Payments Product Manager

Who is PawaPay

PawaPay is a pan-African fintech enabling local payment channels used by the mass market to both local and international merchants. We operate in a highly regulated, partner-driven environment and are in scale-up mode, with ambitious growth plans across multiple African markets.

Our vision is to simplify business for companies and consumers in Africa and we do that by ensuring that payments simply work, at scale, despite fragmentation and complexity that exists on the Continent.

Through our payments API we already facilitate over 4 million transactions a day across 20 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.  We are the largest PSP on the Continent for the processing of mobile money payments, and have positioned ourselves well to lead the payment space as it grows over the next decade.

At PawaPay, there is an entrepreneurial spirit coupled with a modern and professional working culture. The fast-paced, ever-changing environment will suit someone who can adapt and think on their feet. In return, you will have the opportunity to work alongside a group of dedicated and smart individuals working towards the same mission. We work as a remote team and have team members in Europe, Africa and Asia.

We are looking for an experienced Payments Product Manager to own and drive the strategy, roadmap, and delivery of our mobile money and banking payment products. Reporting to our Head of Product, you will sit at the intersection of sales, marketing, and engineering — translating customer needs and market opportunities into products that scale across African markets.

This is a senior, high-impact role for someone who thrives in a fast-paced fintech environment and has deep domain expertise in payments, mobile money, and the African financial services landscape.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Own the end-to-end product lifecycle for pawaPay’s mobile money and banking payment products, from discovery through to delivery and iteration.
• Define and maintain the product roadmap in alignment with company strategy, market demand, and customer feedback.
• Work closely with Sales and Customer Success teams to gather requirements, understand pain points, and translate commercial needs into clear product specifications.
• Partner with Marketing to shape product positioning, go-to-market strategy, and competitive differentiation.
• Collaborate daily with Engineering to prioritise the backlog, define acceptance criteria, and ensure timely, high-quality delivery.
• Conduct market research and competitive analysis across African payments markets to identify trends, opportunities, and risks.
• Define and track key product metrics, using data to inform decisions and demonstrate product impact.
• Engage directly with customers and partners to validate product direction and build strong feedback loops.
• Champion a customer-centric, evidence-driven approach to product development across the organisation.

What is expected of an ideal candidate?

Essential

• 5–10 years of product management experience, with a strong track record of owning and shipping fintech or payments products.
• Demonstrable experience working cross-functionally with Sales, Marketing, and Engineering teams to define, refine, and deliver products.
• Deep understanding of payment systems, payment processing, and financial services technology.
• Strong commercial awareness — comfortable engaging with customers, interpreting sales feedback, and balancing business needs with technical feasibility.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to influence at all levels.
• Experience with agile product development methodologies and modern product management tools.
• Data-driven mindset with experience defining and tracking product KPIs.

Highly Desirable

• Experience working in African markets, with a solid understanding of the mobile money ecosystem and its unique dynamics.
• Direct experience with mobile money platforms (e.g., M-Pesa, MTN MoMo, Airtel Money, Orange Money) or mobile money aggregation services.
• Knowledge of regulatory and compliance requirements across African payments markets.
• Experience in a high-growth startup or scale-up environment.
• Technical background or strong technical fluency — comfortable discussing APIs, system architecture, and integration patterns.

What We Offer

• The opportunity to shape products that power financial inclusion across Africa.
• A senior role with real ownership and direct impact on company direction.
• A collaborative, remote-first culture with a passionate and talented team.
• Competitive compensation and benefits package.
• The chance to work at the forefront of mobile money innovation in one of the world’s fastest-growing fintech markets.

Why PawaPay?

• Help improve financial access in Africa
• Being part of an amazing team that shapes company’s culture as a great place to be
• An ambitious, talented, and diverse team who always has your back
• We grow fast, and you will grow fast with us
• Competitive remuneration
• 35 days of paid leave per year (inclusive of public holidays) and more.