Director, Ecosystem and Market Enablement Platforms

Job Title:       Director, Ecosystem and Market Enablement Platforms Location:      Addis Abeba Department:       Shariah Financial Solutions Office Reports To:     Chief, Shariah Financial Solutions Officer About Kifiya:     Kifiya is an AI-powered financial and market infrastructure company advancing inclusive economic growth across Africa. We design and deploy risk decisioning systems, intelligent financial infrastructure, and market linkage platforms that unlock credit, insurance, payments, and capital access for MSMEs and smallholder farmers. We build the AI, data, and financial infrastructure that helps financial institutions serve hard-to-finance segments at scale.   Business Unit Description     The Chief Shariah Financial Solutions Office (CSFSO) is responsible for deg, governing, and scaling Kifiya’s Shari’ah-compliant financial infrastructure and ecosystem platforms. The Office develops digitally enabled Islamic financial solutions that allow partner financial institutions, marketplaces, and ecosystem actors to deploy Shariah compliant, asset-backed, and ethically structured financing at scale. Leveraging Kifiya’s AI technology platforms, the Office structures and commercializes Shari’ah-compliant financial products and market solutions across areas such as SME and supply-chain finance, asset and device financing, embedded finance, marketplace ecosystems, and emerging Takaful and Islamic capital market instruments. The Office also institutionalizes the governance frameworks, financial structuring capabilities, and market infrastructure required to support the sustainable growth of Islamic finance within Kifiya’s ecosystem. By integrating Shari’ah governance, aligning with international standards such as AAOIFI and IFSB, and enabling ecosystem-wide deployment, the Office advances inclusive financial access and scalable Shari’ah-compliant financing solutions for SMEs, agricultural value chains, women and youth enterprises, and digital marketplace participants. Position Summary     The Director, Ecosystem & Market Enablement Platforms leads the design, governance, scaling, and commercialization of Kifiya’s Shari’ah-compliant market infrastructure, anchored by the Halal Gebeya Digital Marketplace and related ecosystem platforms. The role is responsible for building and scaling multi-sided digital ecosystems where Shari’ah-compliant financial solutions are deployed across MSMEs, agricultural value chains, asset distribution networks, and embedded finance channels. The Director ensures that financial products and capital are effectively distributed, utilized, and monetized through scalable digital platforms, transforming Kifiya’s Shari’ah Financial Solutions into real economic activity. Acting as the market engine of the CSFSO, the role bridges product development, institutional partnerships, capital solutions, and technology to drive adoption, transaction volume, and ecosystem growth. Key Responsibilities     Ecosystem Strategy and Platform Architecture •    Define and lead the long-term strategy for Halal Gebeya and ecosystem platforms as the primary distribution infrastructure for Shari’ah-compliant financial solutions. •    Develop a multi-year ecosystem scaling roadmap covering: o    MSME and merchant onboarding o    Agricultural and value-chain integration o    Embedded finance enablement o    Marketplace financing deployment o    Cross-border scalability opportunities •    Position the platform as the trusted Islamic digital finance gateway in target markets. •    Ensure alignment with Kifiya’s Intelligent Financial Infrastructure and Capital Technology strategy. Marketplace Governance and Platform Integrity •    Establish governance frameworks for marketplace operations including: o    Partner onboarding standards o    Institutional due diligence o    Compliance and verification protocols o    Service-level agreements o    User protection and transparency mechanisms •    Ensure Shari’ah-compliant product representation, pricing transparency, and documentation consistency. •    Build digital governance aligned with Shari’ah audit and regulatory requirements. Ecosystem Integration and Partner Enablement •    Lead integration of ecosystem participants including: o    Financial institutions and Islamic banking windows o    Takaful providers o    Agribusiness and supply chain actors o    Device suppliers and distributors o    Cooperatives and community-based organizations •    Define and implement API and platform integration strategies with Kifiya’s infrastructure. •    Develop standardized onboarding and integration toolkits for institutional partners. •    Ensure seamless digital workflows across origination, underwriting, contract execution, and repayment. User Acquisition and Market Development •    Design and scale onboarding frameworks for: o    MSMEs and merchants o    Smallholder farmers and cooperatives o    Individual users and micro-entrepreneurs •    Drive growth strategies including: o    Embedded finance deployment o    Agent network integration o    Digital acquisition campaigns o    Ecosystem cross-selling strategies •    Expand access to underserved and ethically aligned market segments. Embedded Finance and Platform Monetization •    Lead the design and deployment of embedded Shari’ah-compliant finance within: o    E-commerce transactions o    Agricultural value chains o    Asset and device distribution ecosystems o    Cooperative and community platforms •    Define and optimize platform monetization models including: o    Transaction fees o    Revenue-sharing arrangements o    Integration and service fees o    Institutional platform licensing •    Drive marketplace profitability and sustainable revenue growth. Technology and Infrastructure Alignment •    Work closely with Technology teams to ensure: o    Platform scalability and resilience o    Secure and compliant system architecture o    Digital contract management and traceability o    Asset tracking and financing integration o    Takaful and claims workflow integration •    Ensure interoperability with national digital infrastructure and financial systems. •    Champion a digital-first Shari’ah compliance architecture across all platforms. Performance Management and Analytics •    Define and monitor platform KPIs including: o    Active users and merchants o    Institutional partners onboarded o    Financing disbursement volumes o    Transaction throughput o    Customer retention and engagement o    Capital velocity across ecosystems •    Build real-time dashboards for executive decision-making. •    Drive continuous optimization through data-driven insights. Regulatory and Governance Alignment •    Ensure platform compliance with: o    Financial services regulations o    Digital commerce frameworks o    Data protection requirements o    Shari’ah governance standards •    Engage regulators to support the development of Islamic digital finance ecosystems where required. Leadership and Organizational Development •    Lead the Ecosystem & Market Enablement Platforms team including: o    Manager, Marketplace Platform o    Manager, Growth & Market Enablement •    Build strong execution discipline, accountability, and performance culture. •    Develop internal capabilities in digital ecosystem management and Islamic fintech platforms. •    Promote inclusive, diverse, and purpose-driven team culture. Key Outputs     •    Scaled and fully operational Halal Gebeya marketplace and ecosystem platforms •    Growth in ecosystem transaction volume and financing deployment •    Increased adoption of Shari’ah-compliant financial products •    Strong marketplace monetization and revenue performance •    High user acquisition, engagement, and retention rates •    Seamless institutional and partner integrations •    Digitally compliant and audit-ready platform operations •    Expansion into new markets and ecosystem segments