Data Scientist

Deka Minas Pty Ltd; Johannesburg; On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial services institution in Johannesburg is seeking a Data Scientist to develop and deploy machine learning models. This role focuses on creating innovative AI solutions across various financial cases, mentoring junior team members, and ensuring compliance with governance standards. Ideal candidates possess a strong background in data science, experience in financial services, and proficiency in key data science tools.

Qualifications

• 3–5+ years of experience in applied data science or AI roles.
• Hands-on experience with vector databases and AI orchestration frameworks.
• Familiarity with financial use cases like credit scoring and fraud detection.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and deploy ML and AI models.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to deliver intelligent solutions.
• Mentor junior data scientists on best practices.

Skills

Proficiency in Python

Data Science Toolkits

MLOps Tools

Excellent Communication Skills

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in related field

Tools

Python

Pandas

NumPy

Scikit-learn

TensorFlow

PyTorch

MLOps Tools

AWS Bedrock

Databricks

Job description

Data Scientist required within a leading financial services institution. This role focuses on developing, deploying, and operationalizing machine learning (ML), artificial intelligence (AI), generative AI, and agentic AI models to drive innovation in a fast-paced, high-impact environment. You will work across functional teams to deliver intelligent solutions for financial use cases like credit risk, fraud detection, and personalisation, while mentoring junior data scientists and ensuring adherence to enterprise governance and architecture standards.

Main Responsibilities

• Design, develop, test, and deploy production-grade ML, AI, generative AI, and agentic AI models.
• Create reusable AI blueprints for multiple use cases, ensuring scalability and performance.
• Develop guardrails to align with enterprise security, architecture, and governance standards.
• Collaborate with stakeholders across Business Units (e.g., Risk, Compliance) to identify, design, and deploy impactful solutions.
• Translate complex business problems into structured tasks, delivering measurable value through deployed models.
• Build and maintain model pipelines using enterprise MLOps frameworks for audibility and scalability.
• Monitor and optimize model performance, re-training as needed in dynamic banking environments.
• Mentor junior data scientists on model selection, experimentation protocols, and deployment best practices.
• Stay updated on advancements in foundation models, multi-agent systems, and AI governance frameworks.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, Engineering, or a related field (PhD a plus).
• 3–5+ years of experience in applied data science or AI roles, preferably in financial services or banking.
• Proficiency in Python and data science toolkits (e.g., Pandas, NumPy, Scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch).
• Experience with platforms like Databricks, AWS Bedrock, or Amazon SageMaker for AI / ML development.
• Hands-on experience with vector databases (e.g., OpenSearch, Pinecone, FAISS, Milvus) and AI orchestration frameworks (e.g., LangChain, LlamaIndex).
• Strong understanding of MLOps tools (e.g., MLflow, Kubeflow, Docker, Airflow) and cloud platforms.
• Experience deploying models in regulated environments with a focus on model risk, explainability, and compliance.
• Familiarity with financial use cases such as credit scoring, fraud detection, KYC, and personalization.
• Excellent communication skills to explain technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
• Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced, business-critical environment.

Please note that by submitting your personal information to Deka Minas you free-willingly issue the business consent to make use of such data for the specific purpose of securing you either permanent or temporary employment. Our business makes use of a POPIA compliant database and you have the right to access, right to correction and right to deletion of your personal information.

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