Vice President of People

Summary

As the VP of People at Kuda, you will be a transformational leader driving the strategy behind our most valuable asset—our people. Reporting directly to the COO and serving as a key member of the executive team, you will architect and execute our global people strategy, ensuring alignment with Kuda’s mission and growth ambitions.

This is an extraordinary opportunity to shape the future of African fintech by creating a world-class organization that blends African values with global best practices. You’ll oversee a People team of 15, spanning HR, Talent Acquisition, and Learning & Development, and will drive key projects in organizational design, cultural alignment, and operational excellence.

Your leadership will be critical as we scale rapidly, ensuring Kuda remains a people-first organization while implementing enterprise-grade people operations.

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and execute a comprehensive people strategy aligned with business objectives.
• Lead workforce planning, organizational design, and succession planning across our multi-regional operations.
• Drive leadership development initiatives and ensure a pipeline of top talent.
• Manage a multi-million-dollar P&L for the People function.

Talent Acquisition & Culture

• Design innovative talent acquisition strategies to attract top talent across Nigeria, South Africa, the UK, and beyond.
• Build and maintain an inclusive, high-performance culture that embodies African values and global best practices.
• Develop programs to boost employee engagement, retention, and satisfaction.

People Operations & Analytics

• Oversee end-to-end HR operations, including compensation, benefits, and performance management.
• Implement and optimize HRIS and people analytics systems for data-driven decision-making.
• Ensure compliance with employment laws and regulations across multiple jurisdictions.

Learning & Development

• Create and implement comprehensive learning and development programs to support employee growth and organizational needs.
• Design leadership development initiatives and establish mentorship frameworks.
• Build career progression pathways across all teams.

Change Management

• Lead organizational transformation initiatives and align teams with Kuda’s mission and vision.
• Drive cultural alignment across diverse offices (Nigeria, South Africa, UK, and remote).
• Guide the people aspect of mergers, acquisitions, and market expansions.

Key Metrics for Success

• Attrition Rate (Regretted): Maintain a low level of regretted attrition.
• eNPS (Employee Net Promoter Score): Drive significant improvements in employee satisfaction and engagement.
• Leadership Development: Increase internal promotions and leadership readiness.
• Operational Efficiency: Reduce manual HR processes through automation and optimize HR operations.
• Culture Alignment: Achieve measurable cultural alignment across regional offices.
• Employee Development: Improve the participation and effectiveness of learning and development programs.

Experience & Skills:

• 10+ years of progressive People leadership experience, with at least 5 years in senior leadership roles.
• Proven success in building and scaling People functions across multiple geographies, preferably in high-growth, technology-driven environments.
• Strong background in organizational development, workforce planning, and change management.
• Expertise in managing remote and hybrid teams across different regions.
• Data-driven approach with a strong ability to use analytics in shaping people strategies.
• Experience working closely with engineering teams and understanding their unique dynamics.

Soft Skills:

• High empathy and integrity with exceptional interpersonal and communication skills.
• A natural relationship builder who inspires trust and confidence across all levels of the organization.
• Thoughtful and strategic, with a proven ability to balance immediate priorities with long-term objectives.

Preferred Background:

• Candidates with multi-national or multi-continental experience are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Demonstrated ability to harmonize diverse cultures and foster common values across geographies.

At Kuda, our people are the heart of our business, so we prioritize your welfare. We offer a wide range of competitive benefits in areas including but not limited to:

• A great and upbeat work environment populated by a multinational team.
• Pension via Allan Gray.
• Career development & growth.
• Competitive annual leave plus bank holidays.
• Competitive paid time off (Parental, Moving day, Birthday, Study leave etc).
• Travel Insurance.
• YuLife - rewards for reaching health and fitness goals.
• Employee wellness program via Lyra Wellbeing.
• Goalr - employee wellness app.
• Medical insurance via Discovery.
• Award winning L&D training.
• Well-fare package (Wedding, Compassionate and etc).

We are advocates of work-life balance, working in a hybrid in office schedule.

Kuda are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and anyone seeking employment at Kuda is considered based on merit, qualifications, competence and talent.

We don’t regard colour, religion, race, national origin, sexual orientation, ancestry, citizenship, sex, marital or family status, disability, gender, or any other legally protected status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.