Job Title: Director of Marketplace Technology and Architecture

Location: Kigali, Rwanda (with travel to program districts)

Reports to: Deputy Program Director

Organization: The Commons Project Foundation, Africa (TCP-Africa)

Program: Digital Jobs for Youth in Health (DJYH)

Contract Type: Full-Time, Office-based

About TCP-Africa

The Commons Project Foundation, Africa (TCP-Africa) is driving a person-centered health revolution across the continent. As part of the Commons Project Foundation (TCP), TCP Africa was established to build and operate digital platforms that enhance healthcare accessibility and empower individuals with secure, verifiable access to their health data. Founded in 2022, TCP Africa is developing and promoting interoperable digital health tools and open standards that enable individuals to access, manage, and share their records seamlessly. In partnership with governments, foundations and other stakeholders, TCP Africa is working to digitize healthcare, build a skilled digital health workforce, and strengthen personal ownership of health data. Headquartered in Kigali, Rwanda, TCP Africa is in its early stages and growing rapidly. Committed to diversity and inclusion, TCP Africa welcomes qualified applicants from all backgrounds and ensures equal opportunities for all.

Position Summary

The Director of Marketplace Technology and Architecture is a key technical position within the Digital Jobs for Youth in Health (DJYH) program. Serving as the chief architect, systems integrator, and technology governance lead, this role ensures that the DJYH digital platform and associated technologies meet strategic, functional, and operational expectations. As the primary technical interface between TCP Africa, DJYH program consortia, and government stakeholders, you will be responsible for ensuring that all technology systems are secure, scalable, user-centered, and fully aligned with the program’s goal to create dignified digital jobs for youth particularly young women in Rwanda.

Key Responsibilities

Platform Strategy, Architecture, and Vendor Governance

• Translate DJYH’s programmatic goals into a long-term digital architecture blueprint, integrating marketplace services, e-learning, inventory management, payments, and job matching.
• Serve as the technical authority for the DJYH technology partner’s performance, providing day-to-day oversight of their roadmap, design decisions, technical risks, and delivery timelines.
• Define and enforce architectural standards, including modularity, mobile-first optimization, API exposure, and open-source readiness.
• Coordinate routine technical governance committee with the DJYH technology partner and key partners to review sprint progress, align priorities, resolve blockers, and ensure accountability.
• Lead the creation and enforcement of a rigorous Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) governance framework, ensuring code quality, DevOps maturity, and release integrity.
• Review and approve all major platform feature releases, integrations, and upgrades before go-live.
• Coordinate integration of third-party systems (payment gateways, logistics APIs, government registries) and ensure data interoperability and security.

Human-Centered Design, Product Ownership, and UX Oversight

• Develop a user-centered product development process, ensuring that DCCs, supervisors, and platform users are consulted in all key design stages.
• Lead or supervise regular UX and field usability testing cycles, including A/B testing, journey mapping, and rapid prototyping in partnership with the program’s technology partner.
• Translate feedback from field visits, support tickets, and stakeholder convenings into an evolving product backlog and prioritization matrix.
• Approve final platform design assets, user interfaces, and mobile flows to ensure accessibility across low-end smartphones and rural connectivity conditions.
• Ensure inclusivity and cultural appropriateness in all platform components, particularly for rural young women users.

Data Architecture, Analytics, and Security Governance

• Design a secure, scalable, and resilient data architecture for the DJYH platform that aligns with ISO/IEC 27040, Rwanda’s Protection of Personal Information Law, and GDPR standards.
• Oversee the deployment of encryption protocols (AES-256, TLS, TDE), access controls, audit trails, and data integrity validation mechanisms across systems.
• Serve as the final escalation point for data-related discrepancies between platform metrics and external M&E systems.
• Collaborate with the MEL partner to design data pipelines for performance dashboards, impact tracking, and user segmentation (e.g., cohort earnings, dropout risk).
• Lead development of a platform analytics strategy, including cohort behavior insights, feature adoption, churn analysis, and marketplace liquidity trends.
• Lead TCP’s strategy to transition the platform into an open-source digital public good by the end of the grant period, ensuring community contribution and platform longevity.

DCC Support Ecosystem Architecture and Governance

Architect a three-tiered technical support framework:

• Tier 1: Supervisor-led support using training materials, FAQs, and escalation protocols.
• Tier 2: Technology partner-managed helpdesk and ticket resolution.
• Tier 3: Platform backend or integration fixes requiring developer interventions.
• Approve training materials and job aids for DCCs and their supervisors, ensuring consistent troubleshooting support.
• Define, document, and enforce issue escalation policies, support SLAs, and feedback resolution loops.
• Establish a dashboard and KPI set for tracking support performance (ticket volume, time to resolution, satisfaction).
• Collaborate with field implementation partner to ensure integration of field supervisory feedback into platform iteration cycles.

Internal ICT Operations for TCP Africa Office

• Provide strategic oversight and hands-on management of TCP Africa’s internal ICT systems: LAN, internet, staff devices, software licenses.
• Develop and enforce internal IT security policies (access control, data backup, password management, device encryption).
• Direct the provision of executive and staff-level helpdesk support, ensuring responsiveness to hardware, software, and connectivity issues.
• Lead technology procurement and asset lifecycle management

Qualifications and Experience

• Master’s degree in computer science, software engineering, information systems, or related field;
• Minimum 7 years of progressive leadership in digital technology development, product governance, and systems architecture.
• Demonstrated success managing vendors or external development partners to deliver mission-critical platforms.
• Strong familiarity with agile development methodologies, backlog management, DevOps, and tools like JIRA, GitHub, or Trello.
• Expertise in digital health technologies, community agent platforms, or e-commerce systems; experience with DHIS2, OpenSRP, or CommCare preferred.
• Track record in managing open-source transitions and contributing to digital public goods.
• Fluency in English and Kinyarwanda required.

Submission Requirements

Interested candidates who meet the qualifications and are committed to using technology for social impact are invited to submit their application by email to josepha@thecommonsproject.org no later thanJuly 10, 2025. The application should include a cover letter, a current CV, with any relevant links to project portfolios or open-source contributions. Please ensure the email subject line clearly states the position title: Director of Marketplace Technology and Architecture. Late submissions will not be considered.

Equal Opportunity Employer

TCP Africa is an equal opportunity employer. We value a workplace that is diverse in terms of gender, race, class, age,geographic origin, sexual orientation, and other differences that enrich our society. We encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military, protected veteran status or other status protected by law, and those who may not meet every requirement listed in the job description.