Data Scientist

Love Justice International; South Africa; Hybrid; ZAR 700,000 - 1,100,000; Full time

Job summary

Love Justice International (LJI) invites applications for a Data Scientist based in South Africa. You will join the Impact Engineering Team to develop data-driven models that power our anti-trafficking programs and learning efforts.

The role requires strong data science and programming skills (Python/R), a master’s or higher, and a passion for justice. Remote work may be considered on a case-by-case basis, depending on location and regulations.

Qualifications

• Strong data science, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Master's degree or higher in data science or related field.
• Proficiency in Python, R, or equivalent.

Responsibilities

• Use data, statistical analysis, and modeling to generate insights that advance Love Justice’s anti-trafficking efforts, child-focused programs in South Asia, and organizational learning
• Apply analytical findings to support real-world action, including informing anti-trafficking operations and investigations, improving program design, and strengthening accountability
• Develop and maintain objective measures of impact, including assessing child wellbeing and benchmarking outcomes against relevant populations where appropriate
• Design, build, and continuously improve predictive assessments that support consistent, effective hiring across a range of roles
• Establish and document reproducible analytical workflows and standards, and contribute to the ongoing improvement of data systems, metrics, and data quality across the organization

Skills

Data science

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

Communication skills

Project management

Python / R

Education

Master's degree or higher in data science or related field

Tools

Python

R

Job description

Data Scientist

Job Location: South Africa

About Us: Love Justice International (LJI) is a Christian nonprofit driven by a singular calling: to help the Church share the love of Christ by bringing justice for the least of these. This calling leads us to our mission: Driving the downfall of slavery by disrupting human trafficking in transit.

We are looking for faithful, compassionate, and mission-driven problem-solvers—people who think deeply about how to fight injustice and share Christ’s love in a broken world. This isn’t just a job; it’s a calling. If you’re searching for an easy, comfortable career, there are plenty of other options. But if you’re drawn to work that demands sacrifice, boldness, and faith, we invite you to apply and explore how you can be part of this mission.

Love Justice International has been recognized as a Best Christian Workplace for six consecutive years (2021–2026), most recently achieving the “Flourishing” category—the highest level of organizational health. Learn more about who we are, what sets us apart, and our open positions at lovejustice.ngo/careers.

What We Offer

Opportunities to truly change lives are exceptionally rare—but at LJI, that is exactly the kind of impact you can have. Although we’re a nonprofit, we operate as an “Impact Engineering” organization, focused solely on maximizing real-world outcomes. By combining scientific and business principles with field-led, locally informed insights, we intercept potential trafficking victims for under $112 each, creating a ripple effect that prevents several more individuals from enslavement. This remarkable efficiency underscores the profound, far-reaching impact your work can have on countless lives.

Joining LJI means stepping into an opportunity to deeply impact lives by combating injustice and expressing the transformative love of Christ. At LJI, you'll be part of a connected, purpose-driven team committed to impactful, kingdom-class excellence.

We offer competitive and thoughtful benefits packages tailored to the specific role and location of our staff. Benefit offerings are designed to support wellness, work-life balance, and overall staff care. Details of specific benefits will vary based on location, local standards, and applicable regulations.

Position Type: Full Time; Salaried; Ballito, South Africa

Position Overview

Love Justice International (LJI) combats human trafficking through transit monitoring—intercepting potential victims at key transportation hubs, where traffickers and victims are most visible. Because trafficking is already underway at these points, our teams can gather vital information to assist law enforcement in arresting traffickers and disrupting trafficking networks. To date, LJI has intercepted over 115,000 individuals, resulting in more than 2,300 arrests. For more information on our impact, visit our website: lovejustice.ngo. In addition, LJI operates 12 family homes for orphaned and abandoned children in South Asia, and since 2015 has provided an excellent education at our ‘Dream School’ to the children who live in our Family Homes.

Our approach to maximizing mission impact involves a process we call \"Impact Engineering\". Our data scientists are part of a dedicated Impact Engineering Team that develops, refines, and improves our core processes by creating practical, data-driven models that become the engines of our tools to drive impact. By continuously testing, refining, and standardizing these models, we ensure consistent, measurable, and scalable impact across all our programs. This team's innovative work directly supports our frontline staff and helps optimize our interventions, enabling Love Justice to deliver the greatest possible impact per dollar spent.

LJI prioritizes a rigorous, data-driven approach to maximize impact and minimize harm. We use careful data collection and analysis to measure our effectiveness, continually refining and improving our anti-trafficking interventions and care for the children in our Family Homes. Adhering to the principles of “be scientific” and \"fail fast and often\", we test innovative ideas quickly, discard what doesn't work, and scale interventions proven to produce the greatest measurable good per dollar spent. This disciplined, iterative approach helps us remain accountable to our mission, ensuring that every action we take truly benefits those we serve.

The primary duty of the Data Scientist is to bring data science, mathematical, and statistical methodologies to bear on the evaluation and execution of key program strategies. The Data Scientist will report to the Lead Data Scientist. The position is based in South Africa. Remote work will be considered on an individual basis.

Key Responsibilities

• Use data, statistical analysis, and modeling to generate insights that advance Love Justice’s anti-trafficking efforts, child-focused programs in South Asia, and organizational learning
• Apply analytical findings to support real-world action, including informing anti-trafficking operations and investigations, improving program design, and strengthening accountability
• Develop and maintain objective measures of impact, including assessing child wellbeing and benchmarking outcomes against relevant populations where appropriate
• Design, build, and continuously improve predictive assessments that support consistent, effective hiring across a range of roles
• Establish and document reproducible analytical workflows and standards, and contribute to the ongoing improvement of data systems, metrics, and data quality across the organization

Christian Culture

The work at Love Justice International (including the duties listed above) is conducted within a culture that strives to emulate Christ and make Him first and central. As part of our team, we seek staff who embrace the following expressions of what it means to Abide in Christ, our first Global Value:

• Our primary identity is in Christ
• We believe God is sovereign over injustice
• We are made, called, and led by Christ
• We commit to connect with Jesus
• Prayer should be central to our work
• Our conduct is our testimony

We believe that our mission is not only about what we do but how we do it—through faith, prayer, and obedience to Christ.

Qualifications

Mission & Faith Alignment

• Mature Christian faith and agreement with our Global Value to “Abide in Christ”
• Knowledge, understanding, and agreement with how the Christian Gospel ministers to “the least of these” (Matthew 25:40) and guides us in our mission
• Agreement with our Core Value “Be the Kingdom”(in mission execution and personal conduct)
• Acknowledgment of our Statement of Faith
• Passion for justice and advocacy on behalf of vulnerable populations.

Experience & Skills

• Strong data science, analytical, and problem-solving skills, capable of assessing complex issues and finding systematic solutions
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Ability to multitask and manage various projects simultaneously
• A master's degree or higher (doctoral degree preferred) in data science, research methods, statistics in the social sciences, or a related field and/or at least 5 years of work experience as a data scientist
• Proficiency in Python, R, or an equivalent programming language
• AI Proficiency: Demonstrated ability to use AI tools to improve your own work—drafting, research, analysis, and redesigning workflows—with the discernment to verify outputs, catch errors, and recognize where AI is not appropriate. Staff use AI within the boundaries of LJI's AI Tool Usage Policy.