Viamo Platform Manager, Malawi
About Viamo
Mobile technology is revolutionising how organisations engage with their end users. More than 96% of the world’s population has access to a mobile phone, meaning it is now possible to reach nearly every single person on the planet. Yet 3 billion people living in emerging markets still lack access to relevant, timely, and engaging information in their local languages, and their voices remain underheard. The organisations that serve them lack the technology and capacity to reach them, and many are unaware of the power of mobile technology to meet their organisational goals.
Viamo connects individuals and organisations using digital technology to make better decisions. Having reached more than 21 million people in 2022 and more than 4 million monthly active users , we have our eyes on our goal of reaching 100 million monthly active users by 2026.
We manage the Viamo Platform, a national public information service called the 321 service, accessible through IVR (Interactive Voice Response) and USSD channels. By calling 321 through your Airtel connection in Malawi, anyone with access to a mobile phone will be able to access information on topics such as health, agriculture, financial literacy and more. In a series of “listen, then choose” steps, callers will use their phone to select from among hundreds of recorded voice messages to help them make informed decisions and improve their lives.
About the Role
As the Viamo Platform Manager (VPM) for Malawi, you will be responsible for ensuring a high quality and an impactful mobile service. You must be able to empathise with the Viamo Platform’s end users to understand their needs to access information as well as products and services offered by our clients. You will work closely with the global and country team to deliver socially impactful experiences to both our end users and clients through the platform. As the IVR Platform expert, you will be expected to take ownership of the following:
- Mobile Network Operator Relationship Management
- Content Management
- Platform User Experience
- Platform Strategy and Growth
- Maintenance and Operations
- Monitoring & Reporting
You will help ensure that platform content follows best practices, and messages are translated, recorded and pre-tested correctly. You will be the IVR platform expert, identifying the content needs of end users, building the audio and text trees (using the Viamo Cloud Software), updating content, and troubleshooting. You will play a key role in monitoring the continued quality and success of the Service, piloting and evaluating new initiatives, and reporting to Mobile Network Operators and business partners.
Key Responsibilities
- Manage Platform Operations
- Master all functionality of the Viamo Cloud Software for the creation and management of IVR user journeys by leveraging global best practices.
- Continually monitor and test the platform on a daily basis and solve any problems that arise.
- Monitor and track all performance and user experience indicators and be the first to identify positive or negative trends that can inform decisions to improve impact.
- Create and organise the content scripts to share with the team for translation and recording followed by quality assurance to ensure that all received content is of high quality, in the agreed-upon format, and delivered on time.
- Produce marketing material for e.g. SMS and voice scripts and schedule campaigns as per the agreed plan.
- Co-create and Execute Platform Growth Strategy
- Connect with end users to determine content areas that will help build partnerships to drive growth on the platform.
- Research the content and media landscape to discover content sources that will help address end-user needs.
- Test alternate marketing channels to drive new users to the platform and measure the ROI for experiments.
- Synthesise local insights and work together with the global team to produce a long-term growth strategy and roadmap.
- Support the local in-country programs staff with platform end-user insights that will help them sell products on platform.
- Explore and develop ATL and BTL marketing partnerships to drive platform growth
- Content Management
- Identify the content needs of end users and conduct business development with potential partners to source content that will transform the platform to a mobile lifestyle partner for our end-users.
- Ensure that the platform provides the highest quality of value proposition by ensuring it has updated and relevant content all the time.
- Work with local country staff and cross-departmental global teams to manage partners’ content on platform to ensure their outcomes are met and end-users receive the intended benefits.
- Test and Impact
- Pilot and test new ideas to improve user experience, increase impact and achieve targets
- Work with the global platform team to create and run content, marketing, and user experience pilots and measure the impact to the platform engagement and revenue.
- Learn from experiments conducted globally and replicate after local customization.
- Manage Partner Relationships
- Engage with mobile network operator(s) to create mass awareness of the platform through marketing to reach our target audience.
- Negotiate with mobile network operator(s) to secure marketing growth levers on a scalable business model.
- Manage content partnerships to understand and guide the client needs to create delight and ensure that they see continued value in the service.
- Share data-driven insights and create actionable reports as agreed with the partner to improve impact delivered by their content.
- Provide Project Management Support
- Monitor deployment of different products and projects on the platform and advise the implementation team on best practices.
- Monitor and document performance metrics, end user engagement, and impact to inform appropriate changes to project approach and overall implementation as needed.
Key Performance Indicators
- Platform Impact
- Monthly Active Users (MAUs)
- Monthly User Benefits (MUBs)
- User Engagement
- Caller to Listener Ratio
- Benefits per User
- Month-on-Month User Retention
- Revenue on Platform (not a current KPI but expected in the future)
- Percentage of Registered Users on Platform
- Number of Dynamic Content Partnerships
Team and Reporting Structure
Reports to the Regional Viamo Platform Manager
Profile
Required
- University degree in Computer Science, IT, Engineering, and/or Business
- 3+ years of professional experience, preferably in IT product management or working with mobile value added services
- Mastery of computers and mobile technology with proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
- Experience with data collection and data monitoring, particularly product growth and engagement metrics
- Experience with conducting user research and synthesising insights into product roadmaps.
- Experience of working with third parties and managing partnerships, especially content creators
- Excellent project and programme management skills with emphasis on customer service.
- Experience with content creation, especially for social and behaviour change.
- Fluency in Chichewa local language.
- Demonstrated ability to multitask, prioritise and coordinate with thorough attention to detail.
- Proven ability to work independently, flexibility and willingness to adapt to new tasks as needed.
Desirable
- Previous experience working with a Mobile Network Operator or IVR/USSD VAS service.
- Experience in content development for mobile.
- Experience of working with media and content production partners for e.g. radio stations.
- Ability to perform basic quantitative and qualitative analysis to gauge platform health and performance.
How to apply
Viamo is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value diversity and encourage applications from all candidates. We believe that diverse perspectives help our teams to create innovative solutions and understand our global clients’ needs. In alignment with our values, we are committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse global workforce without discrimination.
Apply now with a CV and a short cover letter to