 3. Sees Africa's bright and prosperous future and wants to be part of making it a reality. | 4. Empowers Entrepreneurs by providing the means needed to move and improve lives. | 5. Growing rapidly, currently based in Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Tanzania, with over 2000 employees globally. | 6. Ambitious and creative team of smart individuals who make a difference. | 7. Values integrity, empathy, independent problem solving, humility, motivation, resultdriven, people & leadership skills. | 8. Embraces, leads and embeds change. | 9. Actively demonstrates the values of Watu. | 10. Leads, attends and participates in team meetings. | 11. Motivates, coaches and develops others. | 12. Strong Ethics and Standards.</s> | 3. Sees Africa’s bright and prosperous future and wants to be part of making it a reality | 5. Passionate about finance, technology, and driving financial inclusion</s> | 1. Collaborative work environment | 2. Emphasis on continuous learning and development | 3. Focus on innovation and creativity | 4. Encouragement of open feedback and constructive criticism | 5. Strong commitment to customer satisfaction</s> | 1. Equal opportunities employer | 2. Vibrant company where ideas and passion are welcomed | 3. Commitment to Empower Entrepreneurs by providing the means needed to move and improve in their lives. | 4. Pioneers of Africa’s movement toward ‘clean and green mobility’ through financing of new electric motorbikes.</s> | Mission-driven and customer-centric company | Empowers entrepreneurs to start, grow, and achieve their goals in life | Commitment to quality and reliability of information systems through automated testing processes | Focus on maintaining high standards of software quality, optimizing testing workflows, and proactively identifying potential issues to minimize risk | Collaborative environment with cross-functional teams | Willingness to learn and adapt to new tools and technologies | Code review and refactoring skills with a focus on optimization</s> | 1. Focusdriven and customer-centric company | 2. Committed to aiding entrepreneurs achieve their financial goals | 3. Rapidly growing business with over 300,000 customers | 4. International, dynamic, and driven team | 5. Opportunities for learning and growth together with the company | 6. Competitive compensation package and health benefits</s> | 2. Belief in Everyone Deserving Entrepreneurial Opportunities | 3. Africa's FastestGrowing Asset Finance Company | 4. Vision to Provide Asset Financing for Motorcycles and ThreeWheelers | 5. Empowering Entrepreneurs by Providing the Means Needed to Move and Improve Lives | 6. Dynamic Team of Smart Individuals | 7. Ambitious and Creative Team | 8. Proactive and SelfMotivated Employees | 9. Continuous Improvement in Efficiency, Productivity, and Customer Experience | 10. Training Sessions Offered for Skill Development and Knowledge Sharing</s> | 1. MissionDriven: Empowering Entrepreneurs | 2. CustomerCentric Approach | 3. Passionate about our mission to empower entrepreneurs | 4. SelfMotivated and Flexible Work Environment | 5. Strong Leadership Skills and Teamwork | 6. Ethical and Compliant Professional with no criminal records. | 7. Fastpaced and Dynamic Working Environment | 8. Focus on Continuous Improvement and Innovation.</s> | Equal opportunity employer and maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption | Strongly encourages women and persons with disabilities who meet the job requirements to apply | Does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process | Disqualifies individuals found engaging in canvassing or lobbying practices | Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews.

Product Manager_ Simu

Life at Watu

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