The ideal candidate will lead the strategy, development and lifecycle management of insurance products across Retail/ Corporate/ Group/ Partnership verticals. The role will collaborate across business units, technology teams and partners to define and deliver innovative, customer-centric insurance offerings, leveraging digital platforms, APIs and seamless UI/UX.

The Product Manager will act as a the primary owner of the product backlog, driving initiatives in agile sprints while ensuring alignment with business and regulatory requirements.

Responsibilities

Product Strategy & Vision

• Develop product vision, roadmap, and go-to-market strategy for the assigned insurance segment.
• Identify customer needs, market gaps, and competitive trends to shape product direction.
• Translate business objectives into product initiatives with clear KPIs and success criteria.
• Champion embedded insurance and platform-based distribution models.
• Define API-based integration opportunities with bank platforms, fintechs, telcos and third-party partners.

Product Development & Management

• Lead end-to-end product lifecycle from ideation, design, build, test, deploy and iterate.
• Collaborate with UX/UI designers to ensure intuitive, responsive, and user-friendly insurance experiences.
• Own the product backlog; manage requirements, prioritize features, and deliver stories in agile sprints.
• Drive technical discussions around insurance APIs, payment integrations, and digital claims workflows.
• Align product development with regulatory frameworks, compliance controls, and risk assessments.
• Define and monitor product performance through dashboards, usage analytics, and customer feedback loops.

Performance & Change Management

• Measure product adoption, profitability, and customer engagement through defined KPIs.
• Lead rollout planning, change communication, and training support to internal users and partners.
• Champion continuous improvement through customer feedback and performance data.
• Support user onboarding and internal adoption of new insurance solutions and portals.

Risk & Compliance

• Ensure that insurance products adhere to industry regulations, underwriting standards and AML/KYC compliance.
• Work closely with legal, risk, and actuarial teams to align product features with internal risk appetite.
• Participate in product reviews and audits; maintain strong documentation and governance.

Stakeholder Management

• Act as the single point of accountability for product delivery to internal and external stakeholders.
• Work closely with distribution teams (Branches, Agents, Digital Channels, B2B Partners) to drive uptake.
• Align with IT, Operations, Underwriting, Claims, Marketing, and Legal to ensure seamless delivery.
• Provide regular product status reports, roadmap updates, and strategic inputs to leadership.

Market Research & Customer Insights

• Conduct market and competitor research to validate product features and pricing strategies.
• Gather customer insights through surveys, interviews, and behavioral data analytics.
• Use product feedback to refine offerings and identify cross-sell/up-sell opportunities.

Qualifications – Essential Knowledge

• Deep domain expertise in insurance products Life, General, Bancassurance, Microinsurance or Health.
• Understanding of embedded insurance models, API-based insurance ecosystems and partner platforms.
• Strong knowledge of product lifecycle management in agile environments.
• Solid grasp of digital product principles, UI/UX best practices, and customer-centric design.
• Knowledge of regulatory frameworks governing insurance in East Africa.