Head of Data

About Opengates

Opengates is more than a technology company; we are a catalyst for human potential. We are building the
Operating System for Africa's Untapped Workforce
, connecting over 20 million skilled refugees and marginalized talents to the global digital economy. Through our ecosystem,
Taliora
(AI-powered talent matching) and
MyFolio
(verified career wallet), we are dismantling the barriers of trust, compliance, and payments that keep brilliant minds locked out of the workforce. We believe talent has no borders, and we are on a mission to prove it.

The Role

We are seeking a visionary and hands-on
Head of Data & AI
to lead the architectural and strategic development of our core intelligence engines. In this role, you will not just manage data; you will build the "brain" of our platform. You will lead the development of our proprietary
Skill Graph
, bias-free matching algorithms, and verifiable credentialing systems.

Reporting directly to the CTO, you will bridge the gap between advanced machine learning research and real-world product application, ensuring our technology empowers the most underserved communities with dignity and precision.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategy & Leadership:

• Define and execute the long-term Data & AI roadmap, aligning technical innovation with Opengates' mission to democratize access to work.
• Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing team of data scientists, ML engineers, and analysts.
• Collaborate with Product and Engineering leadership to integrate AI capabilities seamlessly into Taliora and MyFolio.

2. Technical Execution:

• Design and deploy scalable NLP models for resume parsing and skill extraction from unstructured data.
• Develop and refine our proprietary
  matching algorithms
  to ensure bias-free, merit-based candidate ranking.
• Oversee the architecture of our data infrastructure, ensuring data integrity, security, and scalability.
• Implement Computer Vision solutions for identity verification and document authentication within MyFolio.

3. Ethics & Impact:

• Champion
  Ethical AI
  practices. proactively identifying and mitigating bias in algorithms to ensure fair outcomes for marginalized talent.
• Establish rigorous data governance and privacy standards, ensuring compliance with global regulations (GDPR, etc.) given the sensitive nature of refugee data.
• Drive a culture of data-driven decision-making across the organization.

Qualifications

Required:

• Experience:
  5+ years of experience in Data Science or Machine Learning, with at least 2 years in a leadership or technical lead role.
• Technical Stack:
  Deep expertise in Python, SQL, and ML frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit-learn).
• Core Competencies:
  Proven track record in
  Natural Language Processing (NLP)
  and
  Pattern Recognition
  . Experience building recommendation systems or matching engines is highly desirable.
• Education:
  Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, or a related field.

Preferred:

• Advanced degree (Master's or PhD) in a relevant technical field.
• Experience with
  Computer Vision
  and document verification technologies.
• Knowledge of blockchain/verifiable credentials is a plus.
• Prior experience in a high-growth startup or fintech environment.
• A passion for social impact and using technology to solve humanitarian challenges.

Why Join Us?

• Impact:
  Your code will directly result in livelihoods for refugees and marginalized youth.
• Innovation:
  Work at the cutting edge of AI, Identity, and Fintech in one of Africa's most exciting startups.
• Culture:
  Join a team that values empathy, excellence, and execution.
• Growth:
  Be a founding pillar of our technical leadership team as we scale across Africa.
• Opengates is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.