Product Development Specialist at Development Bank of Rwanda (BRD): (Deadline 8 March 2025)

Product Development Specialist at Development Bank of Rwanda (BRD): (Deadline 8 March 2025)

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

The Development Bank of Rwanda (BRD) Plc is Rwanda’s only National Development Bank mandated to support Rwanda’s Vision 2050 development agenda. Over the past five years, the bank has registered exponential growth contributing to socio-economic development, strengthening institutional and human capacity, fostering corporate governance and risk management practices.

The Bank is implementing the revised strategic plan for 2024-2028 which is appropriately aligned to the country’s strategic direction enabling the Bank to unlock better value creation for its stakeholders by supporting entrepreneurs, addressing market failures, and impactful socioeconomic development.

To deliver on its bold vision and impactful objectives, the Bank’s expanded and refocused mandate is underpinned on four strategic focus areas:

• Availing transformational finance.
• Increasing green financing for a resilient future.
• Driving scale and impact.
• Fostering innovation and technology.

To achieve its strategic mandate, BRD recognizes the importance of strengthening its human and institutional capital to drive sustainable development and ensure the Bank remains a center of excellence in the financial sector.

BRD is committed to respecting gender equality and disability norms. We promote gender-responsive practices. Qualified candidates particularly females and persons living with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

To help accomplish this ambitious and exciting vision, the Development Bank of Rwanda (BRD) would like to recruit suitable qualified candidates to fill the following positions:

Contract Terms – Open-ended

Purpose of the Job:

Drive the creation and improvement of products, ensuring that they align with market demands and customer needs.

Main Responsibilities of the Job:

• Lead and support the development and enhancement of products by conducting market research and identifying emerging trends to guide product creation.
• Manage product positioning and ensure the development of clear and compelling product messaging.
• Oversee the entire lifecycle of promotional materials, from conceptualization and ordering to inventory management and distribution.
• Coordinate the timely production and stock maintenance of promotional materials, ensuring the marketing team has all necessary assets for campaigns.
• Monitor inventory levels of promotional materials and ensure replenishment as required to meet marketing campaign needs.
• Work collaboratively with the manager to set goals, define target audiences, and plan strategies for product launches and ongoing campaigns.
• Manage and execute marketing campaigns by leveraging promotional materials, digital platforms, and events to drive product awareness and sales.
• Track campaign performance, adjust strategies, and report outcomes to senior leadership.
• Provide guidance to the marketing team, especially in terms of product development and promotional material management.
• Design and develop internal product training sessions and materials to ensure that the sales, customer service, and other relevant teams are well-equipped with knowledge.
• Ensure that the marketing team is up to date on product features, benefits, and promotions to maintain consistency across all marketing channels.
• Collect customer feedback, sales insights, and performance metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of promotional materials and product offerings.
• Collaborate with the product team to suggest improvements or iterations based on customer and market feedback.
• Provide reports and actionable insights to the manager to drive future product and marketing strategies.
• Function as a liaison between the marketing department and other teams (product development, sales, and customer service), ensuring alignment of messaging and objectives.
• Support the manager in managing relationships with external partners, agencies, and vendors to ensure quality production and service delivery.
• Assist the manager in managing the budget allocated to department.
• Ensure that promotional material production stays within budget while maintaining quality and effectiveness.
• Assist the manager in tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) for product marketing and promotional material effectiveness.
• Provide regular updates on the status of product campaigns, promotional material stock, and other related performance.

Performance indicators

• Product Launch Success: Timeliness and success of new product launches,including meeting launch deadlines and achieving targeted sales or market penetration goals.
• Promotional Material Effectiveness:Engagement and conversion metrics for campaigns that use promotional materials, including lead generation and sales uplift.
• Inventory Management:Accurate tracking and replenishment of promotional materials, ensuring optimal stock levels without overstocking or stockouts.
• Campaign Performance:KPIs for marketing campaigns, including ROI, conversion rates, and customer engagement.
• Product Feedback Integration:The number of product enhancements or iterations made based on customer feedback and market research.
• Internal Training and Knowledge Transfer:Percentage of sales, customer service, and marketing team members trained on new product features and promotional materials.
• Cross-Department Collaboration:The effectiveness of communication and collaboration with other departments in delivering cohesive product strategies and campaigns
• .Lead Time for Promotional Materials:The time taken from concept to delivery of promotional materials, ensuring on-time availability for campaigns and product launches.
• Budget Adherence:Staying within the allocated budget for product development and promotional materials, while maintaining high-quality standards.
• Team Leadership & Support:Effectiveness in stepping in for the manager, maintaining team morale, and ensuring smooth operations in the absence of leadership.Customer Satisfaction with Products:Net promoter score (NPS) or customer satisfaction scores related to products promoted and managed by the officer.
• Market Research Accuracy:Quality and impact of market research used in product development, leading to relevant and competitive products in the market.

Working relationships

• BRD All Departments & the public

Professional, academic qualifications and experience

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, Business Administration, Product Management,
• 3-5 years of experiencein Product Development, Marketing, or Brand Management with a focus on product launches, development, and promotional material management.
• Proven experience in creating and managing marketing campaignsand working with cross-functional teams (e.g., sales, product development, customer service).
• Experience in inventory management of promotional materials, ensuring timely production, delivery, and stock maintenance.
• Prior leadership or supervisory experience, especially in leading teams or projectswithin a marketing or product development setting.
• Experience in market researchand using customer insights to guide product improvements and marketing strategies.
• Strong background in digital marketing tools and platforms (e.g., social media,email marketing, SEO, SEM, Google Analytics).
• Strong communication and collaboration skillsto work effectively with internal teams and external partners/vendors.
• Analytical skillsto track and measure the performance of products and campaigns and make data-driven decisions.
• Problem-solving and creative thinkingto handle challenges in product development and marketing execution.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, ensuring timely delivery of tasks and campaigns.

Core competencies

• Product Development Expertise:Knowledge of the full product lifecycle, from concept to launch, and ability to coordinate product strategy and market introduction.
• Marketing Strategy:Deep understanding of product positioning, messaging, and the ability to create compelling marketing campaigns to promote new and existing products.
• Promotional Material Management:Expertise in planning, creating, and managing promotional materials, ensuring they align with brand guidelines and support marketing goals.
• Project Management:Strong organizational and multitasking skills to manage multiple projects and campaigns simultaneously, ensuring deadlines and budgets are met.
• Collaboration & Team Leadership:Ability to collaborate with various departments and lead teams when the manager is unavailable.
• Supplier Management:Skill in collaborating with external vendors for the production and distribution of promotional materials, ensuring quality and timely delivery.
• Customer-Centric Focus:Understanding customer needs and preferences, using insights to develop products and marketing strategies that resonate with target audiences.

Brand Consistency: Ensuring that all promotional materials and campaigns are consistent with the company’s brand values and communication style.

Application Guidelines:

Interested candidates should apply online (https://www.brd.rw/careers/ ) and upload application documents including Curriculum Vitae, copies of degree certificates and professional certificates, motivation letter, names of three previous supervisors (as one document) as well as their emails and telephone.

Only online applications shall be considered.

Email-only for inquiries (not application): [email protected]

Address all applications to the Head, Human Capital, and Corporate Services of BRD.

Deadline for application: March 8, 2025.

The employment package is highly competitive and attractive.

Only Candidates with the right qualifications and relevant experience shall be shortlisted and contacted for a written test.

Done in Kigali,February 21, 2025.

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