EBKL: Data & Innovation Manager – Youth Banking

Equity Bank Kenya Limited (EBKL) is a leading technology-driven financial services institution operating in Kenya. Leveraging technology, data and innovation, we deliver integrated financial and non-financial solutions that drive inclusive growth, economic empowerment and sustainable development at scale. Our diversified ecosystem spans banking, insurance, payments, technology, investment and social impact, enabling us to serve individuals, businesses and communities seamlessly across multiple touchpoints. Our business model is anchored on a distinctive Tri-Engine Framework comprising Economic, Social and Sustainability Engines, which enables us to deepen financial inclusion, strengthen value chains, empower communities and create long-term shared value for all stakeholders.

Our purpose, "Transforming lives, giving dignity, and expanding opportunities for wealth creation," guides every strategic decision we make. We are driven by a bold vision, "to be the champion of the socio-economic prosperity of the people of Africa," and this ambition is embedded in our culture through our core values of Professionalism, Integrity, Creativity and Innovation, Teamwork, Unity of Purpose, Respect, and Effective Corporate Governance (PICTURE).

Our growth and impact agenda is operationalized through the Africa Recovery and Resilience Plan (ARRP), which serves as the strategic blueprint for leveraging technology, expanding access to opportunities, accelerating economic transformation, and delivering sustainable value creation across Africa.

The Role Purpose

To provide strategic leadership in the development and delivery of the Bank’s youth digital, data and innovation agenda, translating business priorities into differentiated customer propositions, scalable digital solutions and commercially sustainable growth opportunities. The role drives customer segmentation and insight-led decision-making, mobile-first product and journey development, digital acquisition, automation and ecosystem integration to deepen youth engagement and expand access to financial services.

Through strategic collaboration with technology partners, fintechs, aggregators and internal business teams, the role accelerates innovation, embedded finance and data-driven solutions, including creator and gig-economy income insights to support alternative credit assessment. It also ensures effective management of innovation investments, adoption of digital solutions, benefits realisation and adherence to enterprise risk and regulatory standards.

The Key Responsibilities

• Youth Customer Segmentation & Performance Intelligence: Lead youth customer segmentation, persona development and performance dashboards, maintaining a common scorecard with age- and gender-disaggregated insights to guide business decisions, resource allocation and growth priorities.

• Youth Proposition & Customer Journey Development: Drive the design and continuous enhancement of mobile-first propositions and end-to-end customer journeys for students, first-time earners, youth in business, creators and gig workers across payments, savings, credit and investment, including the VYB platform.

• Innovation Scanning, Piloting & Commercialisation: Identify emerging fintech, API and technology opportunities, lead design-thinking and agile-based pilots and minimum viable products (MVPs), and scale commercially viable solutions through robust business cases and measurable benefits.

• Business Automation & Digital Transformation: Own business requirements, prioritisation, adoption and benefits realisation for automation initiatives across products, customer journeys, campaigns, reporting and workflows, ensuring alignment with enterprise technology, security and control governance.

• Creator & Gig Economy Data Intelligence: Develop creator and gig-income insights, data capabilities and strategic partnerships to strengthen income verification, inform alternative credit scoring and support the planned introduction of income-based lending from 2027.

• API, Embedded Finance & Ecosystem Integration: Drive collaboration with Digital Banking & Innovation, Technology, Finserve, aggregators, fintechs and telcos to develop and scale API integrations, embedded finance and wallet-as-a-service solutions that expand youth customer access and engagement.

• Digital Customer Acquisition & Activation: Leverage digital platforms, embedded distribution channels and ecosystem partnerships to accelerate youth customer acquisition, onboarding, product adoption and active usage across priority customer segments.

• Innovation Portfolio & Investment Management: Manage the innovation budget, vendor relationships and delivery portfolio, ensuring effective resource utilisation, commercial viability, delivery discipline and measurable returns on innovation investments.

• Digital Adoption & Benefits Realisation: Drive adoption of new digital propositions, platforms and automated processes, tracking usage, customer experience, operational efficiencies and business benefits to ensure solutions deliver their intended outcomes.

• Technology, Risk & Regulatory Governance: Ensure innovation initiatives and digital partnerships comply with data protection, information security, AML/KYC and applicable enterprise governance requirements, working with relevant control functions to manage risks throughout the solution lifecycle.

Equity Bank Kenya Limited (EBKL) is a leading technology-driven financial services institution operating in Kenya. Leveraging technology, data and innovation, we deliver integrated financial and non-financial solutions that drive inclusive growth, economic empowerment and sustainable development at scale. Our diversified ecosystem spans banking, insurance, payments, technology, investment and social impact, enabling us to serve individuals, businesses and communities seamlessly across multiple touchpoints. Our business model is anchored on a distinctive Tri-Engine Framework comprising Economic, Social and Sustainability Engines, which enables us to deepen financial inclusion, strengthen value chains, empower communities and create long-term shared value for all stakeholders.

Our purpose, "Transforming lives, giving dignity, and expanding opportunities for wealth creation," guides every strategic decision we make. We are driven by a bold vision, "to be the champion of the socio-economic prosperity of the people of Africa," and this ambition is embedded in our culture through our core values of Professionalism, Integrity, Creativity and Innovation, Teamwork, Unity of Purpose, Respect, and Effective Corporate Governance (PICTURE).

Our growth and impact agenda is operationalized through the Africa Recovery and Resilience Plan (ARRP), which serves as the strategic blueprint for leveraging technology, expanding access to opportunities, accelerating economic transformation, and delivering sustainable value creation across Africa.

The Role Purpose

To provide strategic leadership in the development and delivery of the Bank’s youth digital, data and innovation agenda, translating business priorities into differentiated customer propositions, scalable digital solutions and commercially sustainable growth opportunities. The role drives customer segmentation and insight-led decision-making, mobile-first product and journey development, digital acquisition, automation and ecosystem integration to deepen youth engagement and expand access to financial services.

Through strategic collaboration with technology partners, fintechs, aggregators and internal business teams, the role accelerates innovation, embedded finance and data-driven solutions, including creator and gig-economy income insights to support alternative credit assessment. It also ensures effective management of innovation investments, adoption of digital solutions, benefits realisation and adherence to enterprise risk and regulatory standards.

The Key Responsibilities

• Youth Customer Segmentation & Performance Intelligence: Lead youth customer segmentation, persona development and performance dashboards, maintaining a common scorecard with age- and gender-disaggregated insights to guide business decisions, resource allocation and growth priorities.

• Youth Proposition & Customer Journey Development: Drive the design and continuous enhancement of mobile-first propositions and end-to-end customer journeys for students, first-time earners, youth in business, creators and gig workers across payments, savings, credit and investment, including the VYB platform.

• Innovation Scanning, Piloting & Commercialisation: Identify emerging fintech, API and technology opportunities, lead design-thinking and agile-based pilots and minimum viable products (MVPs), and scale commercially viable solutions through robust business cases and measurable benefits.

• Business Automation & Digital Transformation: Own business requirements, prioritisation, adoption and benefits realisation for automation initiatives across products, customer journeys, campaigns, reporting and workflows, ensuring alignment with enterprise technology, security and control governance.

• Creator & Gig Economy Data Intelligence: Develop creator and gig-income insights, data capabilities and strategic partnerships to strengthen income verification, inform alternative credit scoring and support the planned introduction of income-based lending from 2027.

• API, Embedded Finance & Ecosystem Integration: Drive collaboration with Digital Banking & Innovation, Technology, Finserve, aggregators, fintechs and telcos to develop and scale API integrations, embedded finance and wallet-as-a-service solutions that expand youth customer access and engagement.

• Digital Customer Acquisition & Activation: Leverage digital platforms, embedded distribution channels and ecosystem partnerships to accelerate youth customer acquisition, onboarding, product adoption and active usage across priority customer segments.

• Innovation Portfolio & Investment Management: Manage the innovation budget, vendor relationships and delivery portfolio, ensuring effective resource utilisation, commercial viability, delivery discipline and measurable returns on innovation investments.

• Digital Adoption & Benefits Realisation: Drive adoption of new digital propositions, platforms and automated processes, tracking usage, customer experience, operational efficiencies and business benefits to ensure solutions deliver their intended outcomes.

• Technology, Risk & Regulatory Governance: Ensure innovation initiatives and digital partnerships comply with data protection, information security, AML/KYC and applicable enterprise governance requirements, working with relevant control functions to manage risks throughout the solution lifecycle.

Key Technical Skills & leadership competencies

• Data analytics, segmentation and performance dashboarding

• Digital product management and mobile-first journey design

• API, embedded finance and fintech ecosystem knowledge

• Agile delivery, design thinking and pilot-to-scale commercialisation

• Business case development, vendor and innovation budget management

• Strategic thinking and influencing in cross-functional environments

Experience requirements

• 5 to 8 years in digital banking, fintech, telecoms or digital products, with proven delivery from concept through pilot to scale. Youth, creator or financial inclusion experience is an added advantage.

• Digital banking, digital payments and mobile-first product management

• Data analytics, segmentation and dashboarding

• APIs, embedded finance and fintech ecosystems

• Process automation and agile delivery

• Regulatory requirements for digital financial services, consumer protection and data privacy

• Business case development and executive communication

Academic qualifications and certifications

Must Have

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Finance, Economics, IT, Computer Science, Data Science or a related field.

• Relevant professional qualification(s) in banking or financial services.

(Nice to Have)

• A postgraduate qualification and certification in product management, agile, design thinking or analytics are added advantages.

• Membership in a recognized professional body relevant to banking, insurance, or financial services.

Key Technical Skills & leadership competencies

• Data analytics, segmentation and performance dashboarding

• Digital product management and mobile-first journey design

• API, embedded finance and fintech ecosystem knowledge

• Agile delivery, design thinking and pilot-to-scale commercialisation

• Business case development, vendor and innovation budget management

• Strategic thinking and influencing in cross-functional environments

Experience requirements

• 5 to 8 years in digital banking, fintech, telecoms or digital products, with proven delivery from concept through pilot to scale. Youth, creator or financial inclusion experience is an added advantage.

• Digital banking, digital payments and mobile-first product management

• Data analytics, segmentation and dashboarding

• APIs, embedded finance and fintech ecosystems

• Process automation and agile delivery

• Regulatory requirements for digital financial services, consumer protection and data privacy

• Business case development and executive communication

Academic qualifications and certifications

Must Have

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Finance, Economics, IT, Computer Science, Data Science or a related field.

• Relevant professional qualification(s) in banking or financial services.

(Nice to Have)

• A postgraduate qualification and certification in product management, agile, design thinking or analytics are added advantages.

• Membership in a recognized professional body relevant to banking, insurance, or financial services.