Job Description

What we’re looking for;

In keeping with our current business needs, we are looking for a person who meets the criteria indicated below

Reporting to the Research Manager , the role purpose is as highlighted below;

Role purpose:

The role of the Research Executive is to support the identification and interpretation of future market, customer, technology, competitive and societal shifts. The role gathers and analyses evidence, maintains intelligence tools and translates findings into practical insights that inform planning, innovation and risk management.

1. Strategic foresight and futures intelligence | 30%

• Conduct horizon scanning across social, technological, economic, environmental, political and regulatory domains.
• Identify and document trends, weak signals and potential disruptions.
• Analyse possible implications for customers, markets and business models.
• Support the development of scenarios, trend radars and foresight frameworks.
• Prepare materials and evidence for future-thinking workshops.

1. Predictive intelligence and forecasting | 20%

• Gather, clean and analyse data used to understand customer and market direction.
• Track leading indicators and flag material changes, opportunities or risks.
• Use approved analytics and AI-assisted tools to support forecasts.
• Prepare evidence-based projections and clearly state assumptions and limitations.

1. Market and competitive intelligence | 40%

• Monitor competitors, adjacent industries, emerging technologies and new business models.
• Maintain competitor profiles, intelligence trackers and regular market updates.
• Analyse how market shifts may affect revenue, brand and customer experience.
• Draft timely alerts on emerging threats and opportunities.
• Support identification of whitespace opportunities for future growth.

1. Insight communication and business support | 10%

• Synthesise findings into concise reports, presentations and executive-ready summaries.
• Provide evidence and analysis to support strategy and innovation teams.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders and research partners to deliver agreed outputs.
• Escalate important signals and emerging risks with clear supporting evidence.
• Bachelor’s degree in economics, data science, strategic management, anthropology, business, research or a related field.
• Approximately 3-5 years of experience in research, market intelligence, analytics, strategy or a related discipline.
• Practical exposure to trends, forecasting, futures thinking or predictive analysis is desirable.
• A strategic foresight or analytics certification is an added advantage.

Safaricom is the leading technology company in East Africa. Our purpose is to transform lives by connecting people to people, people to opportunities and people to information. We keep over 60 million customers connected across Kenya and Ethiopia, and play a critical role in the society, supporting over 1.13 million jobs both directly and indirectly while our total economic value was estimated at KES 1.1 trillion ($ 8.5 billion) for the 12 months through March 2025.

Listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange and with annual revenues of close to KES 388 billion as at March 2025, Safaricom provides connectivity through wide range of technology. Our 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G network in aggregate covers over 99% of Kenya’s population.

We run the world’s largest mobile payment system and Africa’s largest Fintech, M-PESA, the world’s first mobile money transfer system. By empowering millions of customers to transact, save or borrow money through their mobile phone, M-PESA has driven financial inclusion in Kenya to 84.8% of the adult population in 2024, from a low of 26.7% in 2006, and generated over KES 161 billion in revenue as at FY25.

Our subsidiary, Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia, has deployed world class network and services to contribute to Ethiopia’s digital transformation.

Safaricom is an equal opportunity employer, actively recruiting staff from different backgrounds reflecting the communities that we serve. We are committed to equal gender representation at all levels.

As part of our ongoing commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we continue to work towards improving energy and resource efficiency in our network and facilities to reduce carbon emissions and our fuel consumption. We remain committed to becoming a Net Zero carbon-emitting company by 2050.