GIZ is a federally owned enterprise operating worldwide, assisting the German Government in achieving its policy objectives in the field of international cooperation. It offers demand-driven, tailor-made, and effective services for sustainable development worldwide. In East Africa, GIZ supports the East African Community (EAC) in attaining their development goals.

The EAC AI Alliance is a regional initiative aimed at fostering digital transformation across the eight partner states of the EAC. The project focuses on strengthening public-private collaboration in AI research and education, upgrading education standards, and advising on regional AI policy. Key activities include launching a regional AI research network, hosting research challenges, establishing a regional fund for AI-driven startups, and developing AI education benchmarks aligned with industry needs. Additionally, the Alliance promotes cross-border mobility through internships, scales case-based online learning, and supports the development of an inclusive EAC regional AI policy framework.

The initiative is part of the cooperation between the German government and the East African Community (EAC) and is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. It is carried out in close collaboration with the EAC Secretariat, the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA), and the East African Science and Technology Commission (EASTECO). Together, these partners aim to improve education and employment opportunities for youth, enhance economic integration, and position East Africa as a leader in digital innovation.

A new key component aims to strengthen strategic business partnerships between Europe and the East African Community by developing concrete AI-driven and digital use cases with economic impact. It seeks to generate sustainable growth opportunities for companies in both regions through co-financed innovation, capacity development, and targeted investment dialogues for technology partnerships.

The EAC AI Alliance programme is currently looking to fill the position of Advisor for Artificial Intelligence in East Africa.

At GIZ, diversity is celebrated. Applications are actively sought and enthusiastically encouraged from individuals of all religions, nationalities, genders, sexual orientations, gender identities, expressions, ages, as well as individuals with disabilities.

Duty station: Arusha

Fixed term contract

Job location: Band 4

• Provide technical and strategic advisory services on digital innovation, AI applications, and applied AI use cases (e.g. in health, trade, agriculture) within the EAC region.
  

• Provide policy advisory and implementation assistance to the East African Community.
  

• Coordinate multi-stakeholder cooperation with private sector partners, research institutions, and EAC regional bodies to develop and implement business use cases.
  

• Plan, organize and manage business to business dialogues and foster cooperation agreements with impact for East Africans.
  

• Manage project workflows, including planning, reporting, partner communication, and ensuring compliance with GIZ rules and procedures.
  

• Facilitate knowledge exchange, training activities, and capacity-building programmes, including coordination with EAC – and Partner State meeting formats.
  

• Support business acquisition, investment dialogues, and network development between the EU, Germany–EAC to strengthen partnerships and innovation ecosystems.
  

Qualifications and Professional Experience

• Master’s degree in digital Transformation, Business Management, ICT Economics, Computer Science, Information Management or a related field.
  
• At least five years of senior advisory experience in leading and implementing digital
  transformation projects in an international context.
• Senior advisory and project management experience in business development and private sector cooperation.
  
• Demonstrated expertise in policy development and AI/digital transformation within East
  Africa and EAC partner states.
• Proven track record of successful private-sector business development, ideally
  involving cooperation between Africa and Europe (or other global regions).
• Strong ability to collaborate with Private Sector and to manage diverse stakeholder
  engagements across public domains and industry.
• Demonstrated capability to operate effectively within multi-country project environments.
  
• Familiarity with the East African Community (EAC) and its regional integration efforts.
  
• Capability to work effectively within a geographically dispersed team across different time zones.
  
• Willingness to travel across East Africa and internationally, including high risk countries.
  
• Experience working with international organizations or development cooperation projects.