Head Of Product Design

Women In Payments; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 900 000 - 1 500 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial inclusion organization is seeking a Director - Head of Product Design to lead and evolve their Product Design function across multiple African markets. This role emphasizes strategic direction, collaboration with cross-functional teams, and the creation of cohesive user experiences. Ideal candidates will have over 10 years of experience in digital product design, strong leadership qualities, and a passion for innovation in the fintech industry. Join us in shaping impactful design strategies that drive business success.

Benefits

Family-friendly policies

Coaching partnerships

On-the-job training

Flexible work arrangements

Qualifications

• 10+ years experience leading design teams and complex projects in digital products.
• Deep understanding of UX strategy with the ability to balance business goals with user needs.
• Experience building and maintaining design systems across multiple touchpoints.

Responsibilities

• Lead the strategic direction and evolution of our Product Design function.
• Collaborate with Product Management and Tech leadership to define overall UX strategy.
• Build and maintain design systems that ensure visual cohesion while enabling rapid innovation.
• Review design work to ensure quality and cohesion before release.
• Mentor design team members and foster a sense of belonging.

Skills

Leadership and mentoring

UX strategy

Collaboration

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

Job description

We are looking for a Director - level Head of Product Design to lead and evolve our Product Design function as we scale up and drive digital and financial inclusion across our markets.

''This role offers the opportunity to reshape how design drives business strategy and customer experience at a crucial growth moment.

You'll lead cohesive, high-quality user experiences across all touchpoints for customers across multiple African markets, working with talented cross-functional teams including product managers, engineers, data scientists, and commercial stakeholders.

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About Us

We foster a culture where design excellence is celebrated and design thinking is embedded throughout the organization.

Our team values innovation, collaboration, and impact-driven design.

You will be empowered to demonstrate how exceptional design directly contributes to business success and customer empowerment, sitting at the intersection of business strategy and user needs.

At M-KOPA, design isn't an afterthought—it's central to our mission of creating transformative financial partnerships that often serve as customers' first entry point into formal financial services.

Responsibilities

• Leading the strategic direction and evolution of our Product Design function
• Collaborating with Product Management and Tech leadership to define overall UX strategy
• Building and maintaining design systems that ensure visual cohesion while enabling rapid innovation
• Reviewing design work to ensure quality and cohesion before release
• Mentoring design team members and fostering a sense of belonging while helping advance their careers
• Working with marketing teams to ensure visual cohesion across the M-KOPA brand
• Translating design metrics into business outcomes that executives understand and value This role will require frequent travel across our operational markets, therefore an ideal candidate should either be based in one of our markets or be willing to relocate.
• This will allow you to be at the heart of Africa's most dynamic tech hubs with direct access to our core market.

Qualifications

• 10+ years experience leading design teams and complex projects in digital products
• Deep understanding of UX strategy with the ability to balance business goals with user needs
• Experience building and maintaining design systems across multiple touchpoints
• Solid leadership and mentoring capabilities
• Ability to work with diverse, cross-functional teams across multiple countries
• Solid interpersonal, communication, and collaboration skills

Experience translating design impact into business metrics

Experience in fintech or similar industries If the above is of interest to you, please apply.

Why M-KOPA?

At M-KOPA, we empower our people to own their careers through diverse development programs, coaching partnerships, and on-the-job training.

We support individual journeys with family-friendly policies, prioritize well-being, and embrace flexibility.

Join us in shaping the future of M-KOPA as we grow together.