Technology at Turaco
Turaco’s in-house tech platform (TACO) powers all insurance operations, including claims processing, insurance pricing, customer onboarding, and communications. This core platform and several complementary tech products are maintained by our tech team, which comprises software engineers, data scientists/engineers, QA analysts, and Product managers.
Our core tech stack uses Java with Spring Boot for the back-end, React for the front-end, and Postgres as the primary database engine. We run our services on AWS in a microservices architecture using Kubernetes.
The Opportunity
We are searching for a dynamic and visionary Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to join our leadership team in Kenya and lead our next phase of growth. You will lead the technology strategy and function, taking our already effective tech stack to the next level.
Our current tech stack has digitized the entire insurance process, enabling us to actively administer over 1 million policies every day and use AI to automate claims payments. This is an exciting opportunity to deepen our use of AI, implement data protection by design, position our tech platform for 10X policy-holder growth and build tools that enable the direct use of our data across all business operations.
Key Responsibilities
Technology Strategy & Leadership
- Define and execute the company’s technology strategy, ensuring alignment with our short- and long-term business goals.
- Identify, evaluate, and recommend cutting-edge technologies to drive strategic advantage and business impact.
- Present on technology status, goals, and progress to the Board and Management team on a regular basis.
Team Management
- Oversee and manage the three key functional areas of our Technology Division: Engineering, Product Management, and Data.
- Serve as the overall hiring manager for the tech division, planning for future resource needs and ensuring proper technical onboarding for new hires.
- Develop a high-performing technology team by creating goals (Rocks) and milestones, aligned to the Tech roadmap, and identifying opportunities for team growth.
Tech Operations
- Accountable for the technology roadmap, working with functional managers to ensure it is tailored for scalability and operational efficiency.
- Create and manage the technology budget, making strategic build-vs-buy decisions to optimize resource allocation.
- Oversee the design and implementation of robust technical architectures, ensuring they meet security standards and align with industry best practices.
- Establish and maintain reliable technology operations, including system infrastructure, data management, and security protocols, to ensure high performance and data integrity.
- Stay current on the latest tech advancements, providing strategic insights and recommendations to maintain our technological edge.
Key Qualifications:
- Live Turaco’s values – Push boundaries, Work with excellence, and Profound respect for the individual
- A bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related field.
- 5+ years of experience as a technology leader and 10+ years of overall experience.
- Experience in a venture-backed ecosystem or as a Technical Founder is a significant plus.
- A CTO with a Product Ownership background or path is ideal as we design our internal platform for 10X scale.
- Hands-on experience with key technologies such as AI/ML, Micro-services, and Data is required.
- Deep understanding of the application of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Financial Services.
- Experience in designing and implementing microservice architectures.
- A background in technology transformation initiatives, leveraging cloud technologies, and implementing data-driven decision-making.
- Strong strategic thinking and the ability to translate business goals into effective technology roadmaps.
- Excellent leadership, communication, and team management skills.
- A general understanding of the insurance industry is a plus.