Background

CRDB Bank PLC – Benki ya CRDB is hiring for the position of Manager Research & Development and Innovation Programs in Tanzania Head Office. The closing date for applications is 18 November 2026.

Job Purpose

To institutionalize CRDB’s innovation capability by establishing the frameworks, governance, partnerships, and adoption mechanisms that convert research and ideas into scalable, compliant, and value-creating outcomes across the Group. The role enables business units to innovate faster, safer, and with measurable impact on growth, efficiency, and superior customer experience.

Principal Responsibilities

• Design, maintain, and institutionalize enterprise innovation framework (intake, prioritization, pilot, scale).
• Define stage-gate criteria, decision authorities, and governance standards.
• Set minimum documentation and evidence requirements for experimentation and scale.
• Ensure innovation initiatives follow risk/compliance/customer-protection guardrails.
• Facilitate business units to frame high-value problem statements and R&D agendas.
• Coordinate structured insight gathering (customer, process, market, and competitor inputs).
• Drive cross-functional working sessions to convert insight into testable solution hypotheses.
• Ensure alignment between R&D opportunities and strategic priorities/capability gaps.
• Build adoption readiness model for innovation initiatives (stakeholder alignment, training, change impacts).
• Partner with CMO/HR/L&D and business owners to embed innovations into BAU.
• Track adoption signals and intervene early where utilization/value is at risk.
• Institutionalize innovation culture programs and communities of practice.
• Build co-creation mechanisms with fintechs, telcos, universities, vendors, and development partners.
• Coordinate partner innovation sprints with internal product/process teams.
• Ensure partner engagements have clear value hypothesis, compliance criteria, and scale pathway.
• Coordinate onboarding governance with Legal, Procurement, Risk, and Compliance.
• Maintain enterprise innovation portfolio view (explore/validate/scale).
• Define and monitor innovation KPIs for speed, adoption, value, and control
• Produce portfolio performance insights and resource trade-off recommendations.
• Enforce stop/scale/reshape decisions based on evidence and value thresholds.

Qualifications Required

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in Strategy, Finance, Business Innovation, or a related field.
• Minimum of six (6) years experience in financial services, with exposure to R&D, innovation, strategy, or transformation programmes.
• Strong understanding of commercial models, operating frameworks, and strategic market shifts, with proven ability to translate insights into successful cross-functional implementation.
• Demonstrated ability to build institutional capabilities and adoption systems, including designing and implementing innovation operating models, governance frameworks, and effective delivery processes.
• Proven understanding of Design Thinking and Problem Framing methodologies, with the ability to identify business challenges, define problem statements, and facilitate user-centric solution development.
• Experience in Research & Development (R&D), Facilitation, and Experimentation Methods, including the application of prototyping, testing, and iterative improvement approaches.
• Ability to support Partnership Co-Creation and Ecosystem Management initiatives, including engagement with internal and external stakeholders to drive innovation outcomes.
• Strong Data Literacy and Insight Translation skills, with the ability to interpret data, generate actionable insights, and support evidence-based decision-making.
• Effective Executive Communication and Influencing skills, with the ability to present ideas, recommendations, and innovation outcomes to senior stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a collaborative and matrix-managed environment, influencing cross-functional teams without direct authority.
• Strong Stakeholder Management skills, with a proven ability to build relationships, align expectations, and manage diverse stakeholder interests.

Additional Notes

CRDB Bank is dedicated to upholding Sustainability and ESG practices and encourage applicants who share this commitment. The Bank also promotes an inclusive workplace, hence applications from women and individual with disabilities are encouraged.

It is important to note that CRDB Bank does not charge any fees for the application or recruitment process, and any requests for payment should be disregarded as they do not represent the bank’s practices.

Only Shortlisted Candidates will be Contacted.

• Design, maintain, and institutionalize enterprise innovation framework (intake, prioritization, pilot, scale).
• Define stage-gate criteria, decision authorities, and governance standards.
• Set minimum documentation and evidence requirements for experimentation and scale.
• Ensure innovation initiatives follow risk/compliance/customer-protection guardrails.
• Facilitate business units to frame high-value problem statements and R&D agendas.
• Coordinate structured insight gathering (customer, process, market, and competitor inputs).
• Drive cross-functional working sessions to convert insight into testable solution hypotheses.
• Ensure alignment between R&D opportunities and strategic priorities/capability gaps.
• Build adoption readiness model for innovation initiatives (stakeholder alignment, training, change impacts).
• Partner with CMO/HR/L&D and business owners to embed innovations into BAU.
• Track adoption signals and intervene early where utilization/value is at risk.
• Institutionalize innovation culture programs and communities of practice.
• Build co-creation mechanisms with fintechs, telcos, universities, vendors, and development partners.
• Coordinate partner innovation sprints with internal product/process teams.
• Ensure partner engagements have clear value hypothesis, compliance criteria, and scale pathway.
• Coordinate onboarding governance with Legal, Procurement, Risk, and Compliance.
• Maintain enterprise innovation portfolio view (explore/validate/scale).
• Define and monitor innovation KPIs for speed, adoption, value, and control
• Produce portfolio performance insights and resource trade-off recommendations.
• Enforce stop/scale/reshape decisions based on evidence and value thresholds.

• Strong understanding of commercial models, operating frameworks, and strategic market shifts
• Proven ability to translate insights into successful cross-functional implementation
• Demonstrated ability to build institutional capabilities and adoption systems
• Designing and implementing innovation operating models, governance frameworks, and effective delivery processes
• Proven understanding of Design Thinking and Problem Framing methodologies
• Ability to identify business challenges, define problem statements, and facilitate user-centric solution development
• Experience in Research & Development (R&D), Facilitation, and Experimentation Methods
• Application of prototyping, testing, and iterative improvement approaches
• Ability to support Partnership Co-Creation and Ecosystem Management initiatives
• Engagement with internal and external stakeholders to drive innovation outcomes
• Strong Data Literacy and Insight Translation skills
• Ability to interpret data, generate actionable insights, and support evidence-based decision-making
• Effective Executive Communication and Influencing skills
• Ability to present ideas, recommendations, and innovation outcomes to senior stakeholders
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a collaborative and matrix-managed environment
• Influencing cross-functional teams without direct authority
• Strong Stakeholder Management skills
• Proven ability to build relationships, align expectations, and manage diverse stakeholder interests

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in Strategy, Finance, Business Innovation, or a related field.
• Minimum of six (6) years experience in financial services, with exposure to R&D, innovation, strategy, or transformation programmes.