Product Manager, Growth and Activation

📌 Core Information

🔹 Job Title: Product Manager, Growth and Activation

🔹 Company: NALA

🔹 Location: London, England, United Kingdom

🔹 Job Type: Full-Time, Remote OK

🔹 Category: Financial Services, Fintech

🔹 Date Posted: May 1, 2025

🔹 Experience Level: 5-10 years

🔹 Remote Status: Remote OK

🚀 Job Overview

Key aspects of this role include:

• Driving user growth, activation, and engagement across NALA’s consumer products
• Collaborating with cross-functional teams to design and execute product-led growth initiatives
• Improving user onboarding and activation metrics through data-informed decisions
• Working in a high-growth environment with a focus on emerging markets

ASSUMPTION: This role requires a strong analytical mindset and experience in product growth or lifecycle marketing, preferably in a fintech or B2C SaaS environment. Familiarity with user behavior in emerging markets is a plus.

📋 Key Responsibilities

✅ Own and drive the growth and activation strategy for NALA’s consumer-facing products

✅ Design and execute product-led growth initiatives to improve onboarding, user education, and activation metrics

✅ Collaborate across design, engineering, data, and marketing to run experiments that improve conversion and engagement

✅ Establish and refine growth funnels and identify bottlenecks using product and behavioral analytics

✅ Build and test new product experiences aimed at improving first-time user success and long-term retention

✅ Work closely with customer research to uncover insights that drive actionable growth hypotheses

✅ Define and monitor KPIs related to user acquisition, activation, and product engagement

✅ Partner with marketing and community teams to shape the go-to-market strategy for new features or markets

✅ Influence product vision and roadmap based on user needs, market trends, and experimentation results

✅ Meet regularly with company leadership to align growth priorities and ensure cross-functional momentum

ASSUMPTION: This role requires a high level of collaboration and cross-functional teamwork. Strong communication and project management skills are essential.

🎯 Required Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (e.g., Business, Marketing, or a related discipline).

Experience: Proven experience (5+ years) in product growth, activation, or lifecycle marketing at a Fintech, Payments, or B2C SaaS company.

Required Skills:

• Strong analytical mindset; comfortable with SQL, A/B testing, funnel metrics, and making data-informed decisions
• Hands-on experience working with growth loops, virality, or referrals
• Track record of building seamless, scalable onboarding flows and improving product activation metrics
• High empathy for users, especially in underserved or emerging markets
• Familiarity with product discovery techniques and a strong user-centric design philosophy
• Comfortable working with engineering and design to ship fast and iterate often

Preferred Skills:

• Understanding of user behaviour across UK, African, and Asian financial ecosystems
• Fluency in Swahili or French
• Experience scaling consumer fintech products in emerging markets

ASSUMPTION: While not explicitly stated, a master's degree in a relevant field or equivalent experience may be beneficial for this role.

💰 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: £60,000 - £80,000 per year (Estimated based on industry standards for a mid-level product manager in London with 5-10 years of experience)

Benefits:

• 27 Days Off Plus UK Bank Holidays
• Birthday Leave
• Enhanced Parental Leave
• Global Workspace
• Learning Budget
• Sarabi
• Monthly Socials
• Free Coffee

Working Hours: Full-time, with flexible working hours and a remote-friendly culture

ASSUMPTION: The salary range provided is an estimate based on industry standards and may vary depending on the candidate's experience and skills.

📌 Applicant Insights

🔍 Company Context

Industry: Financial Services, Fintech. NALA is focused on building payments for the next billion, with a mission to transform how money moves into Africa, Asia, and beyond.

Company Size: 51-200 employees. This size allows for a dynamic and agile work environment, with ample opportunities for growth and impact.

Founded: 2017. NALA was founded in 2017 and is backed by Y-Combinator, demonstrating its strong potential for growth and success.

Company Description:

• NALA is a Y-Combinator-backed fintech company focused on building payments for the next billion.
• The company aims to simplify financial transactions for individuals and businesses, helping them thrive in a global economy.
• NALA is driven by innovation, community, and the belief that everyone deserves access to reliable, efficient, and affordable financial services.

Company Specialties:

• Financial Inclusion
• Digital Financial Services
• Mobile Money
• Fintech

Company Website: http://www.nala.com

ASSUMPTION: NALA's focus on emerging markets and financial inclusion presents unique opportunities and challenges for this role.

📊 Role Analysis

Career Level: Mid-level to senior. This role requires a balance of strategic thinking and tactical execution, with the potential for growth into a leadership position.

Reporting Structure: This role reports directly to the CEO and works closely with the CTO and other cross-functional teams.

Work Arrangement: Remote OK. NALA offers a global workspace and flexible working hours, allowing for a remote-friendly work arrangement.

Growth Opportunities:

• As NALA continues to grow, there will be opportunities for the successful candidate to take on more responsibility and potentially lead a team.
• The company's focus on innovation and experimentation provides ample opportunities for learning and professional development.
• Working in a high-growth environment offers the chance to make a significant impact on the company's success.

ASSUMPTION: The successful candidate will be proactive in seeking out growth opportunities and taking on new challenges as the company grows.

🌍 Location & Work Environment

Office Type: Remote-friendly. NALA offers a global workspace, allowing employees to work from WeWork locations worldwide.

Office Location(s): San Francisco, US (Headquarters). However, this role is remote-friendly and can be based in London, England, United Kingdom.

Geographic Context:

• London, England, United Kingdom. The city offers a vibrant tech scene and a diverse talent pool.
• Emerging markets. NALA's focus on emerging markets presents unique cultural and business challenges.
• Global work environment. NALA's global workspace and remote-friendly culture allow for a diverse and inclusive work environment.

Work Schedule: Full-time, with flexible working hours and a focus on results and impact.

ASSUMPTION: The successful candidate will be comfortable working in a remote-friendly environment and collaborating with a global team.

💼 Interview & Application Insights

Typical Process:

• [30mins] Interview with the Talent Team
• [45 mins] Product Sense
• Our take-home task
• [1 hour] Task Review Interview
• [30 mins] Customer Empathy
• References
• Decision

Key Assessment Areas:

• Product sense and strategic thinking
• Analytical skills and data-driven decision-making
• Customer empathy and understanding of user needs
• Cross-functional collaboration and communication skills
• Cultural fit and alignment with NALA's values

Application Tips:

• Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant experience and skills for this role.
• Be prepared to discuss your approach to product growth and activation, as well as your experience with data analysis and user research.
• Demonstrate your understanding of NALA's mission and values, and how your skills and experience align with the company's goals.

ATS Keywords: Product Growth, Activation, Lifecycle Marketing, Analytical Mindset, SQL, A/B Testing, Funnel Metrics, Data-Informed Decisions, User-Centric Design, Customer Research, Growth Funnels, Onboarding Flows, User Engagement, Collaboration, Product Discovery Techniques, Emerging Markets

ASSUMPTION: NALA's interview process is designed to assess the candidate's skills, experience, and cultural fit, with a focus on product sense and strategic thinking.

🛠️ Tools & Technologies

• SQL
• A/B testing tools (e.g., Optimizely, VWO)
• Funnel analytics tools (e.g., Mixpanel, Amplitude)
• Product management tools (e.g., Asana, Trello)
• Collaboration tools (e.g., Slack, Google Workspace)

ASSUMPTION: The successful candidate will be comfortable learning and using new tools and technologies as needed.

👔 Cultural Fit Considerations

Company Values:

• Customers First Always
• One Team, One Dream
• Think Big, Start Small, Move Fast
• Embrace Change
• Be Humble

Work Style:

• Data-driven and analytical
• Collaborative and cross-functional
• Agile and adaptable
• Results-focused and impact-driven

Self-Assessment Questions:

• How do you prioritize and execute on growth initiatives in a fast-paced, dynamic environment?
• How do you approach user research and understanding user needs in emerging markets?
• How do you collaborate with cross-functional teams to design and execute product-led growth initiatives?

ASSUMPTION: NALA's values and work style emphasize customer focus, collaboration, and adaptability, with a strong emphasis on data-driven decision-making and results.

⚠️ Potential Challenges

• Working in emerging markets presents unique cultural and business challenges.
• Balancing strategic thinking with tactical execution can be challenging in a high-growth environment.
• Collaborating with a global team requires strong communication and time management skills.
• Keeping up with the latest trends and best practices in product growth and activation can be challenging.

ASSUMPTION: The successful candidate will be proactive in seeking out support and resources to overcome these challenges.

📈 Similar Roles Comparison

• Compared to other product manager roles, this role places a greater emphasis on growth and activation strategies.
• NALA's focus on emerging markets presents unique opportunities and challenges compared to more established fintech companies.
• This role offers the opportunity to work closely with the CEO and other cross-functional teams, providing a unique perspective on the company's growth and strategy.

ASSUMPTION: While this role shares similarities with other product manager roles, its focus on growth and activation in emerging markets sets it apart.

📝 Sample Projects

• Improving user onboarding and activation metrics for NALA's mobile money app in Kenya
• Designing and executing a referral program to drive user growth and engagement in Nigeria
• Conducting user research to inform the development of new features aimed at improving first-time user success and long-term retention

ASSUMPTION: These sample projects are intended to illustrate the types of initiatives the successful candidate might work on in this role.

❓ Key Questions to Ask During Interview

• How does NALA approach user research and understanding user needs in emerging markets?
• What are the key priorities for this role in the first 30, 60, and 90 days?
• How does NALA support the professional development and growth of its employees?
• What are the biggest challenges facing NALA in the next 12-24 months, and how can this role contribute to addressing them?
• How does NALA measure the success of its product growth and activation initiatives?

ASSUMPTION: These questions are intended to help the candidate better understand the role, the company, and the opportunities for growth and impact.

📌 Next Steps for Applicants

To apply for this position:

• Submit your application through this link
• Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant experience and skills for this role.
• Prepare for the interview process by reviewing NALA's mission, values, and the key responsibilities of the role.
• Follow up with the talent team one week after submitting your application to confirm receipt and express your interest in the role.

⚠️ This job description contains AI-assisted information. Details should be verified directly with the employer before making decisions.