CTO / Co Founder (AI-Native/HealthTech)

Our client is an AI-native healthcare fintech building the financial infrastructure that makes healthcare more accessible across Africa. The company is developing an innovative platform that enables individuals to access healthcare through intelligent payment solutions, interest-free credit, and embedded insurance products, helping to reduce the financial barriers that prevent millions from receiving essential medical care.

 

Operating at the intersection of artificial intelligence, digital payments, and healthcare finance, the organisation takes an AI-first approach across its products, engineering practices, and operations. AI is embedded throughout the software development lifecycle, from system architecture and code generation to testing, deployment, and ongoing operations. The company is driven by a mission to create a future where people across Africa can access quality healthcare without financial fear while leveraging cutting-edge technology to redefine healthcare finance at scale.

 

Job type: Full-time/Permanent

Location: Nairobi, Kenya

Work place: Hybrid, 

 

Requirements

We care much more about how you think, lead, and execute than about perfect credentials. That said, for this role we expect:

• 10+ years of software engineering experience, with at least 3–5 years in senior engineering leadership roles (Head of Engineering, VP Engineering, CTO, or equivalent).
• A track record of building and leading high-performing engineering teams, ideally in a fast-growing startup or scale-up environment.
• Deep experience in fintech or healthcare — ideally both — with a strong understanding of the regulatory, security, and reliability demands of these sectors.
• Hands-on experience designing and scaling distributed systems and microservices platforms that serve real production traffic.
• Strong command of modern web and backend engineering (JavaScript / TypeScript, Node.js, React, Postgres, or equivalent modern stacks).
• Background in a regulated industry, ideally financial services.
• Strong understanding of working in environments with compliance, governance and risk considerations.
• Demonstrates a co-founder mentality, with high ownership, accountability and initiative.
• Mission-driven and motivated by the opportunity to build solutions that create meaningful impact.

 

AI-first thinking

• A clear, considered point of view on how AI is changing software engineering, and a track record of putting that view into practice.
• Direct experience integrating LLMs, AI agents, and intelligent workflows into production systems
• Experience transforming engineering workflows with AI tooling (code generation, review, testing, observability, incident response).

Leadership

• Excellent judgement on when to move fast, when to invest in foundations, and when to say no.
• A strong hiring bar and a demonstrated ability to attract, grow, and retain engineering talent.
• Comfortable operating at the senior leadership level — partnering with the CEO, engaging with the board, and representing the company externally with partners, regulators, and investors.

 

Mission alignment

• A genuine passion for Africa and for our mission of making healthcare financially accessible.
• Deep context on, or a strong desire to immerse yourself in, the African healthcare and fintech landscape.

Responsibilities

As Head of Engineering / CTO, you will own the technology function with our client. You will set the technical vision, build and lead the engineering organisation, and ensure that AI is embedded into both what we build and how we build it.

 

This is a rare opportunity to define the technical foundations of a company operating in one of the most important sectors on the continent. You will be a member of the senior leadership team, reporting to the CEO, and working closely with product, operations, clinical, and commercial leaders.

In this role, you will:

• Set and own the technical vision, architecture, and engineering roadmap for an AI-native healthcare finance platform.
• Establish an AI-first approach across the company — defining how AI is used in the product, in engineering workflows, and in internal operations.
• Build, hire, and mentor a high-calibre engineering team, shaping the culture, hiring bar, and ways of working from the ground up.
• Partner with the CEO and leadership team on company strategy, fundraising, board conversations, and investor diligence on the technical side.
• Own the technical posture that fintech and healthcare demand: security, compliance, reliability, data protection, and regulatory engagement across the markets we operate in.
• Make high-stakes build vs. buy and architecture decisions that balance speed, cost, and long-term durability.
• Be a hands-on technical leader when it matters — especially in the early stages, you should still be comfortable in the codebase, in system design reviews, and in the details.

What You'll Work On

Some of the problems you will lead us through:

• Scaling the core infrastructure for healthcare payments, lending, and embedded insurance across multiple African markets.
• Designing and deploying AI-powered financial decisioning systems (credit, fraud, risk, underwriting).
• Architecting systems that connect patients, hospitals, pharmacies, labs, and financial partners at scale.
• Building AI agents and intelligent workflows that automate operational and clinical-adjacent processes.
• Evolving our microservices platform into a resilient, multi-country, multi-partner system.
• Embedding AI deeply into engineering workflows — from specification and code generation to review, testing, and incident response.
• Their stack today includes: JavaScript / TypeScript, Node.js, React, Postgres, Microservices architecture, DigitalOcean infrastructure

 

Why join our client

• Real impact: Your work directly helps people access life-saving healthcare across Africa.
• Founding-level ownership: You will define the engineering organisation, the technical architecture, and the culture for years to come.
• AI-native engineering environment: You will have a mandate to build one of the most thoughtful AI-first engineering organisations on the continent.
• Seat at the table: A senior leadership role, with meaningful input into company strategy, fundraising, and direction.
• Mission-driven team: They are building something meaningful, ambitious, and difficult — alongside people who care.
• Compensation: Competitive salary and significant equity.