At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the AI Ops team, build automations, and improve workflows for 2,300+ employees.
- Company: M-KOPA, a mission-driven company focused on financial inclusion across Africa.
- Benefits: Fully remote work, professional development, flexible hours, and well-being support.
- Other info: Join a diverse team and contribute to meaningful change in communities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by enhancing operations and serving millions of customers.
- Qualifications: Experience in automation, leadership skills, and a strong technical background.
The predicted salary is between 70000 - 90000 € per year.
About the Role
Lead the AI Ops team from day one, owning delivery, growing the function and proving its value. You will build and ship automations and AI agents for internal use and serve as internal consultants to software engineering teams.
Impact
Your automations and agents will improve the work of 2,300+ employees across global operations and help M‑KOPA serve over 7 million customers who have accessed more than $2 billion in credit. The tools you build will accelerate the mission of financial inclusion across Africa.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead two AI Ops Engineers – own their delivery, development, and day‑to‑day work.
- Prioritise efficiently – manage competing requests from multiple teams with a clear prioritisation framework.
- Build and ship automations and agents that measurably improve internal and customer‑facing workflows.
- Maintain a healthy AI tooling stack as usage scales across 2,500+ employees.
- Stay current on emerging AI tools and technologies, distinguishing hype from practical value.
- Improve AI training for the wider organisation, including software engineering teams.
Technical Environment
- AI & Agentic Frameworks – Claude, Claude Code, Anthropic tooling, LangChain, MCP, Google ADK.
- Automation & Prototyping – scripting, workflow tools, AI‑assisted development, rapid prototyping on Vercel/Railway.
- Enterprise Tooling – identity automation (Entra), internal platforms, Notion, HiBob integrations.
- Existing Foundation – 12 months of Claude, Notion, HiBob, and Entra automations already running in production.
Approach
- Build, don’t just advise – ship working automations and agents.
- Prove the value, then expand – begin with two engineers and demonstrate impact before scaling.
- Product‑focused mindset – treat internal teams as customers and build tooling that works.
- Cut through the hype – evaluate tools on practical value, not marketing buzz.
What You Need
We’re looking for an individual with a strong technical background and product focus. You will ship automations, lead a small team, and help M‑KOPA’s internal operations become smarter and faster.
Required Experience
- Hands‑on experience building automations – scripting, workflow tools, or AI‑assisted development.
- Hands‑on experience building agents using agentic frameworks – LangChain, MCP, Google ADK or similar.
- Background in enterprise tooling – rapid prototyping tools (Vercel/Railway), identity automation (Entra), or internal platforms.
- People leadership experience – have led or mentored engineers and can own a team’s delivery and development.
Location & Benefits
- Fully remote within UTC –1 to UTC +3 time zones.
- Work with diverse teams across UK, Europe, and Africa.
- Professional development programmes and coaching partnerships.
- Family‑friendly policies and flexible working arrangements.
- Well‑being support and career growth opportunities.
Mission
We create financial inclusion for the traditionally excluded through a fair, flexible, customer‑centric financing model, striving to drive greater inclusion of women, youth, and low‑income communities.
Impact
- Connected – 2.5 million first‑time smartphone users connected.
- Prosperous – 70% of customers use M‑KOPA products for income generation, with 35,000+ livelihoods created for agents.
- Green – 2.1 million tonnes of CO₂ avoided through clean energy products, with over 127,700 circular economy products provided.
Equal Opportunity Employment
M‑KOPA is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer committed to assembling a diverse, broadly trained staff. Women, minorities, and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply. M‑KOPA explicitly prohibits the use of forced or child labour and respects the rights of its employees to agree to terms and conditions of employment voluntarily. M‑KOPA does not collect or charge any money as a pre‑employment or post‑employment requirement.
Lead AI Automation Engineer in Belfast employer: M-KOPA Kenya Limited
M-KOPA is an exceptional employer that champions innovation and inclusivity, offering a fully remote work environment that spans across diverse teams in the UK, Europe, and Africa. With a strong focus on professional development, flexible working arrangements, and well-being support, employees are empowered to grow their careers while making a meaningful impact on financial inclusion for underserved communities. Join us to lead cutting-edge AI initiatives that enhance the lives of over 2,300 employees and millions of customers across Africa.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Lead AI Automation Engineer in Belfast
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in the AI and automation space, especially those who work at M-KOPA or similar companies. A friendly chat can open doors and give you insights that might just land you an interview.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio showcasing your automations and AI projects. This is your chance to demonstrate your hands-on experience and product-focused mindset, which are key for the Lead AI Automation Engineer role.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for the interview by brushing up on the latest AI tools and frameworks mentioned in the job description. Being able to discuss practical applications of these technologies will show you're not just about the hype but understand their real-world value.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in being part of our mission to create financial inclusion across Africa.
We think you need these skills to ace Lead AI Automation Engineer in Belfast
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for AI:When you're writing your application, let your enthusiasm for AI and automation shine through. We want to see how excited you are about building tools that can make a real difference in people's lives, especially in financial inclusion.
Tailor Your Experience:Make sure to highlight your hands-on experience with automations and agentic frameworks. We’re looking for specific examples of how you've built and shipped solutions in the past, so don’t hold back on the details!
Demonstrate Leadership Skills:Since you'll be leading a small team, it’s important to showcase your people leadership experience. Share stories about how you've mentored engineers or managed projects, and how you prioritised tasks effectively.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for this exciting role. Plus, it shows you’re keen to join our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at M-KOPA Kenya Limited
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in the AI and automation tools mentioned in the job description, like Claude, LangChain, and Google ADK. Brush up on your scripting and workflow tools too, as you'll need to demonstrate your hands-on experience during the interview.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Since this role involves leading a small team, be prepared to discuss your previous leadership experiences. Share specific examples of how you've mentored engineers or managed projects, focusing on how you prioritised tasks and delivered results.
✨Demonstrate a Product-Focused Mindset
Think about how you can treat internal teams as customers. Prepare to discuss how you’ve built tools that improve workflows and add value. Highlight any past projects where you’ve successfully shipped automations that made a measurable impact.
✨Stay Current and Cut Through the Hype
Be ready to talk about emerging AI tools and technologies. Show that you can distinguish between what's genuinely useful and what's just marketing fluff. This will demonstrate your ability to evaluate tools based on practical value, which is crucial for the role.
