
M-KOPA · Kenya
WE ARE LOOKING FOR A SENIOR OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE AND QUALITY MANAGER TO LEAD M-KOPA KENYA'S OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE FUNCTION, DRIVING CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT, P...
WE ARE LOOKING FOR A SENIOR OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE AND QUALITY MANAGER TO LEAD M-KOPA KENYA'S OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE FUNCTION,
DRIVING CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT, PROCESS STANDARDISATION, AND PERFORMANCE ACCOUNTABILITY ACROSS TELESALES, CUSTOMER CARE, AND
This role offers the opportunity to build and lead a critical function from the ground up, becoming the primary driver of
operational improvement across one of Africa's fastest-growing fintechs. You'll design and execute M-KOPA Kenya's operational
excellence roadmap, lead a three-pillar team spanning Process Excellence, Quality Assurance & Compliance, and Training &
Capability Development, and partner closely with Group QA/Training leadership to leverage global frameworks while owning local
results. Operating with significant strategic autonomy, you'll diagnose performance gaps, design improvement programmes, and build
the systems and accountability mechanisms needed to sustain world-class operational standards. This is a rare mandate to build
something consequential—not maintain what already exists.
We foster a culture where operational excellence meets strategic thinking. Our team values independence and objectivity,
data-driven decision-making, and continuous improvement that drives both performance accountability and business impact. You'll be
empowered to translate company strategy into operational excellence roadmaps, working at the intersection of quality assurance,
capability development, and process innovation in one of Africa's fastest growing fintech companies.
At M-KOPA, our Quality & Operational Excellence function isn't just about compliance—it's the strategic backbone that ensures
consistent customer experience, operational resilience, and the preventive controls that enable us to serve millions of customers
with world-class standards.
Most operational excellence roles inherit mature structures, established governance, and clear ways of working. This one
doesn't—and that's exactly what makes it compelling. You're being handed a mandate to build: design the structure, establish the
governance, embed the frameworks, and create the accountability mechanisms that will define how M-KOPA Kenya manages quality and
operational excellence for years to come. You'll influence channel heads without direct authority, navigate organizational
complexity with strategic patience, and demonstrate impact through evidence rather than hierarchy. If you've been in a quality or
operational excellence role where you felt constrained by what already existed—this is your opportunity to build it right from the
start.
Operational Excellence Leadership & Continuous Improvement
improvement opportunities across Telesales, Customer Care, and Retail
inefficiencies, and drive measurable performance gains
the organisation
improvement into daily operations
Strategic Leadership & Team Development
Development), building a high-performance culture centred on independence, objectivity, and continuous improvement
function matures
than a constraint on it
Cross-Functional Influence & Partnerships
positioned as a valued business partner, not an audit function
operational pressures
strategic enterprise risk (R&C scope)
context and owning local execution outcomes
Quality Governance & Standards
Retail—maintaining rigorous standards while adapting to local operational context
operational leaders
through evidence rather than hierarchy
trust needed for sustained influence
Training & Capability Oversight
the Group Training function and local pillar manager
behaviour change, not completion rates alone
leadership
Strategic Oversight & Performance Management
functional roadmaps and KPIs
investments and quality priorities
prevention outcomes, and training effectiveness
Risk Management & Preventive Controls
process inefficiencies
materialise
burden
Resource Management & Strategic Planning
Education & Experience
— MBA, Master's in Quality Management, or equivalent — preferred)
contact centre, retail, telecommunications, financial services, or BPO environments
ways of working in a previously undefined organisational space
Operational Excellence & Process Improvement
Sigma, or equivalent structured methodologies (Formal certification — Green Belt or higher — is an advantage)
operations environments
learning orientation will be considered
execution ownership
Leadership & Strategic Capabilities
accountability without direct operational authority
roadmaps with minimal guidance
stakeholder groups
data into compelling business narratives
Analytical & Financial Acumen
investments
Critical Success Factors
little exists — you don't need a playbook to start delivering
that deliver lasting performance change — not temporary improvements that fade
reinventing them — a strong local execution partner who adapts intelligently
leadership through insight and evidence rather than position
operations you're improving — and you've done it without burning bridges
If the above is of interest to you, please apply.
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. Explore more at m-kopa.com.
Recognized four times by the Financial Times as one Africa's fastest growing companies (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026) and by
TIME100 Most influential companies in the world 2023 and 2024 , we've served over 7 million customers, unlocking $1.5 billion in
cumulative credit for the unbanked across Africa.
Important Notice
M-KOPA is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer committed to assembling a diverse, broadly trained staff. Women,
minorities, and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.
M-KOPA explicitly prohibits the use of Forced or Child Labour and respects the rights of its employees to agree to terms and
conditions of employment voluntarily, without coercion, and freely terminate their employment on appropriate notice. M-KOPA shall
ensure that its Employees are of legal working age and shall comply with local laws for youth employment or student work, such as
internships or apprenticeships.
M-KOPA does not collect/charge any money as a pre-employment or post-employment requirement. This means that we never ask for
‘recruitment fees’, ‘processing fees’, ‘interview fees’, or any other kind of money in exchange for offer letters or interviews at
any time during the hiring process.
Applications for this position will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Shortlisting and interviews will take place at any stage
during the recruitment process. We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a suitable candidate is selected before the
advertised closing date.
If your application is successful M-KOPA undertakes pre-employment background checks as part of its recruitment process, these
include; criminal records, identification verification, academic qualifications, employment dates and employer references.
WE ARE LOOKING FOR A SENIOR LEAD - SHARED SERVICES & EMPLOYEE RELATIONS TO JOIN OUR HUMAN RESOURCES GROUP; AS WE SCALE UP AND DRIVE DIGITAL AND FINANCIAL INCLUSION ACROSS OUR MARKETS. BUILDING HR INFRASTRUCTURE THAT HOLDS A COMPANY TOGETHER AT SCALE The best HR leaders don't just keep operations running—they build the systems that allow a growing organization to stay coherent, compliant, and human as it scales. That's the mandate for this role. At M-KOPA, HR isn't a support function sitting behind the business. It's the operational spine that enables 2,300 employees and 35,000 agents to deliver financial access to people who've never had it. M-KOPA has grown from 5 million customers to 7 million and is building toward 10 million. That kind of growth doesn't sustain itself without serious HR foundations—which is precisely why this hire is being made now, deliberately and not reactively. WHY THIS TIMING MATTERS Having crossed $2 billion in credit unlocked, assembled 2 million smartphones in Kenya, and financed over 4,000 e-motorbikes across our markets, we're at an inflection point. The 5M-to-7M journey required building fast. The 7M-to-10M journey requires building right. That means rearchitecting how HR works—not simply maintaining what exists. Whoever joins at this moment has the opportunity to shape the operating model during the transition, not inherit it after the decisions have already been made. REPORTING STRUCTURE Reports to the Head of HR Shared Services WHAT THE ROLE INVOLVES IN PRACTICE Leading complex employee relations matters end-to-end: investigations into harassment, discrimination, and misconduct; strategic advice to senior leadership on disciplinary actions and legal risk; and developing the ER policy frameworks that ensure consistent, compliant practice across all operating markets. Serving as the organization's subject matter expert on labour relations: policy development aligned to local legislation. Running HR Shared Services operations with precision: overseeing contracts, records governance, payroll input readiness, offboarding, and SLA performance across a multi-country employee base, while building the dashboards and reporting infrastructure that make the function visible and continuously improvable. ER work at M-KOPA's scale — spanning seven markets, diverse employment contexts, and a high-velocity workforce — generates a body of case data that holds far more insight than the individual cases themselves. Trends in grievance types, repeat misconduct categories, investigation cycle times, market-level ER risk concentrations, and policy breach patterns are all signals waiting to be read. This role is expected to bring genuine analytical rigour to that data: identifying what is systemic versus isolated, advising leadership with evidence rather than instinct, and using those insights to drive targeted policy intervention and preventive action before issues escalate. At M-KOPA, ER leadership is not just reactive case management — it is intelligence-led people risk governance. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR An HR professional with demonstrable experience heavily focused on employee relations and employment law, combined with operational HR or Shared Services leadership—with exposure spanning Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe (UK experience strongly preferred). Established expertise in conducting complex workplace investigations, advising senior management on legal and compliance risk, and developing multi-jurisdictional ER policy and labour relations frameworks. A relevant degree in Human Resources, Law, Business Administration, or Psychology and an IHRM Certificate, with strong analytical capability and experience using HR data and analytics to drive operational improvement are paramount. A NOTE ON WHAT THIS ROLE DEMANDS This position carries two significant mandates simultaneously—operational excellence and strategic ER leadership—at a company growing faster than most. The complexity is real, the visibility is high, and the expectation is that both functions will be elevated, not simply maintained. For the right person, that's precisely the appeal: a role where operational rigour and legal expertise are used together, in service of something genuinely consequential—enabling financial access for millions of people across Africa who have never had it. 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. Explore more at m-kopa.com. Recognized four times by the Financial Times as one Africa's fastest growing companies (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026) and by TIME100 Most influential companies in the world 2023 and 2024 , we've served over 7 million customers, unlocking $1.5 billion in cumulative credit for the unbanked across Africa. Important Notice M-KOPA is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer committed to assembling a diverse, broadly trained staff. Women, minorities, and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply. M-KOPA explicitly prohibits the use of Forced or Child Labour and respects the rights of its employees to agree to terms and conditions of employment voluntarily, without coercion, and freely terminate their employment on appropriate notice. M-KOPA shall ensure that its Employees are of legal working age and shall comply with local laws for youth employment or student work, such as internships or apprenticeships. M-KOPA does not collect/charge any money as a pre-employment or post-employment requirement. This means that we never ask for ‘recruitment fees’, ‘processing fees’, ‘interview fees’, or any other kind of money in exchange for offer letters or interviews at any time during the hiring process. Applications for this position will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Shortlisting and interviews will take place at any stage during the recruitment process. We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a suitable candidate is selected before the advertised closing date. If your application is successful M-KOPA undertakes pre-employment background checks as part of its recruitment process, these include; criminal records, identification verification, academic qualifications, employment dates and employer references.
APPLICATION CLOSING DATE 9th August 2026 CONTEXT OF ROLE * The role brings together and connects all MA facing work within a Region to ensure optimal support and services to MAs/CPs * It provides an enabling environment to support free flow of information and the mechanisms to enable knowledge sharing and direct access between MAs/CPs in Region and other parts of the Federation * It promotes MAs/CPs as the centres of excellence and technical expertise * The role works as part of the Regional Senior Leadership Team to promote, develop and grow the work of the Federation in its geography * The successful candidate will work as part of the Global Secretariat team and the Global Membership Support & Development Community of Practice to deliver the global agenda ROLE PURPOSE This is a very crucial role that serves as a close ally to the Regional Director in supporting and developing Member Associations (MAs) and Collaborative Partners (CPs) across the Africa Region. The purpose of the role is to lead the integrated support, growth and development of MAs and CPs in the region collaborating pro-actively with other Regions and Global functions to leverage Federation wide impact. DELIVERABLES * Lead on all MA-centric and MA-facing work in the African Regional Office. * Create a framework that builds a greater understanding and integrates MA/CP growth into delivery of the Federation Strategic Framework to widen access, expand choice, innovate and share knowledge and act with youth, advance digital and self-care. * Conduct an MA health check capturing an overall picture of MA/CP capabilities, capacities, governance issues, country contexts, audiences and competition from country and MA/CP profiles to strategically connect organisations, activities and information, and update it on an annual basis. * Devise an integrated plan of activities driven by MAs/CPs to achieve tangible outcomes, capacity building, stronger governance, shared learning and connection facilitation across the Federation. * Create an MA/CP service delivery platform that provides funding and resource support that meets Federation programmatic requirements, leverages opportunities and achieves ‘burn rates’. Assess quality controls for data integrity used to inform decision-making. * Facilitate the design and delivery of integrated programming and resource allocation, leveraging or building technical capacity in MAs * Galvanise and leverage business development opportunities for MAs/CPs through proposals and donor reporting. * Build, lead and mentor a diverse team with complementary technical expertise, skills, drive and determination into a seamless functional unit where people can perform at their best. Role model safeguarding, anti-racism and IPPF’s code of conduct in everything they do. * Escalate MA and CP issues to the Regional Director at appropriate times. * Identify and target new partners in priority countries and walk with them on the path to membership. * Point of contact for IPPF Safe Report incident management. ESSENTIAL SKILLS * Successfully led the effective design and delivery of multi-country/regional SRHR Programmes in international development * Track record of co-constructing and implementing multi-faced business plans/budgets in diverse geographic/cultural settings with good financial understanding and budget management skills * Significant experience in effective resourcing and monitoring performance to ensure delivery of objectives * Understands political, economic, social, legal and environmental contexts in the Region and Globally affecting our Sector * Understands the workings of MAs and how to encourage, influence, incentivize engagement * Ability to scan the horizon to spot issues, leverage opportunities, mitigate risks and build a learning environment with organisational resilience and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances with agility * Evidence of good judgment and decision-making in dealing with challenging situations and management of escalated issues * Open to new/others ideas, strongly collaborative with good influencing skills * Excellent written/verbal communication in English & French (knowledge of other languages spoken in the Region such Portuguese/Spanish/Arabic is a plus) * Excellent team leader and developer with strong planning, organising and knowledge sharing skills * Strong monitoring and evaluation skills * Ability and willingness to work in and lead a diverse and multicultural environment that role models respect of all cultures, inclusion and no discrimination * Demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to safeguarding in a local and international context. * Demonstrates ability and willingness to work in a diverse, multicultural, multilingual and intergenerational environment that is anti-racist and respectful of others * An intersectional (pro) feminist passionate about sexual reproductive health care rights + justice, including safe abortion * Supportive of people’s rights regardless of sexuality.
APPLICATION CLOSING DATE 26th of July 2026 CONTEXT OF ROLE The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) is a global sexual and reproductive health (SRH) service provider and one of the leading advocates for universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for all. IPPF is a worldwide movement of 120 national organizations, referred to as Member Associations, working with and for communities and individuals. These member associations are the leading civil society providers of contraception in 89 of 120 countries. And in 64 of those 89 countries, IPPF is the only largescale international provider. Collectively, member associations delivered more than 1 billion cumulative services between 2018 and 2024. Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, the overarching goal of IPPF Africa Region (IPPFAR) is to increase access to SRHR services to the most vulnerable youth, men, and women in sub-Saharan Africa. To reach this goal, IPPFAR works with local civil-society organizations, governments, the African Union (AU), regional economic commissions (RECs), the United Nations, among others, to expand political and financial commitments to SRHR in Africa. IPPFAR tackles the continent’s growing SRH challenges through a network of Member Associations (MAs), strategic partners and volunteers in 42 countries. For more information, please read our 2024 profile (in English and French) here. ROLE PURPOSE The Performance, Learning and Impact (PL&I) Advisor will lead all monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) functions for the Strengthening Health Systems for Integrated & Transformative SRHR (SHIFTS) project, a multi-country initiative funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC), implemented in Benin, Mozambique, and Nigeria until March 2032. SHIFTS aims to address critical supply gaps in SRHR services—particularly abortion—strengthen demand for SRH services, and promote enabling environments that uphold SRHR through government and stakeholder engagement. The PL&I Advisor will ensure robust MEL systems, tools, and strategies are co-created and implemented across the consortium, subgrantees, and partners—ensuring alignment with feminist, decolonial, participatory, and accessible approaches. This role demands a strategic thinker with deep experience in feminist MEL and a commitment to collaborative learning. The Advisor will play a key role in generating evidence, fostering mutual learning, and driving project improvement, working closely with technical teams, Member Associations, and the SHIFTS Programme Manager (with a dotted line to the ARO PL&I Senior Advisor). DELIVERABLES The main deliverables for this role are, but not limited to: * MEL Framework & Tools : Design, review, and oversee the implementation of a comprehensive qualitative and quantitative MEL framework aligned with project objectives and deliverables. Co-create data collection tools and reporting templates (e.g., Most Significant Change stories, advocacy indicators, human interest stories) and lead training on their use. * Monitoring & Evaluation Coordination : Lead the development and rollout of monitoring tools, databases, and systems. Support Member Associations and subgrantees in designing tailored MEL frameworks and tools, and ensure consistency across implementation sites. * Capacity Building : Provide ongoing capacity strengthening for consortium partners and Member Associations on data collection, analysis, and learning approaches, ensuring tools and methodologies are inclusive and accessible. * Performance Monitoring & Reporting : Regularly generate and analyze monitoring data to guide programme decisions. Coordinate the timely production and submission of all required reports in compliance with donor requirements. * Learning Agenda & Evaluations : Coordinate the development and implementation of the SHIFTS learning agenda. Lead mid-term and final evaluations from design through dissemination, ensuring participatory and inclusive processes. * Donor and Partner Engagement : Serve as the main point of contact on MEL for the donor and consortium partners. Facilitate validation and dissemination of evaluation findings, and contribute to strategic decision-making. * Knowledge Sharing & Communications : Collaborate with the communications team to translate MEL findings into accessible content for external audiences (e.g., social media posts, creative documentation, learning briefs). * Field Monitoring & Support : Conduct field visits, as needed and agreed upon, to support monitoring efforts and strengthen partners’ MEL capacities on-site. ESSENTIAL SKILLS The essential requirements are: * Post-secondary graduate in the fields of social science, human rights, international development, or other relevant fields. * Have a deep understanding and prior experience in MEL for complex international programs, work plans and budgets. * Have demonstrated experience (8+ years) of planning and managing feminist research, and MEL. * Detail oriented and thorough, with an ability to self-motivate and produce high-quality work. * Experience in and/or willingness to learn and adapt work to online/virtual platforms keeping accessibility needs in mind. * Have experience in designing accessible research tools and accessible data collection cross disability will be an asset. * A good understanding of restricted donor funded programmes. * Experience working in matrix organisations. * Candidates must have the right to work in Kenya or Benin. DESIRABLE SKILLS Additional skills are: * Excellent analytical skills, fair judgment, and a proactive, energetic approach to problem solving. * First rate quantitative and qualitative analytical skills. * Excellent interpersonal skills. * Excellent verbal and written communication skills. * Strong leadership skills including the ability to effectively engage a range of stakeholders. * Excellent project management skills including experience of reporting to donor agencies. * Excellent time management skills able to meet tight deadlines. * Fluent English essential. French, Portuguese an advantage. * Excellent IT skills.