Head of AI

Head of AI & Strategy (Consulting)

Location

: Remote (trial period) then on-site in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire

Company

: Box Africa Group – Fast-growing IT services company (+100 employees) pivoting 100% to AI

Contract

: Full-time – Permanent

About Us

Box Africa is a rapidly growing IT services company operating across West Africa. We are building a dedicated 
AI division

to shape the future of applied AI in the region.

Our ambition is to become the 
African leader in AI consulting and solutions

, combining strategic advisory, applied research, scalable engineering, and local talent development.

Main Responsibilities

As 
Head of AI & Strategy

, you will serve as the 
practice leader

and play a pivotal role in defining Box Africa's AI vision, driving consulting engagements, and shaping our offerings in West Africa. You will work hand-in-hand with the AI Engineering Manager and the Senior Data Scientist to deliver both 
strategic impact and operational excellence

.

1. Strategy & Leadership

• Define and execute Box Africa's 
  AI roadmap and strategy

across industries (banking, fintech, telecom, health, agriculture, public sector).
- Build and lead the 
AI Consulting Practice

, positioning Box Africa as a trusted partner for applied AI.
- Shape our 
AI & Agent-as-a-Service offerings

, aligning technical innovation with client needs.
- Represent Box Africa with regulators (BCEAO, UEMOA) and ensure compliance with 
ISO, GDPR Africa, PCI DSS, and AI ethics guidelines

.

2. Business Development & Client Advisory

• Advise C-level clients on 
  AI adoption, operating models, and governance

.
- Identify and drive 
high-impact AI use cases

: Intelligent Document Processing (IDP), risk & credit scoring, fraud detection, credit exposure losses, compliance automation.
- Lead client workshops, design thinking sessions, and roadmap definition exercises.
- Support sales and pre-sales activities with compelling 
thought leadership and proposals

.

3. Team Leadership & Talent Development

• Lead, inspire, and coach the AI Engineering Manager and Senior Data Scientist, forming a 
  high-performance AI leadership team

.
- Build internal capacity by mentoring junior data scientists, AI engineers, and consultants.
- Create a 
knowledge-sharing culture

and contribute to AI training programs for West African talent.

4. Ecosystem & Impact

• Position Box Africa as a 
  pioneer in applied AI for West Africa

.
- Represent the company at 
conferences, industry events, and academic partnerships

.
- Contribute to 
white papers, research publications, and AI policy discussions

.
- Build partnerships with global AI labs, African universities, and international institutions.

Candidate Profile

Experience & Leadership

• 10+ years

of professional experience in consulting, digital transformation, or AI leadership roles.
- Proven track record in 
advising clients on AI/analytics adoption and strategy

.
- Strong exposure to 
banking, fintech, telecom, or regulated industries

.
- Experience building and scaling 
AI teams or practices

within consulting firms or enterprises.

Technical & Strategic Skills

• Solid understanding of 
  AI/ML fundamentals

(NLP, RAG, IDP, agentic AI).
- Familiarity with 
data platforms, MLOps, and DataOps

, to bridge strategy with engineering.
- Knowledge of 
risk management, credit scoring, and compliance frameworks

(BCEAO, IFRS9, GDPR Africa).
- Excellent ability to 
translate business challenges into AI roadmaps

.

Soft Skills

• Visionary leader with 
  entrepreneurial mindset

and ability to inspire teams.
- Strong client-facing and advisory skills; able to communicate at 
executive/board level

.
- Strategic thinker with a 
pragmatic and results-driven approach

.
- Fluency in English required; French language proficiency would be a strong plus.

Why Join Box Africa?

• Lead the 
  AI consulting practice

of a fast-growing digital services company.
- Shape 
the future of AI adoption in West Africa

with real-world impact.
- Work on 
strategic, high-value projects

with top banks, telcos, and public institutions.
- Join a leadership team of international experts and build a 
career-defining role in AI

.

Benefits

• Relocation & settling-in support

(housing assistance, logistics).
- Annual round-trip flight ticket

to home country.
- Relocation allowance

(moving expenses covered).
- Comprehensive health insurance

.
- Training & certification budget

(AI strategy, leadership, compliance).
- Annual performance bonus

tied to company growth.
- Fast-track to senior leadership opportunities

within Box Africa as we expand across UEMOA and West Africa.

Recruitment Process

1. Initial call (30 min) – Introductory discussion.
2. Strategic interview (1h) – AI vision, client advisory, business impact.
3. Leadership interview (45 min) – Team building & practice development.
4. Executive meeting (45 min) – Strategy & cultural fit.
5. Final offer.