Research Lead - Customer Insights

We're actively recruiting a Research Lead to drive user experience research across our growing Customer Insights team at M-KOPA. You'll run comprehensive research from start to finish, generating clear insights that guide product and experience decisions across African markets.

The Impact

Your research will directly shape financial products used by millions of underserved Africans. We've already helped over 5 million customers access over $1.5 billion in credit. It's your chance to be part of something that's literally transforming lives across an entire continent 🌍

The Opportunity

🎯 Mission-driven research: Every study you conduct helps make financial inclusion a reality for those traditionally excluded

🏆 Global recognition: Join a company named by TIME 100 as one of the world's most influential and by the Financial Times as Africa's fastest-growing for 4 consecutive years (2022-2025)

🚀 Scale challenges: Design research methodologies that work across 5 markets with over 3 million active customers

🌱 Environmental impact: We're carbon-negative, having displaced over 2 million tonnes of emissions

What You'll Do

At M-KOPA, you'll lead user research from discovery to delivery, transforming customer insights into product strategy. Our Customer Insights team owns research end-to-end – from study design to executive presentations. Join us in combining cutting-edge research methodologies with purpose-driven work that makes digital and financial inclusion possible across Africa.

Your Environment 💼

Research Methods: Qualitative research methodologies, in-depth interviews, usability testing

Data Tools: Research design frameworks, data synthesis protocols, visualization tools

Markets: Nigeria-based, supporting Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, South Africa

Stakeholders: Product teams, executives, cross-functional partners

Our Research Approach 🔍

• Evidence-based decision making that directly influences product strategy

• Systematic data synthesis frameworks for actionable insights

• Multi-market research expertise across diverse African contexts

• Collaborative approach with product and business teams

• Research standards that ensure rigour and consistency

What You Need

The Research Lead will run user research from start to finish, based in Nigeria and supporting all M-KOPA markets, to generate clear insights that guide product and experience decisions.

Required Experience:

✅ Strong qualitative research methodologies, research design, and UXR data reporting with at least 2 years experience in User Experience Research

✅ Expertise in conducting in-depth interviews and usability testing

✅ Experience designingWe're actively recruiting a Research Lead to drive user experience research across our growing Customer Insights team at M-KOPA. You'll run comprehensive research from start to finish, generating clear insights that guide product and experience decisions across African markets.

The Impact

Your research will directly shape financial products used by millions of underserved Africans. We've already helped over 5 million customers access over $1.5 billion in credit. It's your chance to be part of something that's literally transforming lives across an entire continent 🌍

The Opportunity

🎯 Mission-driven research: Every study you conduct helps make financial inclusion a reality for those traditionally excluded

🏆 Global recognition: Join a company named by TIME 100 as one of the world's most influential and by the Financial Times as Africa's fastest-growing for 4 consecutive years (2022-2025)

🚀 Scale challenges: Design research methodologies that work across 5 markets with over 3 million active customers

🌱 Environmental impact: We're carbon-negative, having displaced over 2 million tonnes of emissions

What You'll Do

At M-KOPA, you'll lead user research from discovery to delivery, transforming customer insights into product strategy. Our Customer Insights team owns research end-to-end – from study design to executive presentations. Join us in combining cutting-edge research methodologies with purpose-driven work that makes digital and financial inclusion possible across Africa.

Your Environment 💼

Research Methods: Qualitative research methodologies, in-depth interviews, usability testing

Data Tools: Research design frameworks, data synthesis protocols, visualization tools

Markets: Nigeria-based, supporting Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, South Africa

Stakeholders: Product teams, executives, cross-functional partners

Our Research Approach 🔍

• Evidence-based decision making that directly influences product strategy

• Systematic data synthesis frameworks for actionable insights

• Multi-market research expertise across diverse African contexts

• Collaborative approach with product and business teams

• Research standards that ensure rigour and consistency

What You Need

The Research Lead will run user research from start to finish, based in Nigeria and supporting all M-KOPA markets, to generate clear insights that guide product and experience decisions.

Required Experience:

✅ Strong qualitative research methodologies, research design, and UXR data reporting with at least 2 years experience in User Experience Research

✅ Expertise in conducting in-depth interviews and usability testing

✅ Experience designing robust research studies with clear methodologies and sampling strategies

✅ Proven ability to transform raw research data into strategic recommendations

robust research studies with clear methodologies and sampling strategies

✅ Proven ability to transform raw research data into strategic recommendations

Why This Role Matters to You 💡

This role offers a unique opportunity to develop advanced research skills across multiple African markets, working with rich customer data and building strategic relationships with product leaders and executives. You'll contribute to shaping research practices, collaborate with team members to elevate research standards, and see insights translate into real-world impact. If you're passionate about using research to drive meaningful change in emerging markets while advancing your career in a fast-growing fintech company, this role provides the perfect platform to deepen your research expertise and make your mark on both customer experience and business strategy.

About Your Team 👥

The Customer Insights team is a 12-member research function that generates strategic customer insights to support product development and executive decision-making across all M-KOPA markets. The team consists of research associates and analysts with strong customer service backgrounds who are developing specialised research capabilities under UXR management leadership. We handle end-to-end research execution including survey design, data collection, customer behaviour analysis, and post-launch validations across Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, and Ghana. As an established team evolving toward more advanced research practices, we're looking for someone with formal research design and data synthesis expertise to strengthen our methodological capabilities.

Location & Benefits

Hybrid role based in Nigeria - work flexibly while staying connected to local market realities

Work with diverse teams across UK, Europe, and Africa

Professional development programs and coaching partnerships

Family-friendly policies and flexible working arrangements

Well-being support and career growth opportunities

Opportunity to shape research practices across multiple markets

Our Mission 🌍

We create financial inclusion for the traditionally excluded through a fair, flexible, customer-centric financing model. We strive to drive greater inclusion of women, youth, and low-income communities.

Our Impact 💚

Our technology has created measurable change:

Connected 📱: 1.7 million first-time mobile internet users connected

Prosperous 💰: 62% of customers use M-KOPA smartphones for income generation, with 30,000+ livelihoods created for agents

Green 🌱: 2.1 million tonnes of CO₂ avoided through clean energy products, with over 100,000 circular economy products provided

Ready to lead research that creates real-world financial inclusion while advancing your career in user experience research?

Why M-KOPA?

At M-KOPA, we empower our people to own their careers through diverse development programs, coaching partnerships, and on-the-job training. We support individual journeys with family-friendly policies, prioritize well-being, and embrace flexibility.

Join us in shaping the future of M-KOPA as we grow together. Explore more at m-kopa.com.

Recognized four times by the Financial Times as one Africa's fastest growing companies (2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025) and by TIME100 Most influential companies in the world 2023 and 2024 , we've served over 6 million customers, unlocking $1.5 billion in cumulative credit for the unbanked across Africa.

Important Notice

M-KOPA 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.

M-KOPA explicitly prohibits the use of Forced or Child Labour and respects the rights of its employees to agree to terms and conditions of employment voluntarily, without coercion, and freely terminate their employment on appropriate notice. M-KOPA shall ensure that its Employees are of legal working age and shall comply with local laws for youth employment or student work, such as internships or apprenticeships. 

M-KOPA 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.

Applications for this position will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Shortlisting and interviews will take place at any stage during the recruitment process. We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a suitable candidate is selected before the advertised closing date.

If your application is successful M-KOPA undertakes pre-employment background checks as part of its recruitment process, these include; criminal records, identification verification, academic qualifications, employment dates and employer references.