Chief Technology Officer

Shega is building Africa's and Emerging Markets Leading Intelligence Platform — a product that enables decision-makers across business, finance, and development sectors to access trustworthy, contextual, and AI-powered data and insights. Think of it as a Bloomberg + Palantir, purpose-built for Africa and other emerging markets.

We operate at the intersection of data, media, and intelligence. Our platform combines:

• Clean, standardized economic and business data

• AI-powered tools for querying, forecasting, and interpreting trends

• A real-time content engine that contextualizes market events and news

We're backed by trusted partners (e.g., Gates Foundation) and work with leading Companies, DFIs, investors, and startups. This is a chance to build core infrastructure for how the continent and beyond make decisions.

Africa is experiencing a data and decision-making revolution — but existing solutions are fragmented, outdated, or not built for the unique challenges of low-resource, complex economies. We need a CTO who can imagine, design, and build a world-class AI and data infrastructure for the continent and beyond.

This is not just a "VP of Engineering" role. As CTO, you'll shape Shega's technical DNA, lead the architecture and AI roadmap, and build the team and systems that power a scalable, intelligence-first platform from the ground up.

1. Technical Leadership

• Design and own the technical architecture of the platform, including ingestion, processing, and delivery of structured and unstructured data (APIs, NLP, dashboards, chat, etc.)

• Lead the development of AI and ML infrastructure to power natural language querying, forecasting, and anomaly detection

• Oversee real-time intelligence systems, data cleaning pipelines, and personalization engines

• Ensure robust, scalable, and secure infrastructure for both enterprise and mid-market use

2. Product Collaboration

• Work closely with the CEO and product team to co-create the platform's core functionality and roadmap

• Design for usability, extensibility, and low-bandwidth / low-resource environments

• Champion experimentation, iteration, and smart MVP thinking

3. Team Building & Culture

• Hire and mentor a top-tier engineering and data science team

• Create clear processes for execution, QA, deployment, and learning

• Cultivate a culture of excellence, pragmatism, and long-term thinking

4. Strategic & External Engagement

• Collaborate with institutional partners and clients on technical integration or bespoke deployments

• Represent Shega in technical partnerships, speaking engagements, and conferences as needed

• Shape Shega's AI and ethical data governance principles

You don't just write code — you think like a builder, strategist, and long-term owner. You've seen what great looks like and want to build systems that last, especially in underserved but high-potential contexts like Africa or similar emerging markets

• 8+ years of experience in software engineering, with 3+ in a technical leadership role

• Experience with AI/ML systems, particularly in NLP, time-series forecasting, or knowledge graph architecture

• Deep experience in building scalable, cloud-based data infrastructure (ETL, analytics engines, APIs)

• Comfortable working in ambiguous, zero-to-one environments

• Strong written and verbal communication skills — you translate complexity clearly

• Experience in emerging markets or building for Africa

• Familiarity with business decisions on low-resource language models or inclusive tech design

• Prior founder, early-stage startup, or product-technical hybrid experience

• Research publications, patents, open-source contributions, or community leadership in the AI/data space

• A unique opportunity to define the data infrastructure of an entire continent

• High ownership, zero bureaucracy, and direct access to mission-critical decision-making

• Competitive salary and founder-level equity

• Backed by serious partners but moving with startup speed