Head of Engineering at Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB)

Exciting Career Opportunity at the Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB) - Head of Engineering

Are you ready to embark on a transformational journey? We are seeking a dynamic and experienced individual to join us as the Head of Engineering. If you thrive in dynamic environments and are committed to innovation and driving technical excellence, this is the opportunity for you!

As the Head of Engineering, you will be the specialist playing a critical role in overseeing and mentoring teams of software engineers, including back-end, front-end, mobile, quality assurance, and database administrators. If you have what it takes to foster a culture of continuous learning, promote best practices in software development, and ensure the adoption of modern technologies and architectural patterns. In this pivotal role, you will directly contribute to transforming the organization, towards providing socio-economic well-being, long-term stability and prosperity for Rwandans.

Reporting to the Chief Technology and Information Officer, the Head of Engineering will be responsible for providing visionary technical leadership and strategic direction for the Engineering Department, aligning with the organization's overall goals and objectives. 

About RSSB

The Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB) has the mandate to manage and promote social security in Rwanda. RSSB's vision is to provide a comprehensive social security system that caters to the diverse social security needs of the population, RSSB plays an important role in realizing Vision 2050 and the National Strategy for Transformation (NST1). RSSB manages six social security schemes, namely: Pension, Occupational Hazards, Medical scheme, CBHI, Maternity Leave Benefits and EjoHeza (Long-term Term Saving Scheme).

As a leading player in the financial sector, RSSB serves as the largest institutional investor in Rwanda. With assets under management amounting to 2.06 trillion Rwf , which is equivalent to over 15% of the country's GDP, RSSB invests in key sectors of the economy and plays a crucial role in growing the country’s financial sector. With approximately 12 million members in the above six schemes, encompassing over 90% of Rwanda's population, RSSB is at the forefront of securing the health and financial well-being of Rwandans.

To achieve its important mandate, RSSB is embarking on a transformative journey, aiming to become a modern, data-driven, and high-performing institution. As part of this ambitious initiative, we are seeking highly motivated individuals who are results-oriented and uphold the highest standards of professionalism and integrity. By joining RSSB, you will have the opportunity to actively contribute to the advancement of social security and overall transformation of Rwanda.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

1. Provide visionary technical leadership and strategic direction for the Engineering Department, aligning with the organization's overall goals and objectives.

2. Manage and mentor cross-functional engineering teams, fostering a collaborative and high-performing environment that encourages professional growth and knowledge sharing.

3. Stay abreast of emerging technologies, programming languages, frameworks, and industry trends, and drive the evaluation and adoption of new tools and methodologies to enhance software delivery and quality.

4. Champion best practices in software development, including coding standards, testing methodologies, automation, and continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines.

5. Oversee the design and implementation of scalable, reliable, and secure software architectures, such as microservices, event-driven architectures, and cloud-native solutions.

6. Collaborate with product managers, designers, and stakeholders to translate business requirements into technical specifications and ensure alignment between software solutions and business objectives.

7. Participate in the software development life cycle, providing hands-on  technical guidance, code reviews, and mentorship to engineering teams.

8. Identify and address performance bottlenecks, technical debt, and areas for improvement within the existing codebase and systems.

9. Manage the recruitment, retention, and professional development of top engineering talent, fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth.

10. Establish and maintain engineering best practices, processes, and tooling for efficient software delivery and quality assurance.

11. Represent the Engineering Department in cross-functional initiatives, executive meetings, and strategic planning sessions.

Key Qualifications and Experience

The successful candidate must have at least:

1. Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience

2. Minimum of 7 years of experience in software engineering, with at least 3 years in a technical leadership role.

3. Proven track record of leading and managing high-performing engineering teams in complex and dynamic environments.

Key competencies

Technical Competencies:

1. Proficiency in modern software development tools, technologies, and programming languages.

2. Experience with cloud platforms and cloud-native technologies

3. Familiarity with agile software development methodologies and project management practices.

4. Understanding of software security principles and secure coding practices.

5. In-depth knowledge of software architecture patterns, such as microservices, event-driven architectures, and cloud-native solutions.

6. Excellent understanding of software development best practices.

Behavioral Competencies:

1. Strong leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.

2. Ability to build and motivate high-performing teams and foster a culture of collaboration and continuous learning.

3. Strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities.

4. Excellent organizational and time management skills.

5. Passion for technology and innovation.

Additional Information:

The position is based in Kigali, Rwanda and applicants must be willing to relocate outside their countries of domicile.

RSSB reserves the right to appoint or to issue an employment contract to the successful candidate.

Interested candidates are advised to visit the RSSB website for a more detailed job description for the role, and submit your application online by Monday 13, May 2024.

In addition, please attach a curriculum vitae that contains details of your qualifications, experience and positions held relevant to this role. Include your day and evening telephone numbers, email address, names and address of three professional referees. Also, attach copies of your academic and professional qualifications.

Any form of canvassing will lead to automatic disqualification.

Only short-listed applicants will be contacted.

Shortlisted candidates will be required to submit a valid Criminal Clearance Certificate.

RSSB is an Equal Opportunity Employer