AI lead, Uganda

AI lead Want to build the AI solutions that will disrupt agricultural lending globally? Were looking for an experienced AI professional with both technical hands-on and leadership experience to take our algorithms to new crops and countries, and bring GenAI and agentic AI into the way we work. Kampala-based (onsite) Reports to the Chief AI Officer 12-month contract with extension to permanent About Emata Emata is a frontrunner in agri finance in East Africa, backed by award-winning tech and a mission-driven team. Since launching in 2021, weve served 70,000+ farmers and partnered with 120+ agri companies and cooperatives, blending data science, AI and a deep industry love for agriculture. Now were growing beyond Uganda, starting with Tanzania and Rwanda. What youll own Youll lead our algorithms and applied AI work making our credit models work in new places, and putting AI to work across the business: - Take our methods to new places: work out what carries over to a new crop, partner or country, what needs to change, and how to make each expansion faster - Make our algorithms better: run experiments, test assumptions, and find out why models behave differently in different places - Put GenAI and agents to work: pick use cases by value, cost and risk, take the best ones into daily use with the right human checks, and be honest about what to grow, change or stop - Run AI reliably in production: with our ML engineering team, move models from experiment to dependable services, and help shape the platform as we grow - Tie the work to results: faster partner onboarding, better lending decisions, less manual work - Lead and explain: coach the people in your area, and explain your work plainly to partners and investors Your first year Youll work closely with our Chief AI Officer, who has 18 years in top-tier tech consulting. The CAIO sets direction you bring your own judgement and own the delivery. First 3 months: learn and plan. By 6 months: deliver model improvements and first GenAI use cases. By 12 months: scale, with AI running reliably in production. You might be the one if you are... - Experienced: 6+ years in data science, ML or AI, including 2+ years leading technical delivery - Broad: youve applied AI to very different problems, and adapted when the first approach didnt work - Production-proven: youve deployed AI and scaled it, and kept quality, reliability and cost in check - Technically strong: stats, ML, programming and hands-on GenAI, with a quantitative degree or equivalent - A fast learner: no credit or agri finance background needed, well teach you our methods We prefer candidates with experience working or living in frontier markets, especially Africa. If you are not based in Uganda, we facilitate relocation to Uganda (flight, work permit, and housing allowance). What we offer A unique opportunity to lead AI at an award-winning, venture-capital-backed startup thats reshaping how African farmers access finance. Highly competitive package, health insurance, salary loans, a growth budget, and a friendly, hard-working team. Applications close November 20, 2026. Google Cloud Platform, Python, Machine Learning, GenAI