Head of Technology at Kutuma Kenya Limited

Role Description

• About the Role We are seeking a highly technical "player-coach" to serve as our Senior Lead Full-Stack Engineer and Head of Technology. In this dual-faceted role, you will be the technical anchor of the company, actively architecting and writing code for our Python/Django and AI-integrated applications, while simultaneously leading the technology department and managing software development projects across various markets. You will provide strategic direction and technical expertise to ensure the successful delivery of technology solutions tailored to the unique requirements of different market segments.

Primary Responsibilities

• Hands-on Architecture & Full-Stack Development: Actively write production-grade code using Python, Django, and modern JavaScript/React.
• Oversee technical architecture decisions and ensure that software solutions are scalable, secure, and optimized for performance. Maintain a deep understanding of cutting-edge solutions, including LLMs and machine learning pipelines.
• Leadership and Team Management: Lead and mentor a team of technology professionals, including software developers. Set clear goals, conduct performance evaluations, lead code reviews, and provide guidance for skill development and career growth.
• Technology Strategy & AI Innovation: Develop and implement a comprehensive technology strategy aligned with the organization's business goals. Identify opportunities for advancements, research emerging trends (such as AI, vector databases, and RAG architectures), and propose new initiatives to enhance the company's competitive edge.
• Multi-Market Project Execution: Collaborate with operation managers, market leadership, and stakeholders to understand the specific requirements of various markets. Define project plans, resource allocation, and budgets to ensure successful execution across different market segments.
• Quality Assurance, DevOps & Compliance: Implement robust quality assurance processes, CI/CD pipelines, and automated testing to deliver high- quality, bug-free software to customers in different markets. Ensure compliance with relevant industry standards, security protocols, and data privacy regulations.
• Risk & Vendor Management: Identify potential technical and market-related risks in technology projects and develop mitigation strategies. Manage relationships with technology vendors, negotiate contracts, and assess third- party solutions to supplement in-house capabilities.
• Stakeholder Communication: Collaborate with executive leadership to provide updates on projects, progress, and future plans, aligning technology initiatives with overall business objectives. Use market research insights to drive innovations and tailor solutions to meet market-specific demands.

Core Technical Capabilities & Requirements

• Engineering Experience: 6+ years of full-stack software engineering experience, with 2+ years in a senior/architectural role leading complex projects.
• Backend Mastery: Expert-level proficiency in Python and the Django ecosystem (Django REST Framework, complex ORM queries, Celery, asynchronous workflows).
• Frontend Expertise: Strong command of modern web development using JavaScript (ES2015+), TypeScript, React, HTML5, and CSS3.
• AI/ML Integration: Proven capability in deploying or integrating artificial intelligence tools, Large Language Models (e.g., OpenAI, Anthropic APIs), LangChain, or vector databases into production environments.
• System Design & DevOps: Deep knowledge of relational databases (PostgreSQL), RESTful APIs, WebSockets, cloud infrastructure (AWS/GCP), and containerization (Docker/Kubernetes).
• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Your success will be measured by both technical excellence and business impact:

• Project Delivery: On-time delivery within the scheduled timeline and allocated budget for each market. Customer and stakeholder satisfaction with project delivery.
• Market Impact: Market-specific revenue growth and market share increase attributed to software solutions.
• Technical Excellence: The rate of new technology adoption (including AI), reduction of technical debt, software quality metrics (defect density, stability), and maintaining optimal system uptime and availability.
• Team Health: Employee retention rate, team productivity, and team satisfaction.
• Business Alignment: Technology cost efficiency and strict alignment of technical initiatives with the specific goals of each target market. Ensure practices comply with relevant data privacy requirements.

Monthly Gross Consolidated Salary KES. 300,000/-