Manager, Tech Talent

Department: Human Resources
Reports To: Sr. Manager, Talent Management

About Kifiya:

Kifiya is an AI-powered ecosystem technology company specializing in intelligent data-driven decisioning, financial services, digital agriculture, and smart mobility infrastructure solutions. For over a decade, we have built robust technological infrastructures and implemented transformative initiatives that address market failures.
We empower MSMEs, smallholder farmers, and low- to middle-income consumers by providing access to financial services and markets. Kifiya is scaling its technology infrastructure to create a more inclusive and sustainable future in Africa.

Over the past 14 years, Kifiya has grown from a startup into a leader in digital financial services and AI-driven technology, showcasing the power of data and innovation to drive meaningful change.

Business Unit Description

The Human Resources function at Kifiya plays a strategic role in enabling organizational scalability, performance excellence, and talent sustainability across all business units. HR partners closely with leadership to translate business strategy into people, structure, capability, and culture solutions.

Position Summary

The Manager, Tech Talent is responsible for shaping and strengthening Kifiya’s Tec talent capability across software engineering, data, AI, and product roles. The role focuses on capability frameworks, career pathways, skills development, and succession readiness, working in close partnership with HR Business Partners and technology leaders.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Capability Frameworks
• Define and maintain technical role architectures, competency frameworks, and skill taxonomies for technology roles.
• Ensure clarity on expectations for junior, mid-level, senior, and leadership technical roles.
• Partner with technology leadership to keep frameworks aligned with evolving architecture and product strategy.

Career Pathways and Progression
• Design and maintain career pathways for engineers, data scientists, and technical specialists.
• Define progression criteria, promotion readiness indicators, and lateral mobility options.
• Support transparent and fair progression decisions across technical teams.
Talent Development and Learning Alignment
• Identify critical technical capability gaps and work with Learning and Development to design targeted programs.
• Support development of technical leadership, mentoring, and knowledge-sharing initiatives.
• Promote continuous learning aligned with Kifiya’s AI and product-led strategy.

Workforce Capability Planning
• Partner with HRBPs and business leaders to anticipate future technical skill needs.
• Provide input into workforce planning discussions based on capability risks and succession gaps.
• Advise recruiters and HRBPs on role requirements and skill expectations (without owning hiring delivery).

Succession and Critical Role Readiness
• Identify critical technical roles and assess bench strength and succession readiness.
• Support succession planning and internal mobility for high-impact technical positions.
• Monitor risks related to dependency on scarce or single-point-of-failure technical skills.
Governance and Continuous Improvement
• Track and analyze data related to technical capability health, skill gaps, and progression patterns.
• Recommend improvements to technical talent practices based on data and feedback.
• Ensure alignment between tech talent practices and Kifiya’s values of innovation, speed, and excellence.

Key Outputs

· Technical competency frameworks and role architectures
· Career pathway and progression guidelines for tech roles
· Capability gap and succession risk assessments
· Inputs to L&D roadmaps for technical talent
· Advisory inputs for workforce planning and talent reviews

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree in HR, Business, Information system, Technology, or related field (Master’s preferred)

Experience

• 7–12 years of experience across technical environments, talent management, or organizational capability roles
• Strong understanding of software, data, and fintech talent markets
• Proven stakeholder and negotiation skills

Core Competencies

· Deep understanding of technical role structures and capability development
· Strategic thinking with strong systems orientation
· Ability to translate business and technology strategy into people frameworks
· Credibility with technical leaders
· Strong collaboration and influence skills
· Analytical, structured, and future-focused