At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a new AI Operations team to design and scale automations that transform lives.
- Company: Join M-KOPA, a mission-driven company recognised globally for its impact.
- Benefits: Enjoy remote work, professional development, and family-friendly policies.
- Other info: Be part of a dynamic environment with opportunities for career growth.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in financial inclusion across Africa with cutting-edge technology.
- Qualifications: Experience in building automations and leading teams is essential.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
We're hiring our first AI Operations Lead to lead a team that designs, ships, and scales automations and AI agents across M-KOPA. This is a brand-new team within the business - the tech foundation is already proven, and now we need someone to lead it, scale it, and define what it becomes.
Your automations and agents will directly improve how 2,300+ employees work across our global operations. We've already helped over 7 million customers access over $2 billion in credit - and the tools you build will help that mission scale further and faster. It's your chance to be part of something that's literally transforming lives across an entire continent.
The Opportunity
- Mission-driven engineering: Every automation you build helps internal teams and customer-facing staff deliver financial inclusion to Africa's Everyday Earners.
- Global recognition: Join a company named by TIME 100 as one of the world's most influential and by the Financial Times as Africa's fastest-growing for 4 consecutive years (2022–2025).
- Scale challenges: 2,500+ employees across Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, the UK, and Europe - internal teams that can't scale by hiring forever need intelligent tooling that actually works.
- Environmental impact: We're carbon-negative, having displaced over 2 million tonnes of emissions.
What You'll Do
At M-KOPA, you'll lead the AI Operations team from day one - owning delivery, growing the function, and proving the value. Your team builds automations and agents for internal use and serves as internal consultants, helping Engineering integrate AI into customer-facing products. Join us in combining cutting-edge AI tooling with purpose-driven work that makes digital and financial inclusion possible across Africa.
Your key responsibilities
- Lead two AI Ops Engineers — own their delivery, development, and day-to-day work.
- Prioritise efficiently — manage competing requests from multiple teams by applying a clear prioritisation framework you'll help develop and improve.
- Build and ship automations and agents that measurably improve how internal teams and customer-facing staff work.
- Keep the AI tooling stack healthy as usage scales across 2,500+ employees.
- Stay current on emerging AI tools and technologies - know what's hype and what's actually useful.
- Help refine AI training for the wider organisation, including Engineering teams.
Technical Environment
- AI & Agentic Frameworks: Claude, Claude Code, Anthropic tooling, LangChain, MCP, Google ADK (or similar agentic tooling).
- Automation & Prototyping: Scripting, workflow tools, AI-assisted development, rapid prototyping (Vercel/Railway).
- Enterprise Tooling: Identity automation (Entra), internal platforms, Notion, HiBob integrations.
- Existing Foundation: Twelve months of Claude, Notion, HiBob, and Entra automations already running in production.
Our Approach
- Build, don't just advise — this is a hands-on team that ships working automations and agents.
- Prove the value, then expand — start with two engineers, demonstrate impact, grow from there.
- Product-focused mindset — treat internal teams as customers and build tooling that works.
- Cut through the hype — evaluate emerging AI tools on practical value, not marketing buzz.
What You Need
We're looking for someone with a strong technical background and product-focused approach. You won't be building models - we have Data Science teams for that. You're building agents, shipping automations, and leading a team that makes M-KOPA's internal operations 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 — you've led or mentored engineers and can own a team's delivery and development.
Why This Role?
This is a brand new team within the business, reporting to the Director of Security. The tech stack is proven - twelve months of Claude, Notion, HiBob, and Entra automations already running. The team structure is what's new. That's yours to shape. You'll start with two engineers. Prove the value. Expand from there. The problems are complex. 2,500+ employees across Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, the UK, and Europe. Internal teams that can't scale by hiring forever. Customer-facing staff who need tools that actually work. M-KOPA provides affordable financial and digital products to underserved communities across Africa - unlocking access to smartphones, credit, and insurance for millions of people. The automations and agents you build don't just save time internally - they help that mission reach more people.
Location & Benefits
- Fully remote role 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.
Our Mission
We create financial inclusion for the traditionally excluded through a fair, flexible, customer-centric financing model. We strive to drive greater inclusion of women, youth, and low-income communities.
Our 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.
Ready to lead a brand-new AI team - shipping agents and automations that drive real-world financial inclusion? Apply now.
AI Operations Lead in England employer: M Kopa
Contact Detail:
M Kopa Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land AI Operations Lead in England
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, attend events, and connect with potential colleagues on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its mission. Understand how your skills can contribute to their goals, especially in areas like AI and automation. Tailor your responses to show how you can help M-KOPA scale its impact.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice makes perfect! Conduct mock interviews with friends or use online platforms to get comfortable with common questions. Focus on articulating your experience with automations and team leadership clearly and confidently.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to 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-driven team at M-KOPA.
We think you need these skills to ace AI Operations Lead in England
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 leading a team that’s making a real difference in financial inclusion across Africa!
Tailor Your Experience: Make sure to highlight your hands-on experience with automations and agentic frameworks. We’re looking for someone who can hit the ground running, so connect your past work to what we’re doing at M-KOPA.
Be Clear and Concise: Keep your application straightforward and to the point. We appreciate clarity, so avoid jargon and focus on how your skills and experiences align with the role of AI Operations Lead.
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to keep track of your application and ensure it gets the attention it deserves.
How to prepare for a job interview at M Kopa
✨Know Your Tech Stack
Familiarise yourself with the specific AI and automation tools mentioned in the job description, like Claude, LangChain, and Google ADK. Be ready to discuss how you've used similar technologies in your past roles and how you can apply that experience to lead the new AI Operations team.
✨Showcase Leadership Skills
Prepare examples of how you've successfully led teams or mentored engineers in previous positions. Highlight your ability to prioritise tasks and manage competing requests, as this will be crucial for the role at M-KOPA.
✨Demonstrate a Product-Focused Mindset
Think about how you can treat internal teams as customers. Prepare to discuss how you would build automations and agents that genuinely improve their workflows. This mindset is key to proving the value of your work and expanding the team.
✨Stay Current on AI Trends
Research the latest trends and emerging tools in AI and automation. Be prepared to discuss what you believe is hype versus what has practical value. This will show your commitment to staying ahead in the field and your ability to evaluate tools critically.