Nicholas Koros
Project Manager/Product Manager
Nairobi
Summary
Mr. Nicholas Koros holds 9 years of experience in product owning, product management, and project management, adept at leading and growing cross-functional teams. Well-versed in idea management, user and market research, product strategy and design, data analysis, prioritization, and Agile Scrum methodologies, Nicholas possesses hands-on expertise in participating in all phases of custom product solution delivery. This includes executing best practices and creating long-term plans for product evolution to engage customers and drive acquisition. A natural leader with strong communication skills and remote work experience, Nicholas excels in training and mentoring teams, building lasting professional relationships.
Overview
9
9
years of professional experience
7
7
In Leadership
2
2
Certifications
2
2
Languages
Work History
Head of Product Development
Airtel Kenya
Nairobi, Kenya
05.2022 - Current
- Led strategic planning and execution of organization's product development initiatives, identifying market opportunities, conducting market research, and defining product visions and roadmaps.
- Directed creation of innovative mobile money products driving revenue, improving customer experience, and supporting overall business strategy.
- Tracked and analyzed key performance metrics to ensure products met or exceeded customer and business needs.
- Stayed up-to-date with industry trends and competitive landscape to inform product development decisions.
- Conducted market research to identify new opportunities and target markets.
- Enhanced product development processes by streamlining workflow and implementing Agile methodologies.
- Optimised product lifecycle management, resulting in reduced costs and improved operational efficiency throughout organization.
- Spearheaded efforts to achieve regulatory compliance across all products, mitigating potential risks associated with non-compliance penalties or delays in approval processes.
- Worked collaboratively with developers, senior-level stakeholders, and partners to collect data on deficiencies and provide solutions to long-standing issues.
Chairman of QR Payments Standardisation Committee
Central Bank of Kenya
Nairobi, Kenya
01.2022 - Current
- Leading committee in developing and implementing standards for using QR codes in payment systems within Kenya.
- Working with stakeholders such as banks, mobile network operators, and merchants to ensure all QR code-based payment systems are secure, reliable, and interoperable.
- Overseeing testing and certification of QR code-based payment systems and monitoring compliance with standards established by committee.
- Representing committee in various forums and engaging with other regulators and central banks on using QR codes for payments.
- Developed innovative approaches to problem-solving, leveraging resources and driving results.
Agile Project Manager
Health Union LLC (Andela)
06.2022 - 08.2022
- Managed multiple concurrent high-visibility projects, resulting in 20% reduction in project timelines and 30% increase in team productivity.
- Successfully led agile projects, balancing project timeframe and scope to deliver value and enhance collaboration consistently.
- Established effective project governance processes, resulting in notable reduction in project delays and significant increase in stakeholder satisfaction.
- Monitored project progress, identified risks, and took corrective action as needed.
- Developed and implemented project plans and budgets to ensure successful execution.
- Facilitated Scrum framework – sprint planning, backlog grooming, daily scrums, sprint reviews, and sprint retrospectives.
- Increased project efficiency by implementing Agile methodologies and coordinating cross-functional teams.
- Used critical thinking to break down problems, evaluate solutions and make decisions.
- Demonstrated leadership skills in managing projects from concept to completion.
Regional Head of Product Management
JamboPay
01.2017 - 06.2022
- Served as regional head of product management, senior project manager, deputy CTO, and product owner.
- Took responsibility for product planning and execution throughout product lifecycle by defining product vision, gathering requirements, prioritizing, and communicating product and customer needs.
- Collaborated with engineering, sales, marketing, and support teams to ensure revenue and customer satisfaction targets were met.
- Completed various projects in eGovernment revenue, education, and healthcare sectors resulting in 86% revenue growth.
- Increased revenue by identifying new business opportunities and closing high-value deals.
- Managed full product lifecycle, from ideation through post-launch support, ensuring consistent quality control measures were in place.
- Developed comprehensive product roadmaps, guiding cross-functional teams toward shared objectives.
- Communicated project updates to stakeholders at all levels.
- Launched successful products by leading go-to-market strategies and collaborating closely with marketing teams.
Country Product Manager & Global Volunteer
AIESEC
01.2015 - 12.2017
- Managed social projects that contributed to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals
- Oversaw projects to improve education, health, well-being, work, and economic growth
- Directed 7 social projects associated with United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals
- Helped increase language literacy among Rwandans by 15%
- Achieved 30 start-up ideas funded through entrepreneurship projects.
- Managed full product lifecycle, from ideation through post-launch support, ensuring consistent quality control measures were in place.
Education
Master of Science - Project Management
The University of Salford
Manchester, United Kingdom 05.2022 - 05.2023
Diploma - Project Management
Finstock Eversity
Nairobi, Kenya 05.2011 - 05.2014
Leadership Experience
9 Years
Projects
Hustler Fund System, 11/2022, Established the Financial Inclusion Fund, commonly known as the Hustler Fund. Played a key role in designing and implementing the fund to mitigate financial shocks for the informal sector, constituting more than 80% of the workforce and contributing over 33% of the gross domestic product (GDP).
Skills
Agile, 4 - 6 years, Jira (Atlassian), 4 - 6 years, Project Management, 4 - 6 years, Scrum, 4 - 6 years, Technical Product Management, 4 - 6 years, Design Sprints, 4 - 6 years, Documentation Development, 4 - 6 years, Driving product strategy, 4 - 6 years, Driving Product Strategy, 4 - 6 years, Empathy Mapping, 4 - 6 years, Financial Services, 4 - 6 years, Government, 4 - 6 years, Kanban, 4 - 6 years, Management Consulting, 4 - 6 years, Product Backlog, 4 - 6 years, Product Design, 4 - 6 years, Product Feature Definition, 4 - 6 years, Product Implementation, 4 - 6 years, Product Improvements, 4 - 6 years, Product Launch, 4 - 6 years, Product Management Leadership, 4 - 6 years, Product Strategy, 4 - 6 years, Project Control, 4 - 6 years, Project Initiation, 4 - 6 years, Project Management Leadership, 4 - 6 years, Project Planning, 4 - 6 years, Scrum Methodology, 4 - 6 years, Strategic Thinking, 4 - 6 years, Systems Thinker, 4 - 6 years, Systems Thinking, 4 - 6 years, User Experience Testing, 4 - 6 years, User Needs Evaluation, 4 - 6 years, UX Leadership, 4 - 6 years, A/B Testing, 2 - 3 years, Design Systems, 2 - 3 years, Design Thinking, 2 - 3 years, Growth Product Management, 2 - 3 years, Process Management, 2 - 3 years
Certification
Andela-Certified Product Manager Certification
Timeline
Andela-Certified Product Manager Certification
01-2023
Certified Project Manager, Andela
01-2023
Agile Project Manager
Health Union LLC (Andela)
06.2022 - 08.2022
Master of Science - Project Management
The University of Salford
05.2022 - 05.2023
Head of Product Development
Airtel Kenya
05.2022 - Current
Chairman of QR Payments Standardisation Committee
Central Bank of Kenya
01.2022 - Current
Regional Head of Product Management
JamboPay
01.2017 - 06.2022
Country Product Manager & Global Volunteer
AIESEC
01.2015 - 12.2017
Diploma - Project Management
Finstock Eversity
05.2011 - 05.2014
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