Vacancy Announcement

Technical Advisor Software Developer

for

GIZ Support to Smart Africa Portfolio

Shape Africa's Digital Future From the Inside

 A. About GIZ and the Project

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is a federally owned international cooperation enterprise for sustainable development with worldwide operations. The GIZ Office in Kigali covers GIZ’s portfolio in Rwanda and Burundi and as well as selected regional activities and projects. GIZ Rwanda/Burundi implements projects on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the European Union and other commissioning authorities in the following priority areas: Sustainable Economic Development; Good Governance; Climate, Energy and Sustainable Urban Development; Digital Transformation and Digital Economy; and regional projects in the Great Lakes Region

GIZ, in partnership with Smart Africa, is driving one of the continent's most ambitious digital cooperation programmes: the Acceleration of the Digital Transformation in Africa. We work at the intersection of policy, infrastructure and investment supporting 42 member states to build the digital systems, governance frameworks and economic conditions that will define the continent's next decade. We are a delivery platform and are looking for someone who wants to actively build, not just advise.

Our Mission? To turn the vision of a Single Digital Market into reality: unlocking regional economic integration, cross-border innovation and digitally enabled growth across the continent.

Our Delivery? Through the pan-African GIZ Smart Africa Portfolio we pool digital expertise and provide regional delivery for measurable impact. Our portfolio spans interconnected digital workstreams each reinforcing the others at continental scale:

• Institutional strengthening of Smart Africa: building systems, structures and financing capacity for long-term operational and strategic impact 
• Cooperation with the Private Sector: convening private sector around use case opportunities, structuring public-private consortia, building matchmaking formats and pipelines that move into co-investment and co-delivery

• Digital Sovereignty: supporting Member States and Smart Africa in their digital interests, advancing continental positions and use cases on cross-border data, data localisation and DPI/DPG architecture.
• Artificial Intelligence: formulating AI strategies, policy advisory and trainings with Member States, while developing AI use cases through public-private consortia that bring together governments, private sector and others 
• Regional Delivery Hubs: delivering thematic workstreams across Digital Health, E-Commerce, Digital Infrastructure etc. through GIZ continental structures, designing shared delivery with member states, private sector and other partners. 

Your Next Career Move? The GIZ Smart Africa portfolio is growing and the next phase is being designed now. This is a rare moment to join not as an implementer of someone else's architecture, but as a shaper of what comes next. We are assembling a dynamic, purpose-driven team and are looking for an exceptional Technical Advisor. 

What Are We Looking for? We are looking for a Technical Advisor who brings deep expertise in one or more areas of Africa's digital economy and the intellectual range to apply it across a broader portfolio of interconnected themes. You will lead your own initiatives with full implementation accountability, work across African markets and engage credibly with governments, private sector and other partners. You will also serve as a connective force across teams synthesising intelligence, bridging workstreams and keeping the portfolio coherent as it grows. This role sits at the intersection of policy, strategy and implementation. It is cross-functional, fast-paced and demanding. 

You do not need a narrow brief to perform. You thrive when the mandate is broad, the environment is complex and the stakes for problem solving are high. If that is you — welcome to the GIZ Smart Africa Portfolio.

Location: Kigali

Fixed Term: 1 year and 8 months (renewable upon review)

Position: one (1)

Start date: 01.10.2026

B. Responsibilities

• Design and execute digital projects in Africa with a thematic focus across digital economy and digital sovereignty areas.
• Drive digital economic development across sectors and countries by leading multiple digital initiatives in parallel, translating regional policy ambition into tangible outcomes.
• Strengthen strategic coherence across the GIZ Smart Africa portfolio, serving as the operational connective tissue between thematic teams and key accounts.

C. Tasks 

• Drive the end-to-end delivery of continental digital economy initiatives: from design through implementation by holding accountability across partner organisations, service providers and GIZ country office networks
• Convene and lead multi-stakeholder processes that turn policy ambition into results and partnerships, with Smart Africa as the central delivery platform 
• Own the operational rhythm of selected digital initiatives by translating strategy into actionable plans and results, steering execution in close cooperation with Smart Africa
• Identify and activate partnership opportunities for co-investment and co-implementation of your digital initiatives in close cooperation with the Technical Advisor on Cooperation with the Private Sector
• Strengthen the backbone of the GIZ Smart Africa portfolio by contributing to strategic portfolio engagements, cross-theme synthesis and progress tracking that keep the portfolio coherent and forward-looking
• Build and maintain the portfolio's key account architecture by mapping partner needs, defining service offerings, theme insights and shaping engagement rhythms across the portfolio's key relationships
• Serve as interface between the GIZ Smart Africa portfolio and the GIZ AI Hub, ensuring thematic alignment across digital economy, DPI and AI workstreams.
• Position Smart Africa and GIZ as credible actors in continental and global digital governance shaping Africa's voice on digital sovereignty, AI, cross-border data flows and DPI architecture vis-à-vis the EU Tech Offer, Global Gateway and multilateral digital fora.
• Provide support to other tasks and duties deemed relevant at the request of management

D. Required Qualifications, Competences and Experience

Qualifications and professional experience

• Master’s degree in economics, Business Administration, Political Science, Technology, Finance, Law or a related field with a clear connection to digital economydigital governance or international cooperation 
• Minimum 7 years of professional experience designing and implementing digital economy initiatives across sectors, with demonstrated experience in African regional contexts 
• Minimum of 5 years of professional experience leading end-to-end implementation of 

digital initiatives in multi stakeholder networks involving governments, private sector, development finance institutions, multilateral organisations etc.

• Experience in portfolio management, key account management or strategic coordination functions in a multi-stakeholder environment 
• Experience in advisory or consulting roles, with the ability to provide frank, evidence-based counsel to senior counterparts in both public and private sector organisations
• Deep knowledge in one or more of the following areas: digital economy, digital sovereignty, AI, Digital Public Infrastructure/Digital Public Goods (DPI/DPG), cross-border data governance, digital trade, digital finance or adjacent fields 
• Familiarity with continental and global digital governance frameworks, including the AU Digital Transformation Strategy, AfCFTA digital protocol, Global Digital Compact, EU Tech Offer, Global Gateway and relevant G20 and multilateral digital fora 
• Understanding of Africa's digital investment and financing landscape, including the role of development finance institutions and private sector co-investment mechanisms

Personal Competencies 

• Carry outstanding work ethic and service-oriented thinker: you act reliable, dedicated, and disciplined without much guidance and supervision. 
• Intellectually curious and solutions-oriented: you bring critical thinking and problem-solving to complex challenges without waiting to be directed
• Analytical rigour and intellectual range: you synthesise complex information across themes and translate it into clear, strategic intelligence for leadership and key accounts
• Extroverted and relationship-oriented: you build trust quickly across very different actors and sustain it across complex, multi-year partnerships
• Operationally self-directed: you manage multiple initiatives simultaneously, set your own rhythm and deliver without close supervision in a fast-paced, ambiguous and demanding environment
• Diplomatically sharp: you navigate sensitive institutional dynamics, competing interests and political complexity with professionalism and discretion 
• Culturally fluent: you operate with ease across African, European and multilateral institutional cultures 
• Strong written and verbal communication in English: you write with clarity and authority; French is an asset
• Prior experience working with GIZ, Smart Africa, the African Union or other pan-African institutions is an asset
• Familiarity with GIZ systems, processes and international cooperation instruments is an asset

GIZ will only assess applications which meet the following criteria:

• Cover Letter must clearly state your motivation for applying for the position and outline your competencies why you are the best suited candidate addressing qualifications, competencies and experiences asked for in this advert. Cover Letter must not exceed one (1) page and be submitted in PDF Format.

• CVs must include three professional references of previous employment including contact details and must not exceed four (4) pages to be submitted in PDF format. 

E. How to apply

Interested candidates should submit their application (motivation letter, updated CV, certificates and references), via our electronic job portal by using the button “apply”; until 6th September 2026 at 4:00 PM. All attachments should be put together in one PDF file not larger than 2 MB.

GIZ is a signatory of the Diversity Charter. Recognition, appreciation and inclusion of diversity in the company are important to us. All employees shall be valued - regardless of gender and gender identity, nationality, ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, social background, age or sexual orientation. We support equal opportunities and welcome applications from people with disabilities. 

This includes the provision of reasonable accommodation, if needed, in order to participate in the job application and interview process and to perform essential job functions. Please let us know, if you have any particular requirements should you be invited for assessment/interview or that you wish us to consider, when considering your application. 

Women and persons with disabilities are particularly encouraged to apply.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for test and interview.

GIZ Office Rwanda

KN 41 St. / Nr.17, Kiyovu 

P.O. Box 59, Kigali, 

Rwanda

GIZ reserves all rights!