Head of Financial Services & Regulatory Affairs – West Africa

About the role

M-KOPA is seeking a senior leader to shape and execute its financial services regulatory strategy across West Africa. Reporting to the Legal group, you will ensure the company obtains and retains the licences required to operate digital credit, payments and consumer finance services in Ghana, Nigeria and other markets.

Key responsibilities

• Define and drive group‑wide regulatory strategy, advising senior leadership on risk, supervisory expectations and governance.
• Lead licensing processes for Digital Credit Service Provider (DCSP) in Ghana, financial services licences in Nigeria and other authorisations (MFI, payments, lending).
• Monitor regulatory changes, assess impact on the business model and translate requirements into actionable controls and policies.
• Partner with Product, Credit, Operations, Risk and Legal to embed “regulatory‑by‑design” into new products and market expansions.
• Set the compliance tone, deliver training, and strengthen first‑line ownership of regulatory obligations.
• Represent M‑KOPA in industry bodies, regulatory consultations and policy discussions across West Africa.
• Develop and maintain compliance playbooks, oversee regulatory reporting, and manage responses to regulator inquiries and examinations.

Required profile

• Extensive experience in financial services regulation and licensing within West Africa (Ghana and Nigeria).
• Proven ability to lead cross‑functional teams and influence senior stakeholders.
• Strong track record of building relationships with regulators and external partners.
• Excellent analytical skills to interpret regulatory changes and implement governance enhancements.

Required skills

What we offer

• Opportunity to shape regulatory strategy for a fast‑growing digital finance company.
• Collaborative environment with cross‑functional exposure.
• Competitive compensation package.