M-KOPA is seeking:
Position Title: Head of
Customer Research
Location: Nairobi
Reporting to: Chief Customer Care Officer
Who We Are: M-KOPA Solar, headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, is the global
leader of "pay-as-you-go" energy for off-grid customers.
Since its commercial launch
in October 2012, M-KOPA has connected more than 400,000 homes in Kenya,
Tanzania and Uganda to solar power, and is now adding over 500 new homes each
day.
Customers acquire solar
systems for a small deposit and then purchase daily usage "credits"
for Ksh 50, or less than the price of traditional kerosene
lighting.
After one year of payments
customers own their solar systems outright and can upgrade to more power.
All revenues are collected in
real-time via mobile money systems (such as M-PESA in Kenya) and embedded GSM
sensors in each solar system allow M-KOPA to monitor real time performance and
regulate usage based upon payments.
This connected design means
that M-KOPA is processing vast amounts of data (i.e. over 10,000 mobile
payments per day) via the company's proprietary cloud platform, M-KOPANET.
As of November, 2016 M-KOPA
employs over 1000 full time staff across East Africa and sells through a
network of over 1,000 direct sales agents. It has also commenced licensing its
technology to partners in other markets.
M-KOPA has been recognised
for its pioneering business mode and scale, notably winning the 2015 Zayed
Future Energy Prize, being selected as the top New Energy Pioneer at the 2014
Bloomberg New Energy Finance awards and earning the 2013 FT/IFC Excellence in
Sustainable Finance Award.
M-KOPA has also successfully tested a range of new products that leverage its relationship with customers, and M-KOPA’s unique competencies in mobile telecommunications and ICT.
To ensure that the research
and development of new products add value to (and do not distract from) its
core business, M-KOPA is establishing the M-KOPA Labs.
The Labs will be a dedicated
business unit within M-KOPA that will define and test extensions of the M-KOPA
asset-based credit model for off-grid-power to new products and services.
Role Profile
Overall Purpose: M-KOPA is looking for a Head of Customer Research to lead the Customer Research team in developing a quality insight strategy to help drive retention and acquisition of customers in our customer driven organization.
Overall Purpose: M-KOPA is looking for a Head of Customer Research to lead the Customer Research team in developing a quality insight strategy to help drive retention and acquisition of customers in our customer driven organization.
This person will provide
strategic support in order to promote the profitable growth of the company by
providing information that will aid in decision making to drive business
strategy in the various business units (sales, customer care, development and
so forth).
The Head of Customer Research
will foster and advocate for the proper usage of research methods (qualitative,
quantitative, and secondary research methods) that help the company understand
the marketplace and its customers, and ultimately lead to more profitable
business for the company.
Primary Duties:
- Provide
thorough understanding consumer behaviour and choice by helping M-KOPA
understand how consumer behaviour and choice drives value. This involves
review customer data for trends, patterns and casual analysis to assist in
understanding customer’s activity.
- Generating
consumer insights which inform the innovation and product development
process, allow for alteration of various campaigns (sales, customer care)
and build greater engagement and loyalty with our customer base.
- Contribute to
brand, sales, marketing and product strategy formulation as well as
supporting the development of key strategic initiatives for M-KOPA.
- Selecting the
most appropriate research methodology and techniques as well as designing
qualitative and quantitative research plans. Have the ability to develop
techniques to provide analysis.
- Work with
research team to scope and undertake research (ethnographic and focus
group) which helps develop consumer insights and allows us to understand
customer behaviour.
- Work
effectively as part of the broader customer care, sales, marketing and
strategy team.
- Provide insight
and understanding which will improve the timeliness and quality of
commercial decision making.
- Distil complex
research or analysis into simple and compelling recommendations for
management.
- Building a
capable team that can undertake research and do analaysis.
Education, Skills and
Experience Requirements:
- A minimum of
five years within customer/market research
- Experience with
a wide array of product, brand, advertising and customer satisfaction
research methodologies
- Exceptional
written and oral communication abilities
- Strong analytic
skills with experience in statistical modelling and analysis
- Proficient with
Excel, PowerPoint, and SPSS/SAS
- Bachelors or
advanced degree in business, statistics, mathematics or the sciences
- Extensive
project management experience with proven ability to organize and
coordinate multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines
- Ability to work
in a fast paced environment, adapt easily to changing situations and
demonstrates flexibility in juggling priorities
- Ability to
think differently and challenge convention if it creates greater customer
value.
Personal Attributes:
- Experience at
working as a leader and collaborator in a team-oriented environment is
essential.
- Can conform to
shifting priorities, demands and timelines through analytical and
problem-solving capabilities.
- Reacts to
project adjustments and alterations promptly and efficiently. Flexible
during times of change.
- Ability to
elicit cooperation from a wide variety of sources, including management,
customers, and other departments.
- Strong written
and oral communication skills.
- Strong Customer
service skills and focus required.
- Ability to
effectively prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment is
crucial.
- Tenacious,
driven, energetic and a high degree of professional integrity.
How to Apply
To apply, please logon HERE.
Click on the “click to apply”
button adjacent to this job and follow the application instructions. It is
advised to complete all the required fields as requested as well as any
assessments stipulated as a requirement.
Please Note: M-KOPA Solar 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. In compliance with
applicable laws and in furtherance of its commitment to fostering an
environment that welcomes and embraces diversity, M-KOPA does not discriminate
on the basis of race, colour, creed, religion, national origin, sex (including
pregnancy and parenting status), disability, age, sexual orientation, gender
identity or expression, marital status or genetic information in its programs
or activities, including employment.
M-KOPA, as a policy, 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.
Due to the large number of
applications received by us, we regret that you will not be contacted unless
you are short listed for the post and invited for an interview. Therefore, if
you have not heard from M-KOPA within 4 weeks of the date of the deadline your
application, you should assume that you have not been successful on this
occasion.
This measure has been taken
in the interests of efficiency and cost effectiveness and we apologize for any
inconvenience this may cause.