Role Overview
This is an entry-to-mid-level research position within M-KOPA's Customer Intelligence (CI) team. As a CI Research Associate, you'll support end-to-end UX and product research from study design through to insight delivery; working closely with senior researchers and cross-functional teams. You'll be doing real research, on real products, for real customers whose financial lives depend on experiences that actually work.
M-KOPA is a connected asset financing platform that has extended over $2 billion in credit to more than 7 million customers across Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa. 55% of those customers are accessing financial services for the first time. 86% report an improved quality of life. The Customer Insights team is the intelligence engine behind the product decisions that make those numbers move and they're looking for a data analyst who brings both quantitative rigour and qualitative instinct to the work.
This is a hybrid role, you would be working from our offices in Kenya, partnering with a diverse group of employees from our different markets and locations across the UK, Europe and Africa. You will be reporting to the Research Operations Lead.
Why this Role is Different
Most research associate roles put you in a support lane indefinitely. Here, you're working on products that are genuinely novel — serving first-time smartphone users, first-time borrowers, first-time digital finance customers across five markets. The research problems are complex, the stakes are tangible, and the team takes craft seriously.
What You'll be doing
Conducting moderated usability tests, semi-structured interviews, and surveys — managing fieldwork logistics end-to-end for both remote and in-person sessions, and ensuring sessions are set up for quality data collection from the start.
Coding and synthesising qualitative data using defined frameworks — producing affinity maps, insight lists, and structured reports that translate findings into clear, actionable outputs for your immediate team and stakeholders.
Contributing to team research rituals, raising questions when briefs are unclear, and applying AI-assisted tools (including Claude and Notion AI) with the critical judgement to know when the output needs human scrutiny.
What You'll bring
Demonstrable experience conducting UX research — including moderated usability testing, semi-structured interviewing, and survey design — with an understanding of when and why different methods apply.
Proven ability to work with qualitative data: coding responses, identifying patterns, and producing synthesis artefacts (affinity maps, insight lists) with a structured, methodical approach.
Familiarity with M-KOPA's markets or the broader context of first-time digital financial services users — and a genuine curiosity about the usability challenges that come with that territory.
The honest part
This is a guided role — you'll be working within defined scope, using established templates, and leaning on senior team members as you develop. If you're looking for full autonomy from day one, this isn't that. If you're looking for a place to build serious research craft on problems that actually matter, it is.
Why M-KOPA?At M-KOPA, we empower our people to own their careers through diverse development programs, coaching partnerships, and on-the-job training. We support individual journeys with family-friendly policies, prioritize well-being, and embrace flexibility.
Join us in shaping the future of M-KOPA as we grow together. Explore more at m-kopa.com.
Recognized four times by the Financial Times as one Africa's fastest growing companies (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026) and by TIME100 Most influential companies in the world 2023 and 2024 , we've served over 7 million customers, unlocking $1.5 billion in cumulative credit for the unbanked across Africa.
Important Notice
M-KOPA is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer committed to assembling a diverse, broadly trained staff. Women, minorities, and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.
M-KOPA explicitly prohibits the use of Forced or Child Labour and respects the rights of its employees to agree to terms and conditions of employment voluntarily, without coercion, and freely terminate their employment on appropriate notice. M-KOPA shall ensure that its Employees are of legal working age and shall comply with local laws for youth employment or student work, such as internships or apprenticeships.
M-KOPA does not collect/charge any money as a pre-employment or post-employment requirement. This means that we never ask for ‘recruitment fees’, ‘processing fees’, ‘interview fees’, or any other kind of money in exchange for offer letters or interviews at any time during the hiring process.
Applications for this position will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Shortlisting and interviews will take place at any stage during the recruitment process. We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a suitable candidate is selected before the advertised closing date.
If your application is successful M-KOPA undertakes pre-employment background checks as part of its recruitment process, these include; criminal records, identification verification, academic qualifications, employment dates and employer references.
