Research Operations Manager

We are looking for a Research Operations Manager to join our Customer Insights group; as we scale up and drive digital and financial inclusion across our markets.

The Customer Insights Team at M-KOPA is an integral part of the wider Product team, working diligently to ensure the company delivers maximum value to its customers. As the Research Operations Manager, you'll find yourself at the helm of this mission, leading the majority of customer insights projects and spearheading efforts to capture the voices of M-KOPA's customers and agents. By uncovering their issues and needs, your work will fuel product development and innovation, making a tangible impact.

Job Purpose

In your role as Research Operations Manager, you'll act as the driving force behind multiple customer insights projects, blending your expertise in qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. Leading a dedicated team of 10 Research Associates and Leads, you will shape the course of research, ensuring precision and high standards across all activities.

Serving as the primary project manager, you will swiftly gain a comprehensive understanding of the complexities of each project, addressing challenges and research questions with a mastery of best practices and tools at M-KOPA’s disposal. Whether based in Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana, or South Africa, your influence will extend across multiple markets.

Your role encompasses several core responsibilities:

• Research Oversight and Leadership
  You will uphold the integrity of research by applying rigorous quality control measures to methodologies and data collection. Once the data is in, your analytical prowess will shine as you distill insights and generate compelling, data-driven recommendations through clear and impactful reports.

• Research Operations
  You will manage quotas and productivity, ensuring timely delivery of research projects and insightful reports. Overseeing two Customer Insights Research Operations Leads, you will drive operational excellence while nurturing their growth through coaching and mentorship. Additionally, you will streamline processes by refining project kick-offs, onboarding, offboarding, and knowledge management.

• People Management
  Beyond overseeing research, you'll play a vital role in fostering team development. You will offer guidance, coordinate performance discussions, and hold regular team meetings to provide feedback, share updates, and maintain organizational alignment. You'll keep morale high and champion the hiring and onboarding processes, ensuring a cohesive and high-performing team.

This is a hybrid role reporting to the Strategic Research Manager - Customer Insights.

Expertise

This role is a perfect match if you are energized by putting customers first and championing their needs. With a passion for advancing M-KOPA’s mission to be the primary financial partner for everyday earners, you bring a strong technical grasp of both quantitative and qualitative research techniques and thrive on crafting insightful questions and surveys.

Key traits and qualifications include:

• 5+ years of professional experience in market research, analytics, product management, or related fields.

• A knack for analyzing data, drawing insights, and weaving those findings into compelling narratives.

• Proven leadership skills, including team management and mentoring.

• A collaborative spirit and a love for fast-paced, results-driven environments.

• A bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.

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 thrice by the Financial Times as one Africa's fastest growing companies (2022, 2023 and 2024) and by TIME100 Most influential companies in the world 2023 and 2024 , we've served over 5 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.