AI Production Lead: Scalable ML & LLM Delivery

The Focus Group; Sandton; On-site; ZAR 900 000 - 1 200 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial services company located in Gauteng, Sandton, seeks an AI Lead to drive the production of machine learning and LLM models. This role requires a Master's degree and 12+ years of relevant experience along with advanced skills in Python, SQL, and cloud-native development. You will lead a cross-functional team, own the technical roadmap, and ensure operational excellence in AI systems. Ideal candidates are innovative, solutions-driven, and have a passion for mentoring others, with experience in tools such as Docker and Kubernetes.

Qualifications

• 12+ years’ experience in software engineering, data engineering, or AI productionisation.
• Strong experience in cloud-native development.
• Postgraduate qualification in AI or Data Science is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a cross-functional squad including engineers and data scientists.
• Own the technical roadmap for ML and LLM productionisation.
• Implement monitoring and observability processes for production AI systems.
• Drive enterprise-wide improvement in AI delivery velocity.

Skills

Python

SQL

MLOps/LLMOps tools

Docker

Kubernetes

CI/CD

Education

Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field

Tools

Vertex AI

BigQuery

Cloud Composer

Kubeflow

Job description

A leading financial services company located in Gauteng, Sandton, seeks an AI Lead to drive the production of machine learning and LLM models. This role requires a Master's degree and 12+ years of relevant experience along with advanced skills in Python, SQL, and cloud-native development. You will lead a cross-functional team, own the technical roadmap, and ensure operational excellence in AI systems. Ideal candidates are innovative, solutions-driven, and have a passion for mentoring others, with experience in tools such as Docker and Kubernetes.