Lead AI Engineer – Financial Inclusion

About the role

We are looking for our first Lead AI Engineer to head the AI Operations team at M‑KOPA. You will design, ship and scale automations and AI agents that empower over 2,500 employees across Africa and beyond, directly supporting financial inclusion for millions of customers.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and mentor two AI Ops Engineers, overseeing their delivery and day‑to‑day work.
• Prioritise and manage competing automation requests from multiple internal teams using a clear framework.
• Build, test and deploy AI‑driven automations and agents that improve internal and customer‑facing workflows.
• Maintain the health and scalability of the AI tooling stack as usage grows.
• Stay up‑to‑date with emerging AI technologies and distinguish hype from practical solutions.
• Collaborate with Engineering to embed AI capabilities into customer‑facing products and refine AI training across the organisation.

Required profile

• Proven experience leading technical teams in AI or automation projects.
• Strong track record of delivering production‑ready AI solutions at scale.
• Mission‑driven mindset with a passion for financial inclusion and impact‑focused engineering.

Required skills

• Claude, Claude Code, Anthropic tooling, LangChain, MCP, Google ADK (or similar agentic frameworks).
• Scripting and rapid‑prototyping tools (e.g., Vercel, Railway).
• Enterprise automation platforms: Entra identity automation, Notion, HiBob integrations.

What we offer

• Opportunity to shape a brand‑new AI function within a globally recognised, carbon‑negative company.
• Direct impact on the lives of millions across Africa.
• Collaborative, purpose‑driven environment with recognition from TIME and the Financial Times.