Access to Finance Rwanda (AFR) Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) is a national institution hosted at the Rwanda Information Society Authority (RISA), under the Ministry of ICT and Innovation (MINICT), and implemented in partnership with Access to Finance Rwanda (AFR). Established in 2025, the Centre coordinates the design, demonstration, and scaling of the foundational digital rails that connect Rwanda's digital ecosystem. The Center holds two interlocking mandates: building Rwanda's foundational DPI stack and operating as Africa's Center of Excellence for Instant and Inclusive Payment Systems.

The Center's active portfolio spans the foundational DPI building blocks Rwanda has prioritized, including instant payments, digital identity, data exchange and consent frameworks, cross-border digital trade, and many other sector specific Digital Publicinfrastructures initiatives. The portfolio is delivered in partnership with leading philanthropic and multilateral funders.

About the Role:

We are seeking a visionary Head of Technology to serve as the lead architect and technical guardian of national DPI Stack. As the Head of Technology, you are not managing systems; you are engineering the future of a digital nation. You will ensure Rwanda’s digital public infrastructure is modular, sovereign, and vendor-neutral, preventing lock-in while maintaining interoperability.

Organization

Rwanda DPI Center — Rwanda Information Society Authority (RISA)

Position

Head of Technology

Department

Technology and Architecture

Location

Kigali, Rwanda

Contract Type

Full-time

Reports To

Director, Rwanda DPI Center

Employee No

S003

Responsibilities or duties

National DPI Architecture Sovereignty:

• Lead the Rwanda Stack definition, development, deployment and adoption.
• Define, establish, and maintain the Rwanda DPI standards and documentation.
• Develop comprehensive technical resources and implementation manuals for stakeholder agencies and ministries.
• Provide technical oversight and coordination for national implementing institutions to ensure alignment with established DPI standards.

Technical Infrastructure and Demonstration:

• Manage all technological components of DPI demonstration including real-time transaction data integration, screen systems, and live dashboards.
• Guarantee that the Demo Center features live data and maintaining a 99.9% uptime standard at all times.

Strategic Leadership and Representation;

• Lead and collaborate with high-performing technical teams to build scalable, secure, and resilient digital systems that serve millions.
• Act as an advisor on matters of national DPI-specific architecture.
• Serve as center’s representative in technical forums and engagements
• Provide technical expertise and guidance for all Programs.
• Maintain a technology-agnostic approach, recommending optimal solutions based on specific requirements for modularity and sovereignty.
• Provide direct, hands-on leadership and mentorship to the technical delivery team.

Qualifications or requirements (e.g., education, skills)

Required:

• Minimum 8 years of deep technical experience in large scale system design ideally within digital FinTech, GovTech, Identity or interoperability systems.
• Proven deep knowledge of open-source technologies and standards, digital public goods (DPGs), and global payments, Identity and data standards. (e.g. Mojaloop, MOSIP,X-road etc)
• A bachelor’s degree in computer science, Software Engineering, or Information Systems, or in related fields.
• Demonstrated experience leading the design of government-scale digital systems.
• Experience writing technical specifications and documentation to a standard suitable for public publication.
• The ability to work across government institutions, private sector partners, and international technical communities on complex implementations.
• Proven experience leading technical teams who have successfully deployed and maintained national-scale systems that are actively live to this day.
• Fluency in English. Working Knowledge of French or Kinyarwanda is an asset.

Strong Assets:

• A master’s degree in computer science, Software Engineering, or Information Systems, or in related fields.
• Experience designing or implementing Instant and Inclusive Payment Systems (IIPS) or digital wallets in an African context.
• Direct familiarity with Rwanda's technology ecosystem.
• Experience designing DPI sandbox environments or API marketplace architecture.
• Active participation in the DPI practitioner communities.

Any other provided details (e.g., benefits, work environment, team info, or additional notes)

What We Offer:

A competitive full-time package commensurate with experience. Beyond compensation, this is a technically rare opportunity in designing a national digital architecture from first principles,you will have access to the leading DPI technical communities in the world and direct visibility in the forums that matter.

• Lead the Rwanda Stack definition, development, deployment and adoption.
• Define, establish, and maintain the Rwanda DPI standards and documentation.
• Develop comprehensive technical resources and implementation manuals for stakeholder agencies and ministries.
• Provide technical oversight and coordination for national implementing institutions to ensure alignment with established DPI standards.
• Manage all technological components of DPI demonstration including real-time transaction data integration, screen systems, and live dashboards.
• Guarantee that the Demo Center features live data and maintaining a 99.9% uptime standard at all times.
• Lead and collaborate with high-performing technical teams to build scalable, secure, and resilient digital systems that serve millions.
• Act as an advisor on matters of national DPI-specific architecture.
• Serve as center’s representative in technical forums and engagements
• Provide technical expertise and guidance for all Programs.
• Maintain a technology-agnostic approach, recommending optimal solutions based on specific requirements for modularity and sovereignty.
• Provide direct, hands-on leadership and mentorship to the technical delivery team.

• Deep technical experience in large scale system design
• Knowledge of open-source technologies and standards
• Knowledge of digital public goods (DPGs)
• Knowledge of global payments, Identity and data standards
• Experience leading the design of government-scale digital systems
• Experience writing technical specifications and documentation
• Ability to work across government institutions, private sector partners, and international technical communities
• Proven experience leading technical teams
• Fluency in English
• Working Knowledge of French or Kinyarwanda (asset)
• Experience designing or implementing Instant and Inclusive Payment Systems (IIPS) or digital wallets in an African context (strong asset)
• Direct familiarity with Rwanda's technology ecosystem (strong asset)
• Experience designing DPI sandbox environments or API marketplace architecture (strong asset)
• Active participation in the DPI practitioner communities (strong asset)

• Minimum 8 years of deep technical experience in large scale system design ideally within digital FinTech, GovTech, Identity or interoperability systems.
• Proven deep knowledge of open-source technologies and standards, digital public goods (DPGs), and global payments, Identity and data standards. (e.g. Mojaloop, MOSIP,X-road etc)
• A bachelor’s degree in computer science, Software Engineering, or Information Systems, or in related fields.
• Demonstrated experience leading the design of government-scale digital systems.
• Experience writing technical specifications and documentation to a standard suitable for public publication.
• The ability to work across government institutions, private sector partners, and international technical communities on complex implementations.
• Proven experience leading technical teams who have successfully deployed and maintained national-scale systems that are actively live to this day.
• Fluency in English.
• A master’s degree in computer science, Software Engineering, or Information Systems, or in related fields. (Strong Asset)