At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the AI Ops team to build impactful automations for financial inclusion.
- Company: Join M-KOPA, a mission-driven company recognised globally for its influence and growth.
- Benefits: Enjoy remote work, professional development, and family-friendly policies.
- Other info: Be part of a diverse team with excellent career growth opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in financial inclusion while leading innovative AI projects.
- Qualifications: Experience in automation, agent frameworks, and people leadership required.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
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.
Opportunity
- Mission-driven engineering: Every automation you build helps internal teams and customer-facing staff deliver financial inclusion to Africa's Every Day 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 are carbon-negative, having displaced over 2 million tonnes of emissions.
What You'll Do
At M-KOPA, you'll lead the AI Ops 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 Software Engineering teams integrate AI into customer-facing products.
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 will 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 Software 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 mind. You won't be building models – we have Data Science teams for that. You'll be 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.
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.
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.
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 to contribute to inclusive technology at scale.
Why M-KOPA?
At M-KOPA, we empower our people to own their careers through diverse development programs, coaching partnerships, and on-the-job training. We support individual journeys with family-friendly policies, prioritise well-being, and embrace flexibility.
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, without coercion, and freely terminate their employment on appropriate notice. M-KOPA shall ensure that its employees are of legal working age and shall comply with local laws for youth employment or student work, such as internships or apprenticeships.
M-KOPA does not collect or charge any money as a pre-employment or post-employment requirement. Applications for this position will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Shortlisting and interviews will take place at any stage during the recruitment process. We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a suitable candidate is selected before the advertised closing date. If your application is successful M-KOPA undertakes pre-employment background checks as part of its recruitment process, including criminal records, identification verification, academic qualifications, employment dates and employer references.
Visit m-kopa.com for more information.
AI Ops Lead for Financial Inclusion in London employer: M Kopa
M-KOPA is an exceptional employer that champions financial inclusion while fostering a dynamic and inclusive work culture. With fully remote roles across diverse teams in the UK, Europe, and Africa, employees benefit from professional development programmes, flexible working arrangements, and a strong commitment to well-being. Join us to make a meaningful impact while advancing your career in a mission-driven environment that values innovation and collaboration.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land AI Ops Lead for Financial Inclusion in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, especially those already working at M-KOPA. A friendly chat can give you insights and maybe even a referral!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for the interview by understanding M-KOPA's mission and values. Show how your skills in AI and automation can directly contribute to their goal of financial inclusion.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your problem-solving skills! Be ready to tackle real-world scenarios during interviews, showcasing how you can lead a team and build effective automations.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining the team!
We think you need these skills to ace AI Ops Lead for Financial Inclusion in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion:When writing your application, let your enthusiasm for financial inclusion and AI shine through. We want to see how your values align with our mission at M-KOPA, so don’t hold back!
Tailor Your Experience:Make sure to highlight your hands-on experience with automations and agentic frameworks. We’re looking for specific examples that demonstrate your skills and how they can benefit our team.
Be Clear and Concise:Keep your application straightforward and to the point. We appreciate clarity, so avoid jargon and focus on what makes you a great fit for the AI Ops Lead role.
Apply Through Our Website:Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity.
How to prepare for a job interview at M Kopa
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in the AI and agentic frameworks mentioned in the job description, like Claude and LangChain. 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
Prepare examples of how you've led or mentored engineers in the past. M-KOPA is looking for someone who can own a team's delivery and development, so be ready to discuss your approach to people management and how you motivate your team.
✨Prioritisation is Key
Since the role involves managing competing requests from multiple teams, think about how you would apply a prioritisation framework. Be prepared to share your strategies for balancing different demands while ensuring impactful delivery.
✨Align with the Mission
M-KOPA is all about financial inclusion, so make sure you understand their mission and values. Be ready to discuss how your work can contribute to this goal and why you’re passionate about making a difference in the lives of everyday earners.
