Manager, Product Development and Planning

Job Title:       Manager, Product Development and Planning 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 Manager, Product Development & Planning leads the design, structuring, and lifecycle management of Shari’ah-compliant financial products deployed across the Chief Shariah Financial Solutions Office platforms. The role is responsible for translating Islamic financial jurisprudence into commercially viable and digitally deployable financial products that support financing across SME, agriculture, asset financing, and marketplace ecosystems. Operating as the financial structuring and product architecture function of the Office, the role ensures that all financial products maintain Shari’ah integrity, risk discipline, digital scalability, and alignment with institutional partner requirements. The Manager works closely with institutional partnership teams, ecosystem platform teams, technology, risk, and Shari’ah governance functions to ensure that financial products are structured, certified, and operationalized effectively across partner institutions. Key Responsibilities      Shari’ah Financial Product Structuring •    Design and standardize Shari’ah-compliant financial products including Murabaha, Ijarah, Salam, Musharakah, Wakalah, and hybrid structures. •    Translate Shari’ah board rulings and jurisprudential guidance into operational product frameworks. •    Develop standardized contract templates, pricing methodologies, and transaction workflows. •    Ensure product structures reflect genuine asset ownership, transparent profit mechanisms, and compliance with Shari’ah principles. Multi-Sector Product Architecture •    Develop financing product frameworks across major financing pillars including: o    MSME working capital financing o    Agricultural Salam and value-chain financing o    Asset and equipment financing o    Marketplace and embedded finance structures o    Institutional financing pools using Wakalah structures •    Ensure structural coherence across all products to prevent fragmentation and maintain operational consistency. Financial Structuring and Capital Efficiency •    Develop profit-rate methodologies aligned with Shari’ah principles and competitive market benchmarks. •    Structure financial products to optimize capital utilization across institutional financing pools. •    Support receivable structuring, securitization initiatives, and Islamic liquidity management frameworks. •    Collaborate with capital solutions teams on Sukuk enablement and Islamic capital market integration initiatives. Digital Product Integration •    Translate financial product logic into digital workflows and platform requirements. •    Work with technology teams to embed Shari’ah-compliant transaction logic within digital financing infrastructure. •    Ensure automated validation of asset ownership, purchase documentation, and transaction traceability. •    Support integration of financial products into marketplace platforms and embedded finance systems. Risk and Portfolio Integration •    Collaborate with credit risk and analytics teams to align financial structures with portfolio risk frameworks. •    Ensure product decorporates risk segmentation, asset verification, and compliance monitoring mechanisms. •    Monitor product-level performance indicators including profit realization, delinquency patterns, and recovery structures. Product Rollout and Operationalization •    Develop product rollout strategies across partner financial institutions and ecosystem platforms. •    Establish Shari’ah-compliant operational procedures covering origination, documentation, asset validation, and collections. •    Support training and capacity building for partner institutions implementing the products. Governance, Compliance and Documentation •    Work closely with the Shari’ah governance function to secure product certification prior to commercialization. •    Maintain product documentation including Shari’ah rulings, operational procedures, and compliance logs. •    Support Shari’ah audit processes and remediation of compliance findings. •    Ensure alignment with regulatory frameworks and international standards such as AAOIFI and IFSB. Product Performance Monitoring •    Track performance indicators across all financial products including: o    Revenue and profit realization o    Portfolio at risk o    Capital utilization efficiency o    Product adoption and renewal o    Compliance integrity •    Continuously refine pricing models, segmentation strategies, and structuring approaches based on performance insights. Key Outputs     •    Standardized Shari’ah-compliant financial product architecture •    Successfully deployed Islamic financial products across ecosystem platforms •    Strong portfolio performance aligned with risk thresholds •    Digitally embedded Shari’ah compliance mechanisms •    Regulatory and Shari’ah audit readiness •    Sustainable profit rate and revenue performance •    Scalable product frameworks for cross-market expansion