API & Developer Market Place Lead Job Safaricom

IT Jobs, Safaricom Jobs.

Responsibilities

Key accountabilities and decision ownership:

Platform Strategy & API Exposure Architecture

• Define and maintain the Safaricom and Financial Services API exposure strategy aligned to cluster growth and platform ambitions.
• Translate fintech roadmap priorities into scalable exposure architectures that enable ecosystem integration across payments, credit, wealth, insurance, and partner ecosystems.
• Establish scalability, interoperability, and security standards that support high transaction volumes and cross-border expansion.
• Partner with Product to ensure capabilities are platform-ready from inception — without assuming ownership of product functionality.
• Align exposure standards with regulatory, security, and risk requirements across all API surfaces.

API Productisation & Lifecycle Governance

• Productise APIs as managed platform assets with defined lifecycle stages, version control, deprecation policies, and backward compatibility standards.
• Define performance benchmarks and reliability thresholds for all exposed services; embed security-by-design and compliance-by-design across API development.
• Ensure documentation, testing, sandbox environments, and support models meet enterprise-grade standards.
• Govern API portfolio rationalisation: eliminate duplication, retire deprecated APIs, and optimise platform efficiency.

Developer Marketplace Growth & Ecosystem Enablement

• Build and scale the Developer Marketplace as a structured ecosystem growth engine — strengthening developer experience (DX) through intuitive onboarding, self-service documentation, and structured support frameworks.
• Define clear value propositions and use cases for third-party developers, enterprises, and ecosystem integrators.
• Monitor ecosystem adoption metrics (active integrations, API call volumes, developer activation rates) and identify levers to accelerate usage.
• Establish structured feedback loops to continuously improve developer engagement and marketplace performance.

Monetisation Governance for Platform Exposure

• Define API monetisation principles aligned to revenue and EBITDA objectives — establishing pricing guardrails and usage models for API consumption.
• Ensure revenue-sharing and partnership structures are economically viable and margin-protective; track API monetisation performance against defined financial targets.
• Enable controlled commercial experimentation within approved boundaries; align monetisation frameworks with Product and Commercial teams to prevent overlap or duplication.

Agile API Squads & DevSecOps Alignment

• Align API squads to agile delivery principles, enabling rapid iteration and continuous improvement.
• Embed DevSecOps practices to ensure secure, reliable, and scalable API deployments; ensure platform stability while supporting innovation velocity.
• Monitor service uptime, reliability, and incident response standards; coordinate cross-functional collaboration between API squads, Product, and Technology teams.
• Promote automation and continuous integration practices that enhance deployment speed and resilience.

Leadership & Talent Development

• Build and lead a high-performing, multidisciplinary team embedding OKR-driven accountability, agile ways of working, and a culture of continuous learning and innovation.
• Ensure succession readiness for all critical roles through structured coaching, mentoring, and capability development programmes.
• Champion cross-functional collaboration across M-PESA to ensure integrated, outcome-led delivery of products and initiatives.
• Model ethical leadership — reinforcing integrity, transparency, and responsible innovation — and ensure governance and compliance in all initiatives.

Agile Leadership & Delivery Governance

• Lead empowered cross-functional squads aligned to shared OKRs, with clearly defined decision rights, accountability structures, and escalation protocols.
• Champion iterative delivery and hypothesis-driven experimentation, balancing execution speed with regulatory, risk, and operational guardrails.
• Enable transparent progress tracking through sprint reviews and performance rituals, fostering a culture of ownership and outcome-based performance. 

Qualifications

Must have technical / professional qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, Business, or a related field.
• Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA), Technology Management, Digital Platforms, or related discipline is advantageous.
• Minimum 10–12 years’ experience in digital platforms, APIs, fintech, product management, or ecosystem strategy within large-scale, technology-driven organizations.
• Proven experience leading API strategy, platform exposure, or developer ecosystem initiatives at enterprise scale.
• Strong understanding of API productization, platform monetization models, and digital ecosystem economics.
• Demonstrated experience working within agile delivery environments and aligning API squads with DevSecOps practices.
• Solid understanding of cloud-native architectures, microservices environments, and scalable platform design principles (without requiring deep engineering specialization).
• Experience managing platform reliability, security, compliance, and performance standards in regulated financial or technology environments.
• Track record of building and scaling developer marketplaces, partner ecosystems, or B2B platform adoption programs.
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to link API exposure strategy to revenue growth, monetization governance, and EBITDA impact.
• Demonstrated ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders across Product, Technology, Growth, and Commercial teams.
• Strong executive communication capability with the ability to translate technical concepts into strategic business outcomes.

How to Apply

Click here to apply