Creative Technologist

Company

Kora is a payment infrastructure. We offer plug-and-play payment solutions for businesses to launch a tailored payment experience for their customers.

Our vision, which is at the core of what we do every day, is to create a world void of digital financial barriers across Africa. We are committed to delivering reliable, secure, and easy-to-use digital financial solutions to every single customer with a guarantee that it is improving their lives.

We strongly believe in our ability to find Water in the Desert and pick the Sands in the Ocean.

We value positive energy, and clear communication and are committed to building an inclusive environment for people from every background.

Role Summary

Kora is hiring a Creative Technologist to accelerate product innovation by rapidly turning strategic ideas into scalable, AI-enabled prototypes.

This role sits at the intersection of engineering architecture, UI/UX design, and AI-driven product development. You will work directly with the Innovation & AI team to design, prototype, and help productionize high-impact platforms that drive revenue, strengthen risk management, and enhance merchant experience.

Job Description

The Creative Technologist will:

1. Rapid Prototyping & Product Acceleration

• Rapidly design and build interactive prototypes using AI development tools (e.g., Lovable, LLM APIs, automation workflows).
• Convert strategy documents, innovation concepts, and internal ideas into working MVPs within short cycles.
• Lead early experimentation on new product directions (AI agents, fraud intelligence, merchant analytics, automation tools).
• Shorten idea-to-validation timelines across the Innovation team.

2. Engineering Architecture & Technical Strategy

• Design scalable system architectures aligned with Kora’s core stack and long-term platform roadmap.
• Define APIs, data flows, integration patterns, and technical boundaries for new initiatives.
• Evaluate technical feasibility and architectural trade-offs during innovation planning.
• Ensure prototypes are designed with production transition in mind.
• Contribute to technical standards and design principles for AI-native systems.

3. UI/UX & Product Experience Design

• Design intuitive, high-trust user experiences for internal and merchant-facing platforms.
• Create dashboards, AI agent interfaces, fraud explainability views, and automation tools.
• Establish consistent interaction patterns for AI-enabled products.
• Ensure clarity, transparency, and usability in data-heavy and risk-sensitive interfaces.

4. AI-Native Product Development

• Integrate LLMs, automation layers, and AI agents into product workflows.
• Design AI systems that balance intelligence, explainability, and business impact.
• Support experimentation with RAG architectures and AI orchestration models.
• Contribute to responsible AI design aligned with governance and compliance needs.

5. Strategic Innovation & Business Enablement

• Work closely with the Head of Innovation to align product experimentation with revenue growth and strategic priorities.
• Support executive demos, board-level prototypes, and strategic showcases.
• Contribute to innovation roadmap planning and prioritization.
• Identify opportunities where design, automation, or AI can unlock operational efficiency or commercial growth.
• Act as a bridge between business strategy and technical execution across teams.

Requirements:
Qualifications

• 4–8 years experience in product engineering, design engineering, innovation engineering, or similar hybrid role.
• Strong understanding of frontend development (React/Next.js preferred) and API-driven systems.
• Working knowledge of backend architecture principles and scalable system design.
• Demonstrated UI/UX capability (Figma or equivalent), especially for complex or data-intensive platforms.
• Experience using AI tools or integrating LLMs into real-world product workflows.
• Strong systems thinking and ability to evaluate long-term architectural implications.
• Ability to move quickly from concept to functional prototype.
• Clear communication skills and comfort presenting to both technical and executive audiences.
• Experience in fintech or regulated environments is a plus.

Why This Role Matters

Kora is evolving into an AI-native financial infrastructure platform.

This role ensures innovation does not remain conceptual, it becomes a culture that delivers measurable business impact.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Kora is an equal-opportunity employer dedicated to building an inclusive and diverse workforce. All employment decisions are based on qualifications, experience, and business needs. We strongly encourage applications from underrepresented communities and diverse ethnic groups to apply.

Please feel free to inform us if you need any accommodations to facilitate your participation in the recruitment process. Any details you share will be used solely to ensure we can support and accommodate your needs appropriately.

If you require more information on our HR Data Privacy, please visit here.

Benefits:
• Sponsored and tailored training
• Paid parental leave
• Paid time-off
• Flexible work style
• Low-interest loans
• Group Life Insurance
• Day off on your birthday 🎂 🎁 🎉
• Employee interest groups that provide supportive communities within Kora
• Great company culture and the opportunity to work with a highly collaborative team building something great!

Note: We recognise imposter syndrome is real - any candidate who does not perfectly fit every characteristic of this role is still strongly encouraged to apply.