Background
The Ministry of ICT & Innovation (MINICT) is strengthening its Responsible AI Office (RAIO) under the Innovation and Emerging Technologies Department to coordinate and operationalise Rwanda’s national approach to Artificial Intelligence (AI). This will enable responsible and scalable AI adoption across government in partnership with academia and industry.
To support this initiative, Wadhwani AI Global will deploy two full-time experts, including this role as the senior AI products and policy expert, embedded within MINICT.
Role Overview
The AI Strategy & Product Lead will support MINICT in shaping Rwanda’s AI agenda from policy to execution. The role will focus on:
- Translating national priorities into actionable AI roadmaps
- Identifying and prioritising high-impact AI use cases in public systems
- Designing long-term AI capacity and talent development frameworks
The role requires strong experience working with government, the ability to bridge policy and technology, and a practical understanding of how AI can be applied within public-sector constraints.
Key Responsibilities
A. National AI Strategy & Roadmap
- Advise implementation roadmaps to operationalize Rwanda’s National AI Policy, including governance and coordination mechanisms
- Advise on responsible, ethical, and inclusive AI frameworks tailored to Rwanda’s context
- Explore pathways to build scalable AI infrastructure (compute, storage, cloud, edge) to support startups, researchers, and public-sector innovation
B. Public-Sector AI Use Case Development
- Ensure AI initiatives under the National AI Policy are feasible, sustainable, and aligned with institutional capacity, including clear ownership, operating processes, and handover plans to ministries
- Work with line ministries to translate priority initiatives into usable, adoptable AI products, including:
- Problem discovery: Conduct structured user and stakeholder discovery to define clear problem statements and goals
- Product definition: Define users, journeys, and requirements; develop lightweight PRDs and solution briefs
- MVP and pilots: Design MVPs and pilots with clear scope, decision criteria, and implementation plans
- Delivery and iteration: Manage prioritised backlogs, delivery sprints, and iterations based on feedback and performance
- Develop documentation, guides, and toolkits for institutional adoption.
- Measurement and scale: Define and track product performance using KPIs and usage metrics, establish evaluation loops, and develop adoption and scale pathways
C. AI Capacity & Capability Building
Support the design of a national AI capacity-building framework spanning:
higher education especially in technology and AI related fields
Workforce skilling and professional development
Strengthening existing training institutions
AI capacity-building for government officials
Recommend applied learning and apprenticeship models with national partners
Recommend and support the establishment of an R&D innovation model to accelerate AI research, experimentation, and product development across government and the local ecosystem.
D. Program Leadership & Ministry Integration
Work within MINICT alongside designated counterparts
Support planning, coordination, monitoring, and reporting of deliverables
Contribute to milestones, documentation, and future expansion of the AI Mission Unit
E. Responsible & Ethical AI (RAI)
Ensure all AI initiatives adhere to Responsible AI best practices (safety, privacy, fairness, transparency, accountability, and human oversight)
Support MINICT in defining and institutionalising Rwanda-appropriate AI ethical frameworks and guidelines.
Develop and operationalise AI ethical and Responsible governance mechanisms, including assessment and audit toolkits for internal and third-party AI solutions
4.Qualifications & Experience
Education
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Technology, Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field
Experience
- 5+ years of relevant professional experience, including:
- Managing the delivery of public-sector digital transformation projects or technology strategy or in similar or aligned settings.
- Engagement with government ministries, regulators, or multilateral institutions
- Demonstrated experience designing or implementing national or sector-level technology products and programs
- Experience working in emerging markets or Global South contexts is strongly preferred
Core Skills & Competencies
- Strong understanding of product management (preferably of AI applications in public systems or large organizations or for consumers)
- Strong and proven experience in product deployment and user adoption.
- Ability to translate technical AI concepts into clear strategic and policy guidance
- Experience coordinating across multiple stakeholders and institutions
- Strong analytical, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Desirable Experience
- Prior experience supporting national missions, task forces, or centres of excellence
- Exposure to AI governance, data governance, or digital public infrastructure initiatives
- Familiarity with responsible AI, ethics, and inclusion frameworks
5.Reporting & Collaboration
- The role will function within MINICT, working closely with designated Ministry leadership and teams
- Will coordinate with line ministries, ecosystem stakeholders, and technical experts supporting the Responsible AI Office
- Will contribute to quarterly reporting and strategic reviews
6.Expected Outcomes (Indicative)
- Strengthened AI use case development ecosystem
- Sector Operational AI roadmaps aligned with national priorities developed
- Prioritised and documented pipeline of public-sector AI use cases
- Support the delivery and deployment of key AI use cases to ensure smooth adoption.
- National AI capacity-building and youth engagement framework developed
- Strengthened coordination across government and the AI ecosystem
This position was originally posted by Wadhwani AI and has been curated by PurposePhil Career. To apply, please visit the original listing on the "apply" link on the side. We are not affiliated with the employer organization of this job ad or consultancy, and provide this curated listing as a service to our users.
