Data Scientist

Watershed Consulting; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Office on site

Job summary

Watershed Consulting in Johannesburg is seeking an experienced Intermediate Data Scientist to design and productionize predictive models, perform EDA, and deliver data-driven solutions. You will build data pipelines, collaborate with stakeholders, and monitor model performance in production.

The role emphasizes statistical analysis, forecasting, classification, clustering and recommendation systems, with tools including Python, SQL, and modern ML frameworks.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Data Science, Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Engineering or related field.
• 3–6 years of hands‑on experience in Data Science or Machine Learning.
• Proven experience building and deploying machine learning models in production environments.
• Domain experience in Financial Services, Banking, Insurance, Retail, or Telecommunications is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Analyze large and complex datasets to identify trends, patterns, and business opportunities.
• Design, develop, validate, and deploy machine learning and predictive models.
• Build and optimize data pipelines for data preparation, feature engineering, and model training.
• Perform exploratory data analysis (EDA) and statistical analysis to derive actionable insights.
• Develop forecasting, classification, clustering, recommendation, and anomaly detection models.
• Collaborate with business stakeholders to gather requirements and translate them into analytical solutions.
• Communicate findings and recommendations through reports, dashboards, and presentations.
• Monitor model performance in production and implement improvements as required.
• Work closely with Data Engineers, BI Developers, Product Owners, and business teams.
• Ensure adherence to data governance, security, and compliance requirements.

Skills

Python

Pandas

NumPy

scikit-learn

TensorFlow

PyTorch

SQL

Feature Engineering

Machine Learning

Statistical Analysis

Time Series Forecasting

Classification

Clustering

Anomaly Detection

Recommendation Systems

Data Visualization

Power BI

Tableau

Matplotlib

Azure

AWS

GCP

Databricks

Azure Machine Learning

Snowflake

Spark

PySpark

MLOps

CI/CD

Docker

Kubernetes

Model Deployment

Model Monitoring

Model Governance

Explainable AI

Generative AI

Large Language Models

Data Pipelines

Data Governance

Data Security

Agile Methodologies

Stakeholder Management

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Tools

Databricks

Azure

AWS

GCP

Tableau

Power BI

Snowflake

Spark

PySpark

Docker

Kubernetes

Azure ML

Job description

Job Title: Data Scientist

Location: Johannesburg, Sandton (Mandatory work from office)

Duration: 6 + 6 months (renewal possible)

Description

We are seeking an experienced Intermediate Data Scientist to develop predictive models, generate actionable insights, and solve complex business problems using data. The successful candidate will apply statistical and machine learning techniques, build and productionize models, and work closely with business and technology stakeholders to deliver data-driven solutions.

Responsibilities

• Analyze large and complex datasets to identify trends, patterns, and business opportunities.
• Design, develop, validate, and deploy machine learning and predictive models.
• Build and optimize data pipelines for data preparation, feature engineering, and model training.
• Perform exploratory data analysis (EDA) and statistical analysis to derive actionable insights.
• Develop forecasting, classification, clustering, recommendation, and anomaly detection models.
• Collaborate with business stakeholders to gather requirements and translate them into analytical solutions.
• Communicate findings and recommendations through reports, dashboards, and presentations.
• Monitor model performance in production and implement improvements as required.
• Work closely with Data Engineers, BI Developers, Product Owners, and business teams.
• Ensure adherence to data governance, security, and compliance requirements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Data Science, Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Engineering or related field.
• 3–6 years of hands‑on experience in Data Science or Machine Learning.
• Proven experience building and deploying machine learning models in production environments.
• Domain experience in Financial Services, Banking, Insurance, Retail, or Telecommunications is advantageous.

Skills

The role requires strong technical, analytical, and communication capabilities as summarised below.

• Python
• Pandas
• NumPy
• scikit-learn
• TensorFlow
• PyTorch
• SQL
• Feature Engineering
• Machine Learning
• Statistical Analysis
• Predictive Modeling
• Exploratory Data Analysis
• Time Series Forecasting
• Classification
• Clustering
• Anomaly Detection
• Recommendation Systems
• Data Visualization
• Power BI
• Tableau
• Matplotlib
• Azure
• AWS
• GCP
• Databricks
• Azure Machine Learning
• Snowflake
• Spark
• PySpark
• MLOps
• Model Lifecycle Management
• CI/CD
• Docker
• Kubernetes
• Model Deployment
• Model Monitoring
• Model Evaluation
• Model Governance
• Explainable AI
• Responsible AI
• Generative AI
• Large Language Models
• Retrieval-Augmented Generation
• AI Agents
• Big Data
• Data Pipelines
• Data Governance
• Data Security
• Agile Methodologies
• Stakeholder Management
• Communication

. Skillset Required: Python, Pandas, NumPy, scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch, SQL, Feature Engineering