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 Head of Department, Strategic Foresights and Market Intelligence, the role purpose is as highlighted below;

The Research Manager anticipates future market, customer, technological, competitive and societal shifts and translates them into strategic business opportunities, growth pathways, risk mitigation actions, and innovation priorities. The role combines strategic foresight, futures forecasting, predictive analytics, market intelligence and customer insights to help the organization prepare for and shape future markets rather than simply respond to them.

1. Strategic Foresight & Futures Intelligence (30%)

Lead horizon scanning across social, technological, economic, environmental, political and regulatory domains.
Identify emerging trends, weak signals and potential disruptions.
Develop predictive future scenarios and strategic response pathways
Assess future implications for customers, industries, markets and business models.
Build foresight frameworks to support long-term strategic planning.
Facilitate future-thinking workshops with leadership teams.

2. Predictive Intelligence & Forecasting (30%)

Develop predictive models to forecast customer behaviors, category evolution and market dynamics.
Generate forward-looking market forecasts and growth projections.
Identify leading indicators that signal future opportunities and risks.
Apply AI, analytics and data science techniques to anticipate future trends.
Measure forecast accuracy and continually refine predictive models.
Support business planning through evidence-based future projections.

3. Market & Competitive Intelligence (20%)

Monitor competitors, adjacent industries and disruptive entrants
Track emerging business models, technologies and innovation ecosystems.
Assess implications of market shifts for revenue, brand and customer experience.
Develop strategic alerts on emerging threats and opportunities.
Identify whitespace opportunities for future growth.

4. Strategic Advisory & Influence (20%)

Advise executives on future risks and opportunities.
Influence Innovation pipeline
Influence strategy development through foresight-led recommendations

7+ years in Strategic Foresight, Market Intelligence, Research or Analytics
Demonstrated experience in forecasting, futures thinking or predictive modeling
Strategic Foresight including Horizon Scanning, Scenario Planning, Futures Thinking, Strategic Forecasting
Predictive Intelligence including Predictive Analytics, Potential Demand Forecasting, Trend Modelling, AI-Assisted Intelligence
Research & Intelligence - Market Research and Insights Synthesis, Competitive Intelligence

How to apply If you feel that you are up to the challenge and possess the necessary qualification and experience, kindly click on the apply button. Remember to attach your resume

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.