📌 Core Information
🔹 Job Title: New Markets Growth Product Manager
🔹 Company: Wave
🔹 Location: Remote (Anywhere within 2hrs of GMT)
🔹 Job Type: Full-time
🔹 Category: Product Management
🔹 Date Posted: May 9, 2025
🔹 Experience Level: 5+ years
🔹 Remote Status: Remote OK
🚀 Job Overview
Key aspects of this role include:
- Growing Wave in new markets through data-driven strategies
- Collaborating with cross-functional teams to understand customer needs and improve experiences
- Identifying and addressing market blockers to ensure sustainable growth
- Monitoring performance metrics and iterating strategies based on market feedback
ASSUMPTION: This role requires a high level of autonomy and comfort working remotely with a globally distributed team.
📋 Key Responsibilities
✅ Generate and test ideas to grow Wave in new markets
✅ Analyze customer and merchant data to improve user experiences and business outcomes
✅ Identify and address market blockers to ensure sustainable growth
✅ Monitor performance metrics and market feedback to assess progress and iterate rapidly
✅ Partner with engineers, analysts, and market operators to scope and prioritize experiments or feature launches
ASSUMPTION: This role involves a significant amount of travel (~20% of the time) to operate in Wave's markets across Africa.
🎯 Required Qualifications
Education: Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (e.g., Business, Economics, Mathematics, or a related discipline)
Experience: 5+ years experience as a Product Manager, Data Analyst, Business Analyst, Product Analyst, Product Operations Analyst, or similar role
Required Skills:
- Strong SQL skills and expertise in manipulating and analyzing data
- Demonstrated experience owning projects and/or products independently
- Experience working with operations teams
- Experience with data visualization platforms (e.g., Tableau, PowerBI, Looker, etc.)
- Strong analytical thinking and experience extracting and communicating insights to non-technical stakeholders
- Fluency in English. French is a bonus.
Preferred Skills:
- Experience launching or scaling products in emerging markets within a fintech, mobile money, or mission-driven startup
- Experience running growth-focused A/B tests
ASSUMPTION: While not explicitly stated, proficiency in using data visualization tools and experience working with operations teams are likely required for this role.
💰 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: Up to $136,100 USD per year (paid in local currency equivalent), plus a generous equity package. ASSUMPTION: The salary range is estimated based on the company's size and the role's requirements.
Benefits:
- Subsidized health insurance for you and your dependents and retirement contributions
- 6 months of fully paid parental leave and subsidized fertility assistance
- Flexible vacation, with most folks taking between 21-30 days exclusive of statutory holidays
- $10,000 annual charitable donation matching
Working Hours: Full-time, with a flexible schedule and the need to travel ~20% of the time
📌 Applicant Insights
🔍 Company Context
Industry: Fintech and Software Development
Company Size: 201-500 employees
Founded: 2017
Company Description:
- Wave is a mission-driven fintech company focused on making Africa the first cashless continent
- They offer financial services that work for people in places where electricity, water, and roads don't always function
- Wave is backed by world-class investors, including Founders Fund, Sequoia Heritage, Stripe, Ribbit Capital, Y Combinator, and Partech Africa
Company Specialties:
- Online accounting
- Small business
- Software development
- SaaS
- Invoicing and payments
- Cloud-based accounting application
- Payroll
- Receipts
- Risk
- Product development
- Fintech
- Payments
- Entrepreneurship
Company Website: https://www.waveapps.com
ASSUMPTION: Wave is a well-funded, rapidly growing startup with a strong focus on social impact and innovation in the fintech space.
📊 Role Analysis
Career Level: Mid-Senior level role with significant autonomy and impact on the company's growth
Reporting Structure: This role reports directly to the Head of Product and collaborates with various teams, including Data, Product, and field teams
Work Arrangement: Remote work with the requirement to travel ~20% of the time to operate in Wave's markets across Africa
Growth Opportunities:
- Potential to grow with the company as it expands into new markets
- Opportunity to work on high-impact projects with a significant social mission
- Possibility to develop skills in emerging markets, fintech, and data-driven product management
ASSUMPTION: This role offers a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of data, product, and market strategy in a fast-growing, mission-driven company.
🌍 Location & Work Environment
Office Type: Remote, with the requirement to travel ~20% of the time
Office Location(s): Anywhere within 2hrs of GMT
Geographic Context:
- Wave operates in six countries across Africa, with a rapidly growing in-country team in each market
- The company fosters autonomy for its employees, with each team member owning their projects from understanding the problem to monitoring their solution in production
- Wave covers travel once per year to one of its operating countries in Africa, plus a yearly stipend of $1200 to meet with coworkers
Work Schedule: Flexible, with a focus on delivering results and collaborating effectively with a globally distributed team
ASSUMPTION: This role requires strong self-motivation, time management skills, and the ability to work effectively in a remote, globally distributed team.
💼 Interview & Application Insights
Typical Process:
- Online application submission
- Phone or video screen with the hiring manager
- Technical assessment or case study
- Final interview with the team
Key Assessment Areas:
- Data analysis and visualization skills
- Product management experience and approach
- Market strategy and growth mindset
- Cultural fit and alignment with Wave's mission
Application Tips:
- Highlight relevant experience in data analysis, product management, and emerging markets
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to emphasize skills and experiences relevant to this role
- Be prepared to discuss your approach to data-driven decision-making and growth strategies
- Demonstrate your passion for Wave's mission and commitment to social impact
ATS Keywords: Product Management, Data Analysis, SQL, Data Visualization, Market Strategy, Growth, Emerging Markets, Fintech, Remote Work
ASSUMPTION: Wave uses an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to manage job applications, and including relevant keywords in your resume can help improve your chances of being considered for the role.
🛠️ Tools & Technologies
- SQL
- Data visualization platforms (e.g., Tableau, PowerBI, Looker, etc.)
- Project management tools (e.g., Asana, Jira, Trello, etc.)
- Communication and collaboration tools (e.g., Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, etc.)
ASSUMPTION: While not explicitly stated, proficiency in using data visualization tools and project management software is likely required for this role.
👔 Cultural Fit Considerations
Company Values:
- Mission-driven and committed to social impact
- Data-driven and focused on continuous improvement
- Collaborative and supportive of employee growth and autonomy
Work Style:
- Remote and globally distributed team
- High degree of autonomy and ownership of projects
- Focus on results and delivering value to customers and the business
Self-Assessment Questions:
- Do you thrive in a remote, globally distributed work environment?
- Are you comfortable working autonomously and owning projects from start to finish?
- Are you passionate about Wave's mission to make Africa the first cashless continent?
ASSUMPTION: Successful candidates for this role will be highly self-motivated, data-driven, and passionate about Wave's mission and values.
⚠️ Potential Challenges
- Working remotely with a globally distributed team may present communication and time zone challenges
- Travel requirements (~20% of the time) may impact work-life balance
- Operating in emerging markets can present unique challenges and complexities
- Rapidly growing startup environment may require adaptability and flexibility
ASSUMPTION: These potential challenges should be carefully considered by applicants to ensure they are a good fit for the role and work environment.
📈 Similar Roles Comparison
- This role is unique in its focus on growing Wave in new markets through data-driven strategies
- Similar roles in the industry may focus more on product development, user experience, or market expansion strategies
- Career progression in this role may involve moving into senior product management or leadership positions as Wave continues to grow and expand
ASSUMPTION: This role offers a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of data, product, and market strategy in a fast-growing, mission-driven company.
📝 Sample Projects
- Developing and implementing a data-driven growth strategy for a new market launch
- Analyzing customer and merchant data to identify trends and optimize user experiences
- Collaborating with cross-functional teams to address market blockers and ensure sustainable growth
ASSUMPTION: These sample projects illustrate the data-driven, collaborative, and impactful nature of the role's responsibilities.
❓ Key Questions to Ask During Interview
- Can you describe the most significant challenges faced when entering new markets, and how this role addresses them?
- How does Wave support the professional growth and development of its employees?
- Can you provide an example of a data-driven decision that significantly impacted Wave's growth or user experience?
- How does Wave ensure the security and privacy of user data, particularly in emerging markets with varying regulatory environments?
- What is the company's approach to work-life balance, particularly for remote employees?
ASSUMPTION: These key questions help applicants better understand the role, the company, and the work environment, enabling them to make a more informed decision about their application.
📌 Next Steps for Applicants
To apply for this position:
- Submit your application through this link
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight relevant experience and skills for this role
- Prepare for the interview by researching Wave's mission, values, and market strategy
- Follow up with Wave after submitting your application to express your interest and reiterate your qualifications
⚠️ This job description contains AI-assisted information. Details should be verified directly with the employer before making decisions.
