Senior Product Manager

About us:

Kiva is a global nonprofit, founded in 2005, with a mission to expand financial access and help underserved communities thrive. Kiva unlocks capital for borrowers through crowdfunded loans supported by individuals around the world. Lenders on Kiva can start with as little as $25 to support causes that matter most to them, whether that’s gender equity and support for women, refugees, climate change, small businesses, agriculture, and more. Since our founding, over two million people have invested $1.9 billion in real dreams and real opportunities, spanning more than 90 countries and 4.7 million borrowers.

As we work toward our mission, Kiva invests in building and retaining a global team of talent to add to our values-driven and digital-first culture. Our organization is supported by over 700 volunteers and 130+ full-time employees dispersed around the world, as well as within team hubs located in San Francisco, Nairobi, Bogota, and Bangkok. Kiva’s team is growing as we pursue exciting new opportunities to scale our impact and create a financially inclusive world.

Kiva's values:

Impact first - This is why we exist. This is the drumbeat we march to. Every day.

Extreme ownership - Own it; you, your relationships, your impact. Insist that others support you and hold you accountable.

Be curious and bold - Never stop learning. Question assumptions. Take Risks and dream big.

Inclusion. Equity. Diversity. - Without reservation and without caveat. In our hiring, in our workplace and in our impact in the world.

Honor and integrity - Do the most right thing in the most right way. Cherish diversity and respect each other.

Love and kindness always - Say what you mean. Mean what you say. And don't say it mean. Clarity. Courage. Kindness.

Role overview:

Kiva’s growth and impact goals are lofty and our operations are complex. As a product manager at Kiva you’ll be responsible for leading initiatives that affect lenders, borrowers and Kiva staff around the world. The work is challenging and satisfying and we are seeking someone who is passionate about the Kiva mission and has a track-record of building great consumer facing products.

Over the past 12 months, Kiva product managers have worked on a wide range of highly impactful projects, including:

• Building a successful revamped product for corporate partners.

• Introducing gamification to motivate lenders to lend more and understand how their lending fits into solving global issues.

• Researching, designing, and shipping an improved borrower application and dashboard experience in order to increase the success rate for fundraising and repaying their loans.

• Building an intuitive and motivating tool for the people who endorse and recruit US borrowers.

The next 12 months will see us tackling even bigger, more innovative projects as Kiva looks to expand the scope of our offerings in our mission to solve the most pressing global issues. Because of this, we are looking for an exceptional senior product manager to join the team. This role will involve a great deal of coordination and collaboration with teams across the org and needs someone with impressive leadership, operational, product, technical and marketing skills.

At this time, we can only consider applicants with authorization to work in the United States on a permanent, full-time basis; unfortunately we cannot provide visa sponsorship.

Key responsibilities include: 

• Shape the product roadmap by understanding the needs and impact of various users/customers and identifying the most promising initiatives.

• Work with the engineering, design, and marketing teams to deliver new features, product enhancements, and delightful user experiences.

  • Lead the research / business requirements gathering phase.

  • Write user stories / product requirements and create Jira tickets for projects.

  • Work with our designers to create wireframes, mockups, and prototypes.

  • Conduct user research and usability testing.

  • Own projects through the full project lifecycle (ideation through launch).

• Work closely with technical teams (including QA) as they release features in an Agile 2-week iteration process.

• Be responsible for ensuring the smooth rollout of new features and the continued quality and performance of existing products.

  • Define, measure and analyze metrics. You will own the numbers and make sure that we are looking at the most important data.

  • Define and set-up a/b tests to optimize the site.

• Triage new feature requests.

• Serve as the voice of the user and ensure that we are correctly balancing the needs of our lenders, borrowers, and the Kiva organization.

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience delivering outstanding consumer internet products.

• Empathy for users and a great instinct for what makes good design / UX.

• Strong execution orientation; proven ability to deliver quality projects that satisfy and delight customers.

• Experience in an agile software development environment, with rapid feedback loops and quick release cycles.

• You work well in a collaborative environment and are admired by your colleagues for your ability to balance the needs of multiple customers.

• Self-starter and leader. Someone who is able to work through uncertainty to identify promising product opportunities and drive them to launch.

• A great communicator (verbal and written). You are able to energize and rally your cross-functional peers to row in the same direction.

• Passionate about Kiva and its long term potential.

• 5-8 years in a product management / product marketing role for a consumer facing and/or fintech and/or CSR website.

What we offer:

• An opportunity to improve real lives, solve hard problems, and change the world.

• A friendly, supportive, and adventurous environment with a team of engaged colleagues.

• A comprehensive, industry-leading benefits package including health, dental, and vision insurance, parental leave, professional development, 401k matching, and generous PTO. Some of these benefits have eligibility requirements. Many of these benefits are subsidized or fully paid for by Kiva.

• Opportunities to connect with and learn from colleagues and partners around the world.

• Salary range: $116K - $173K; a final offer will be dependent upon a candidate’s location, skills, and experience. 

• Please note that we are not currently open to work-from-home employees residing in the following states: AL, AK, DE, HI, IN, KY, MS, MO, NE, NM, ND, OK, RI, SC, SD, VT, WV, WI, and WY.

A diverse and inclusive workplace where we learn from each other is an integral part of Kiva's culture. We actively welcome people of different backgrounds, experiences, abilities, and perspectives. We are an equal opportunity employer and a great place to work. Join us and help us achieve our mission!

We will only accept applications directly from candidates. Kiva will not be responsible for any recruiting agency fees, absent a formal agreement.