Deputy CTO (AI Product)

Role overview

This is a senior technical leadership position based in Kenya, offered on behalf of a partner organization that handles the application review and subsequent hiring steps. The role sits at the intersection of backend engineering, machine learning, architecture, and product delivery. You will work as the CTO’s close technical partner, staying deeply involved in hands-on coding while also guiding strategy, execution, and team alignment.

The position calls for someone who can turn complex business needs into practical, scalable technical solutions, lead compact engineering teams, and move quickly in a distributed, fast-moving environment. It suits an experienced technologist who is equally comfortable shaping architecture and shipping code, especially when solving evolving and ambiguous problems.

Key accountabilities

• Serve as the CTO’s deputy and provide technical leadership across backend and ML groups when needed, helping maintain continuity in direction and delivery.
• Set and own the architecture and major technical choices for products and features, with attention to scale, reliability, and performance.
• Stay actively involved in engineering work by coding, releasing features, and building prototypes to test and refine ideas.
• Convert business objectives into executable technical plans and guide small teams of 5-10 engineers from concept through launch.
• Support people operations tasks such as hiring, departures, staffing allocation, compensation input, and team coordination.
• Keep senior stakeholders aligned across product, engineering, and infrastructure priorities.
• Oversee infrastructure and operational work to keep systems dependable, maintainable, and efficient in a rapidly changing setting.

What you need

• A strong backend engineering foundation with deep knowledge of system design and experience with C#, Python, Java, or comparable backend stacks.
• Demonstrated ability to remain hands-on in development while operating in a senior leadership or management capacity.
• Good commercial judgment and the ability to connect technical decisions to business and product outcomes.
• Direct people-management experience, including hiring, leading teams, and allocating resources.
• Comfort working across the full engineering lifecycle, including architecture, development, infrastructure, and operations.
• A startup-oriented mindset and the confidence to work effectively in small, fast-paced teams.
• Curiosity and a strong learning orientation, with openness to experimentation and new technologies.
• Clear, structured communication skills and the ability to explain uncertainty when required.
• At least 8 years of relevant experience in software engineering and technical leadership.

Benefits and compensation

• Fully remote, full-time work with flexible arrangements.
• Compensation details are shared openly during the hiring process before any offer is made.
• 28 calendar days of annual leave.
• 7 extra wellness days each year for rest, recovery, and household needs.
• Referral rewards of up to $5,000 for successful recommendations.
• 50% support for professional training, conferences, and industry events.
• Discounts on English language learning programs.
• Healthcare support of up to $1,000 gross per year for medical insurance or related expenses.
• Equipment support or co-working/home office reimbursement of up to $1,000 every 3 years.
• An internal recognition and gamified rewards program that can be exchanged for merchandise, experiences, and team activities.

Recruitment and data notice

Applications are reviewed through an AI-assisted matching process designed to screen candidates quickly, consistently, and fairly against the core role requirements. The strongest matches are shortlisted and shared with the hiring company, which manages interviews, assessments, and final hiring decisions.

By applying, you consent to the processing of your personal data for candidate evaluation and sharing with the employer, in line with applicable data protection rules such as GDPR. You may exercise rights such as access, correction, deletion, and objection at any time.

Artificial intelligence tools may be used to support parts of the recruitment workflow, including resume review, response analysis, and inconsistency checks. These tools assist the recruitment team and do not replace human judgment; the final decision is always made by people.