Head of Data, Technology & AI

About the role

Jackfruit Finance lends to low-fee private schools across Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, and is scaling its lending with AI agents and automations. It is looking for a Head of Data, Technology & AI to be the central owner of the company's data, systems and AI: ensuring data is accurate, systems are secure, AI is used efficiently and everything built connects and gets used. The role is hands-on and delivery-focused, manages a small technology team and reports directly to the CEO.

Key responsibilities

• Own AI across the company: set how it is used, choose tools and models, manage costs, ensure agents and automations have owners, permissions, logging and a measurable purpose.
• Build and ship AI agents yourself, and enable others to build safely with standards, templates, data access, training and review.
• Retire unused tools and automate the lending process end to end, from lead qualification, KYC and credit scoring to contract generation, disbursement, collections, portfolio monitoring and regulatory reporting.
• Own customer-facing AI agents for loan applications, support and marketing.
• Own the data: accuracy at entry, reconciled portfolio numbers, current data documentation and dashboards.
• Own the core banking platform (Musoni) and the SSL app, including usage, configuration, change control, vendor management and integration with the CRM and SSL app.
• Run a tight roadmap, quarterly planning, sprints and standups, and give leadership clear visibility of status and trade-offs.
• Own security, compliance and audit: access control, backups, secrets, audit logs, data protection and IT audits with regulators.
• Directly manage a small team covering engineering, data and IT support, including the IT help desk.

Required profile

• Five or more years in lending, microfinance or other financial services, with a deep understanding of loan products and lending operations.
• Hands-on data fluency: writes SQL independently, designs data models and keeps a single source of truth.
• Experience owning a system-of-record and governing a stack that many people build on.
• Security and controls mindset in a regulated or audited environment.
• Emerging markets experience.

Required skills

• AI fluency: built and shipped AI agents and automations with real results, evaluated against outcomes and controlled in cost.
• SQL and building with AI coding tools.
• Core banking platform experience (Musoni or similar) is a strong plus.

What we offer

• Flexible and remote working, with Nairobi-based staff working hybrid (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays).
• Competitive compensation benchmarked against market standards.
• 100% medical insurance for employees and 50% for eligible dependents.
• 3 months of paid maternity leave and 14 days of paid paternity leave.
• 21 days of paid annual leave.
• Training opportunities, with potential sponsorship.