Data Scientist

Job Requisition - 138968
Closing Date - 29 April 2025
Location - Johannesburg
Cluster - Nedbank Wealth - Division - Nedbank Insurance
Please Note: Preference will be given to applicants from Underrepresented Groups

Job Family

Information Technology

Application Development

Manage Self Expert (MSE)

FAIS Affected

Job Purpose

Lead in designing and building next-generation analytic engines and services, applying substantial expertise in machine learning, data mining, and information retrieval to drive impactful solutions and contribute to data-driven decision-making.

Job Responsibilities

• Development of statistical models and algorithms.
• Conduct statistical analysis to gain insights from complex datasets, supporting data-driven decision-making efforts.
• Offer insights and observations to stakeholders, identify trends and measure performance.
• Support the creation of value from data, assisting in translating data into meaningful business solutions.
• Gain proficiency in financial services domain concepts and regulations to support the development of statistical models and AI/ML solutions tailored for financial applications.
• Collaborate with experienced banking professionals to design and implement ML models that meet the unique requirements of financial institutions.
• Contribute to shaping the organization's AI/ML strategy with the support of senior team members.
• Participate in converting data science prototypes into scalable machine learning solutions for potential deployment.
• Support the design of ML models and systems, considering adaptability and retraining capabilities under the guidance of experienced team members.
• Participate in the assessment of ML system performance to ensure alignment with corporate and IT strategies, collaborating with experienced colleagues.

Job Responsibilities Continue

• Understand and use computer science fundamentals, including data structures, algorithms, computability and complexity, and computer architecture.
• Strong proficiency in programming tools (such as Python, R, etc.) for data manipulation, statistical analysis, and machine learning tasks is essential.
• Familiarity with big data frameworks, such as Apache Hadoop or Spark, and have a willingness to learn and grow their expertise in handling and analyzing large-scale datasets.
• Utilize machine learning algorithms and libraries with hands-on experience.
• Support software engineering and design aspects of projects with mentorship from cross-functional teams.
• Contribute to end-to-end designs with support from experienced team members.
• Adapt communication for non-programming experts.
• Stay informed about the latest tools and techniques, engaging in continuous learning.
• Contribute to the evaluation of data distribution variations impacting model performance.
• Apply foundational analytical techniques to support business value through ML and AI.
• Familiarity with cloud computing concepts and basic experience in deploying data science solutions on cloud platforms.
• Collaborate with the team, sharing ideas and insights.
• Assist in the development of ML roadmaps.
• Seek learning opportunities and contribute to knowledge-sharing within the team.
• Contribute to the achievement of the business strategy, objectives, and values as a valuable team member.

People Specification

Essential Qualifications - NQF Level

• Matric / Grade 12 / National Senior Certificate.
• Advanced Diplomas/National 1st Degrees.

Preferred Qualification

STEM Qualification: Computer Science, Econometrics, Mathematical Statistics, Actuary Science. Masters or Doctorate will be an added advantage.

Minimum Experience Level

• MS/PhD in STEM or related technical discipline.
• 3-7 years’ experience in a statistical and/or data science role.
• Deep knowledge of machine learning, statistics, optimization, or related field.
• Experience with R, Python, Matlab is required, programming in C, C++, Java.
• Experience working with large data sets, simulation/optimization, and distributed computing tools (Map/Reduce, Hadoop, Hive, Spark, Gurobi, Arena, etc.).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills along with strong desire to work in cross-functional teams.
• Attitude to thrive in a fun, fast-paced start-up like environment.

Technical / Professional Knowledge

• Data Mining.
• Research and analytics.
• Data Tools.
• Data analysis.
• Statistical Analysis.
• Data structures.
• Presentation Skills.
• Supervised Learning.
• Unsupervised Learning.
• NLP.
• HyperParameter Tuning.
• Programming.
• Domain Knowledge.
• AI Ethics and Fairness.
• Decision Making.
• Customer Focus.