Manager, Marketplace Platform

Job Title:       Manager, Marketplace Platform Location:     Addis Abeba Department:       Shariah Financial Solutions Office Reports To:     Director, Ecosystem and Market Enablement Platforms   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 Manager, Marketplace Platform is responsible for the operational management, product integration, performance optimization, and continuous enhancement of the Halal Gebeya Digital Marketplace. The role serves as the execution engine of the ecosystem platform, ensuring that Shari’ah-compliant financial products, capital solutions, and partner services are seamlessly configured, embedded, and delivered through a stable, user-centric, and scalable digital marketplace. The Manager translates ecosystem strategy into operational performance by ensuring platform reliability, integration efficiency, user experience optimization, and measurable transaction growth across multiple user segments and institutional partners. Key Responsibilities     Platform Operations and Governance •    Oversee day-to-day operations of the Halal Gebeya marketplace, ensuring high availability, stability, and service reliability. •    Implement and maintain governance protocols including: o    Product display accuracy o    Pricing transparency o    Shari’ah documentation integration o    User disclosures and consent frameworks o    Partner service-level standards •    Establish and manage incident escalation and resolution processes. •    Ensure audit traceability, data integrity, and operational control standards. Product Configuration and Digital Integration •    Coordinate configuration and integration of Shari’ah-compliant products including: o    Murabaha and Ijarah financing o    Salam-based agricultural financing o    Takaful protection solutions o    Capital and liquidity products where applicable •    Ensure seamless API integration with Kifiya’s Intelligent Financial Infrastructure and decisioning systems. •    Validate end-to-end workflows including origination, underwriting, contract issuance, and repayment tracking. •    Conduct product testing, configuration validation, and go-live readiness checks. User Onboarding and Journey Optimization •    Design and optimize onboarding processes for: o    MSMEs and merchants o    Smallholder farmers and cooperatives o    Institutional partners o    Individual users •    Reduce friction in application flows, documentation, verification, and contract acceptance. •    Monitor conversion funnels, drop-off points, and user behavior. •    Collaborate with Technology teams to improve UX/UI and digital journey efficiency. Institutional Partner Enablement •    Support onboarding and operational integration of: o    Banks and MFIs o    Takaful providers o    Capital partners o    Marketplace merchants and suppliers •    Ensure partners are technically and operationally ready to transact on the platform. •    Maintain integration checklists, testing protocols, and readiness frameworks. •    Monitor partner performance and service-level compliance. Performance Monitoring and Analytics •    Develop and maintain dashboards tracking: o    Active users and merchants o    Transaction and financing volumes o    Takaful attachment rates o    Conversion rates and funnel efficiency o    Customer retention and engagement o    Partner performance metrics •    Analyze trends and identify performance bottlenecks. •    Provide actionable insights and structured reporting to the Director. Compliance and Shari’ah Alignment •    Ensure all platform configurations reflect approved Shari’ah product structures. •    Validate documentation alignment with Shari’ah rulings and governance requirements. •    Maintain compliance logs for all product and system changes. •    Support Shari’ah audit preparation and regulatory reviews. •    Ensure transparent disclosure of pricing, profit mechanisms, and risk-sharing structures. Continuous Improvement and Platform Innovation •    Identify and implement process automation opportunities to improve operational efficiency. •    Enhance embedded finance workflows across marketplace transactions. •    Support integration of Takaful claims and protection workflows within the platform. •    Monitor global best practices in digital marketplaces and Islamic fintech. •    Drive iterative platform enhancements aligned with user and partner needs. Cross-Functional Coordination •    Coordinate closely with: o    Product Development & Planning o    Institutional Partnerships & Growth o    Takaful Solutions o    Capital Market & Investment Solutions o    Risk and Analytics o    Group Technology teams •    Ensure alignment and timely execution of marketplace initiatives. •    Act as the central coordination point for operationalizing ecosystem strategies.   Key Outputs     •    Stable, secure, and high-performing marketplace platform •    Growth in transaction volume and financing deployment •    Improved onboarding conversion rates and user experience •    Successful integration and activation of institutional partners •    Increased adoption of Shari’ah-compliant financial and Takaful products •    Reduced operational errors and processing delays •    Audit-ready compliance and governance documentation •    Strong user engagement and retention