VP Technology & Products

About Pula

We are an insuretech firm that provides agriculture insurance design and execution services, specialising in index based insurance and are backed by top tier VC investors who have invested more than $25 million in the business. Since 2015 we have provided climate insurance to 15.4 million smallholder farmers, 41% of which were women across 19 markets in Africa and Asia who pay an average of $6.8 per season to insure their crops. So far we've unlocked over $2.22 billion of capital from local and international insurance markets for climate risks since we started in 2015 and paid out $40.8 million to our client farmers.

Pula is a fast-paced space, constantly adapting to new opportunities and challenges and we are made up of a high-performance, multi-cultural team. We expect our team to value performance, results and professionalism.

At Pula, our values are: 

• Obsessed with results: We are responsible for our future and therefore we get things done!
• Connect the Dots: We continuously identify different customer needs & business problems and build solutions that deliver value.
• Have a Can do Attitude! We dare to do things differently to make things work.
• We have each others’ back: We look out for each other & we share high quality, timely feedback that makes us better. 

According to the UN’s InterGovernmental Panel for Climate Change more than 3.3 billion people globally live in hotspots with high vulnerability to climate change and are now already feeling the impact of climate change through increased temperatures and increasingly erratic rainfall. 
Insurance is a tool for vulnerable households in these affected regions to adapt to the effects that climate change is already having today on these households. It is a tool that enables for compensation payment for losses and damages that these households had no part in causing. Insurance compensation enables these households to make adjustments to their day to day livelihoods and practices and therefore allows for an equitable and just transition.

At Pula, we are building the systems that enable farmers worldwide to access insurance, using technology to insure this previously uninsured worldwide. We work in over 17 countries across Africa and Asia, and by 2021, have facilitated crop insurance cover to over 6 million farmers, 30% of which are women, across Kenya, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Rwanda, Uganda, Nigeria, Mali, Senegal, Zambia, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Tanzania, Mozambique and Malawi. We are a for profit, and have raised over $10 million from leading venture and institutional investors as well as developed philanthropic relationships with private foundations and bilateral donors such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and German Insure Resilience Solutions Fund that have accelerated investments in our target markets.

Pula is proudly fast paced, constantly learning from the challenges we face and overcome. We are proudly culturally diverse but united in our ambition of continuous high-performance. By challenging ourselves we believe that we can overcome the hard problems we love solving. 

At Pula, our culture is defined by our: 

1.Obsessed with results: We are responsible for our future and therefore we get things done!

2. Ability to connect the Dots: We continuously identify different customer needs & business problems and build solutions that deliver value.

3. Our Can do Attitude! We dare to do things differently to make things work.

4. Ability to have each others’ back: We look out for each other & we share high quality, timely feedback that makes us better.

About the role

Pula is seeking a visionary and hands-on VP of Product & Technology to lead our product strategy and oversee the development of scalable, customer-focused technology solutions. This role will drive both product vision and technical execution for Pula's data solutions and insurance products, while managing the continuous improvement of our technology infrastructure. This role is perfect for a product leader who understands technology deeply - someone who thrives in startup environments, brings strong product and technical expertise, and is excited about creating solutions that drive real-world impact. 

As VP Product you will shape and execute our product and tech strategy, ensuring our solutions meet market needs while delivering scalable platforms for data collection, processing, analysis and insights. You will be equally comfortable defining product strategy, evaluating technical approaches, and sitting with clients to understand their unique needs. Overall, this role will define our product vision, drive innovation, and ensure our technology solutions meet market demands while pushing the boundaries of what's possible with new emerging technologies such as AI.

This role combines product leadership, technical understanding, and entrepreneurial thinking to position Pula as a leader in data-as-a-service (DaaS) for agriculture and build a profitable and scalable business.

 

Responsibilities

Product Vision and Strategy

• Define and execute the product vision and technology roadmap for Pula's data services, ensuring solutions are scalable, cost-effective, and aligned with business goals. 
• Lead the introduction of data as a product, defining clear value propositions and ensuring technology enables successful delivery.
• Oversee the end-to-end product lifecycle from conception through to market launch, ensuring products are innovative, user-centric, and leverage AI to solve real-world problems.
• Build and maintain integrated product platforms for data collection, processing, and visualization, balancing innovation with practicality.
• Continuously evaluate market needs and emerging technologies to maintain Pula's competitive edge in the DaaS space.
• Develop and execute the product strategy with a deep integration of AI technologies. Lead the transition of AI from a technological tool to a core component of business models.

Platform Development and Scalability

• Guide the development of customer-facing dashboards and backend systems, ensuring they meet client needs and scale effectively.
• Oversee product architecture decisions to optimize for efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
• Collaborate with internal teams to ensure product strategy drives system integration across departments.

Client-Centric Solutions Design

• Engage with clients to understand their challenges and translate their needs into compelling product solutions.
• Partner with the commercial team to demonstrate the value proposition of Pula's data services.
• Act as a bridge between product, technical, and business stakeholders, driving alignment on product direction.

Team Leadership and Collaboration

• Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing product and tech team. Foster an environment of creativity, excellence, and continuous learning, particularly in AI and related technologies.
• Partner closely with other leaders, including the Head of Commercial Data Solutions and the ExCo, to align priorities and deliverables.
• Develop internal talent by mentoring team members and championing a product-led approach to problem-solving.

Stakeholder Engagement and Commercial Alignment

• Continuously evaluate emerging technologies and business models to keep our offerings competitive.
• Work closely with other C-suite executives, board members, and external partners to align product strategy with business goals. Communicate complex technical concepts in a way that excites and educates stakeholders.
• Champion the use of AI within product lines; be a thought leader in applying AI to create new revenue streams and business models. 
• Contribute to the development of proposals, presentations, and solutions that showcase Pula's capabilities.
• Question assumptions and ensure product investments align with broader strategic and commercial goals.

Location
Nairobi, Kenya

Who you are

Must Have Experience and Skills

• Proven success in leading product strategy and development for data services, with experience in DaaS or consumer research industries
• Proven track record in developing or managing products
• Demonstrated passion and know-how in AI.
• Strong background in product development for data platforms, including dashboards and integrations
• Demonstrated ability to guide the design and implementation of scalable and cost-effective solutions
• Excellent client-facing skills, with the ability to understand customer needs and shape product strategy accordingly
• Start-up mindset: thrives in lean environments, prioritizes pragmatism over perfection, and is comfortable wearing multiple hats
• Stakeholder engagement expertise, with experience navigating complex product and business challenges.
• Ability to foster innovation and manage risk in a dynamic tech landscape.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience as Head of Product, VP Technology, or similar role in a data-focused organization.
• Strong technical understanding of AI technologies and their applications.
• Deep product orientation, balancing technical feasibility with customer-centricity
• Familiarity with agricultural, insurance, or consumer research sectors is an advantage

Personal Attributes

• Entrepreneurial and proactive: identifies opportunities and takes ownership of delivering results.
• Technically sound, with the ability to question assumptions and push for better solutions.
• Keen interest in emerging business models enabled by AI technologies. A genuine passion for AI and its potential to revolutionize industries.
• Collaborative and communicative: a team player who builds trust with stakeholders across the organization.
• Resilient and adaptable: thrives in dynamic environments and approaches challenges with creativity.

You will be expected to lead in line with Pula’s values:

• Obsessed with results: We are responsible for our future and therefore we get things done!
• Connect the Dots: We continuously identify different customer needs & business problems and build solutions that deliver value.
• Have a Can-do Attitude! We dare to do things differently to make things work.
• We have each others’ back: We look out for each other & we share high-quality, timely feedback that makes us better.

What Pula will bring to the table

• Growth potential: At Pula, we are building the systems that enable farmers worldwide to access insurance, using technology to insure this previously uninsured worldwide. We work in over 19 countries across Africa and Asia, and by 2023, have facilitated crop insurance cover to over 5 million farmers, 40% of which are women. We are a for profit, and have raised over $25 million from leading venture and institutional investors as well as developed philanthropic relationships with private foundations and bilateral donors such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and German Insure Resilience Solutions Fund that have accelerated investments in our target markets.
• Market Leader: Not only is the opportunity massive, but Pula is by far the market leader in it’s category with 11m farmers insured as of 2023.
• Solid: Pula has been funded by leading venture capital investors (Omidyar Network, ACCION, MercyCorps) and global philanthropic institutions (MasterCard Foundation, CGAP/World Bank as well as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation). Pula closed an oversubscribed $20m series B funding despite the economic downturn.
  
   
• Respected: Winner of the Singapore FinTech Festival 2019, Winner of The InsureTech of the Award, Africa. Featured on TED talks, The New York Times, The Economist.
• Impact and creation: This is a high-impact role, that offers a unique opportunity to bring the company to the next level, whilst developing new strategies, approaches and ideas.
• Leadership: The founders & CEO foster a culture of transparency, respect, high performance, pragmatism, execution and personal development.
• Purpose: It is rare to find a professional opportunity that offers accelerated professional development and a life purpose. Pula is going through a second phase of accelerated growth that will naturally provide professional development, whilst contributing to the financial stability of small farmers in the emerging markets.
• Remuneration: Competitive base salary accordingly with seniority and experience, commission on closed sales and an employee share option plan that offers an attractive equity upside.

To learn more about Pula you can visit

TED Talk: Crop Insurance, an Idea Worth Seeding
New York Times: He Grew up on a Farm. Now, He Helps Protect Them
The Economist: The Poor, Who Most Need Insurance, Are Least Likely to Have It

How to apply

Fill out the form below, and upload a resume in English.

Pula’s mission is to provide farmer resilience. To achieve this, we put our small holder farmers that use our services and the employees that provide them at the heart of everything we do. For that purpose, Pula was created to be an equal opportunity employer that celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.