Data Science Manager: Telemetry Solutions

Sanlam; Midrand; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Join Sanlam as a Data Science Manager: Telemetry Solutions and lead at the forefront of actuarial innovation. This pivotal role blends data science, machine learning, and software engineering to drive transformation in insurance. You'll manage a team, work with real-time data from connected vehicles, and foster analytics integration into business processes. Ideal candidates are technically adept, passionate about data science, and possess strong leadership skills, ready to tackle modern challenges in a dynamic environment.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years' experience in data science or data engineering roles preferred in telematics.
• Proficiency in Python and C# required.
• Experience with machine learning libraries like TensorFlow or PyTorch.

Responsibilities

• Lead initiatives across telematics, claims, and operational intelligence.
• Architect scalable systems for processing high-frequency vehicle sensor data.
• Mentor and grow a multidisciplinary team of data scientists and engineers.

Skills

Data Science

Machine Learning

Actuarial Science

API Development

Python

C#

SQL

Leadership

Problem Solving

Education

Degree in Actuarial Science, Data Science, Statistics, or Computer Science

Tools

Git

MLflow

Docker

Job description

Who are we?

MiWay is a direct financial services company. We are passionate about service excellence, convenience and offering our clients superior value products. Our Vision is to be a world-class direct financial services business that offers a complete array of services under one convenient umbrella – all managed online.

We are passionate about our people. We are positive that with the right people on board, we will continue to grow and give our clients the freedom to do things their way – free from worry and most importantly at peace with all the “what-ifs” of the world.

Company values that every employee subscribes to are: Energy, Freedom, Accountability and Attitude. The ideal candidate is one who has the courage to be bold and subscribes to MiWay’s core values! Do you have a positive attitude, love a challenge, treat your colleagues with respect and look for solutions, not problems? If yes, then MiWay is the place for you!

Why Join Us?

This is a rare opportunity to lead at the frontier of actuarial innovation - where data science, machine learning, and software engineering create real-world impact. As Data Science Manager: Telemetry Solutions, you’ll help shape the future of insurance.

• Lead actuarial and data science initiatives across telematics, claims, and operational intelligence.
• Work with rich, real-time datasets from connected vehicles and IoT platforms to unlock insights and build predictive systems.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams - including product, development, and claims - to integrate analytics into key decision-making processes.
• Apply and grow your technical skills across AI, machine learning, and production-grade systems in a dynamic environment.
• Join a forward-looking team that values innovation, ownership, and continuous learning.

If you're technically strong, strategically curious, and passionate about using data science to tackle bold, modern challenges - this is your opportunity to lead the change.

What will you do?

The Data Science Manager: Telemetry Solutions is a future-focused leadership role that bridges actuarial science, data science, machine learning, and engineering. You will lead a multidisciplinary team that leverages telematics and alternative data to deliver intelligent solutions across usage-based insurance (UBI), claims innovation, product development, and dynamic risk assessment.

This role offers a unique opportunity to operate at the intersection of data, strategy, and technology - driving meaningful transformation in how insurance products are developed, risks are understood, and operations are optimised.

Key Responsibilities:

• Architect and deploy scalable, real-time systems for ingesting, processing, and analysing high-frequency vehicle sensor and telemetry data.
• Develop and maintain robust APIs and automation tools in Python and C# to support internal platforms and customer-facing applications.
• Oversee the creation and deployment of AI models - including computer vision and large language models (LLMs) - to enhance claims automation and document intelligence.
• Champion innovation within the actuarial domain by blending traditional methodologies with modern MLOps, software engineering, and streaming analytics.
• Manage end-to-end machine learning pipelines using tools like MLflow, ensuring reproducibility, governance, and performance monitoring.
• Collaborate closely with Product, IT, Data Engineering, and Claims teams to embed intelligent analytics into core business processes and customer experiences.
• Mentor and grow a high-performing team of data scientists, and software engineers.
• Provide technical insight and data-driven narratives to support strategic decision-making through dashboards, models, and actuarial reporting.

Qualifications

• Degree in Actuarial Science, Data Science, Statistics, Computer Science, or a related field (Honours or Master’s preferred).

Experience

• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in data science, or data engineering roles, preferably in a telematics-driven insurance environment.
• Proficient in Python and C#, with a solid foundation in object-oriented programming and API development.
• Advanced SQL skills, including data processing, database management, and query optimisation (Essential).
• Practical experience using Git for version control and collaboration(Essential).
• Hands-on experience with machine learning libraries and frameworks such as XGBoost, spaCy, Hugging Face, TensorFlow, or PyTorch.
• Proven ability to deploy and monitor models using MLflow and related MLOps tools.
• Experience with large-scale datasets, ideally from IoT or telematics sources.
• Working knowledge of Docker for containerisation (Intermediate to Advanced – Advantageous).
• Exposure to messaging systems such as RabbitMQ (Advantageous).
• Strong understanding of software engineering principles, including object-oriented design and clean code practices.
• Solid business acumen with the ability to translate technical work into strategic outcomes.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
• Demonstrated leadership experience and a passion for mentoring cross- functional teams.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to extract insights from high-volume, high-dimensional data

Knowledge and Skills Actuarial Problem Solving Issues management Business knowledge Business analysis Personal Attributes Self-development - Contributing independently Interpersonal savvy - Contributing independently Nimble learning - Contributing independently Tech savvy - Contributing independently Core Competencies Cultivates innovation - Contributing independently Customer focus - Contributing independently Drives results - Contributing independently Collaborates - Contributing independently Being resilient - Contributing independently Build a successful career with us

We’re all about building strong, lasting relationships with our employees. We know that you have hopes for your future – your career, your personal development and of achieving great things. We pride ourselves in helping our employees to realise their worth. Through its five business clusters – Sanlam Fintech, Sanlam Life and Savings, Sanlam Investment Group, Sanlam Allianz, Santam, as well as MiWay and the Group Office – the group provides many opportunities for growth and development.

Turnaround time

The shortlisting process will only start once the application due date has been reached. The time taken to complete this process will depend on how far you progress and the availability of managers.

Deadline to apply: 15 May 2025

Our commitment to transformation

At MiWay we believe in cultivating a positive and dynamic working environment that gives you freedom and opportunity to succeed. MiWay is committed to transformation and embracing diversity. This is what drives us to achieve a multicultural workplace with employment equity as a key goal to create an inclusive workforce, reflective of the demographics of our society.