Senior Software Engineer (AI-Native)

Senior Software Engineer (AI-Native)

Location: Lagos, Nigeria (Hybrid)

Department: Engineering

Reports To: Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

Employment Type: Independent Contractor

Engagement Term: 3–6 months (with potential extension)

Hiring Priority: Strategic & Immediate

Role Overview

Zowasel is building Africa’s first AI-native agribusiness and embedded finance infrastructure platform, integrating marketplace, trade finance, and climate intelligence (MRV).

We are hiring a Senior Software Engineer (AI-Native) to act as a “Master Builder” — someone who can leverage AI coding agents to design, build, and scale production-grade systems 10x faster than traditional teams, without compromising quality.

This is not a conventional engineering role. You will orchestrate AI + architecture + execution to deliver mission-critical systems across finance, payments, and supply chains.

What You Will Own

You will take end-to-end ownership of core platform systems, including:

• Trade finance and escrow infrastructure
• Credit scoring and risk engines (ACESS)
• Marketplace and transaction systems
• Climate MRV and traceability pipelines
• Payment integrations and settlement systems

Core Responsibilities1. AI-Native Engineering Leadership

• Lead development using AI coding agents (e.g., Cursor, Windsurf, GPT-based tools)
• Apply context-aware prompting to generate scalable architectures and codebases.
• Transition Zowasel from traditional development → AI-first engineering model

2. System Architecture & Design

• Design scalable, secure, and modular systems for:
• Payments and financial flows
• Credit and risk systems
• Data pipelines and MRV infrastructure
• Define APIs, services, and data models for high-volume transaction systems

3. Code Quality & Governance

• Audit, validate, and refine AI-generated code
• Enforce best practices in:
• Security
• Performance
• Scalability
• Maintainability
• Prevent “AI code drift” and poor architecture patterns

4. Full-Stack Development

• Build production-grade systems across:
• Backend services (APIs, microservices)
• Frontend dashboards and portals
• Deliver clean, testable, and well-documented code

5. DevOps & Infrastructure

• Design and manage cloud-native infrastructure
• Implement:
• CI/CD pipelines
• Containerized deployments
• Monitoring and observability systems

6. Speed & Execution

• Deliver systems 5–10x faster than traditional teams
• Rapidly prototype, test, and scale features
• Operate in a high-ownership, low-bureaucracy environment

Technical RequirementsExperience

• 5+ years in software engineering (fintech, marketplaces, or data platforms preferred)
• Proven experience building production systems at scale

AI Engineering

• Hands-on experience with:
• Cursor, Windsurf, Copilot, or similar AI coding tools
• Strong ability in:
• Prompt engineering for system design
• AI-assisted debugging and refactoring

Backend

• Strong proficiency in:
• Node.js / JavaScript
• PHP or C# (.NET Core)
• Experience with:
• RESTful APIs
• Microservices architecture
• SQL databases (PostgreSQL/MySQL)

Frontend

• Strong experience with:
• React / Next.js
• Ability to build:
• Dashboards
• Data-driven UIs
• Marketplace interfaces

DevOps & Cloud

• Experience with:
• Docker, Kubernetes
• CI/CD pipelines
• Cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure)

What We’re Looking ForMust-Have

• Builder mindset — you ship, not just design
• Experience working in a startup or high-growth environment
• Ability to operate with ambiguity and speed
• Strong systems thinking and architecture capability

Key Attributes

AI-First Thinker

You don’t just use AI tools — you rethink engineering around them

Relentlessly Detail-Oriented

You understand trade-offs in architecture and execution

Problem Solver

You can break down complex systems and build practical solutions

Ownership Mentality

You take full responsibility for outcomes, not just tasks

Mission Alignment

Interest in agriculture, climate, and financial inclusion

What Success Looks Like (3-6 Months)

• Core platform systems rebuilt using AI-native architecture
• Development speed increased by 5–10x
• Stable, scalable infrastructure supporting trade and finance flows
• Production-ready MRV and credit systems deployed

Why Join Zowasel

• Build Africa’s leading agrifinance infrastructure platform
• Work at the intersection of fintech, climate, and AI
• High ownership, fast execution, real-world impact
• Direct exposure to IFC, Afreximbank, DFIs, and global partners

How to Apply

Send:

• CV
• Short executive cover note (startup/fintech/AI experience)

Email: developers@zowasel.com

Subject: Senior Software Engineer (AI-Native)

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Confidentiality assured.

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