Afreximbank: Assistant Manager Strategy & Innovation

**Job Description**:**Reference Number: CEBLR6****Responsibilities**:- The role is expected to help the Bank to achieve its mission "stimulating a consistent expansion of and diversification of African trade so as to rapidly increase Africa's share of global trade, while operating as a first class, profit oriented, socially responsible financial institution and a centre of excellence in African trade matters- Assist to manage the innovation lab, including all project activities and ensuring deadlines are met, and resources are appropriately allocated- Work closely with key stakeholders to identify and prioritise innovation opportunities that align with the business strategy- Support the development of new products, services, and processes through ideation, prototyping, testing, and validation- Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including technology, marketing, legal, and risk, to ensure successful concept and product delivery- Establish and manage partnerships with external innovation ecosystem partners, including universities, startups, accelerators, and venture capitalists- Stay up-to-date on emerging technology and innovation trends and identify opportunities for the business to leverage new developments- Support the implementation of company-wide innovation & idea sourcing programmes, eg hackathons, ideas boards etc- Identify and prioritise use cases & solutions for internal & external stakeholders- Design a product roadmap - vision, requirements, execution plan & timelines etc to guide development- Support the Design and launch of an incubator programme for target start-ups and early-stage entrepreneurs focusing on the innovation lab's priority areas- Work with Director of Strategy and Innovation to define the business and operating model of the incubation programme, accelerator programme, innovation challenges including selection criteria for start-ups, and in collaboration with other stakeholders- Develop and coordinate content and methodologies with providers and academia for the incubator programme, accelerator programme and innovation challenges- Develop a communication and engagement plan to drive cultural awareness about the Lab's values among employees- Facilitate regular workshops and co-creation sessions for the Bank's employees(teams) using the Lab's assets and tools- Proactively build and curate content on emerging innovation themes to present in the lab and other client forums- Produce regular organisational updates on Lab project progress, learnings and milestones that communicate tangible and intangible value created by the Lab- Developing and building relationships with crucial FinTech partners and identifying possible FinTech partnerships Stakeholder management across all FinTech vendors, including onboarding of new FinTech partners- Assisting to institute strong idea discovery capabilities with greater emphasis on greenfield and/ or transformational innovation- Incubate and accelerate the delivery of innovative trade and trade-related products, platforms, services, solutions and ventures- Create reusable and scalable data and analytics assets- Supporting a platform for fostering innovation by startups and the wider tech ecosystem in Africa- Managing a dedicated space and resources for the Bank's employees to spark innovation and creativity- Assisting the Head, Innovation and Product Development to run an effective Lab operating model to ensure sustainability- Any other duties as may be assigned by Senior Management**Requirements**: Qualification and Skill**- Minimum of 5 years of experience in innovation, technology, or product management, preferably in a financial institution or related industry- Bachelor's degree in a related field (business, technology, engineering, or innovation management) and a post graduate degree is a must- Proven track record of successfully managing cross-functional teams to deliver projects on time and within budget- Strong knowledge of innovation methodologies, including design thinking, lean startup, and agile development- Strong knowledge of ecosystem strategy and open innovation- Experience with hypothesis development, prototyping and testing new products and services, including user research and feedback analysis- Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively with stakeholders at all levels of the organisation- Strong project/program management skills to successfully manage multiple concurrent work streams- Experience evaluating a technology landscape, preferably within banking, Fintechs and consulting- Passion for technology, futurist view and intellectual curiosity Familiarity with financial services, including trade finance, payments, banking, lending, preferred- Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English Knowledge of the Bank's other working languages is an added advantage (French, Arabic and Portuguese)**Contractual informatio