Data Scientist (George)

DataFin Recruitment; George; On-site; ZAR 500 000 - 800 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading recruitment agency is seeking a Data Scientist in George. The ideal candidate will leverage machine learning techniques to create powerful production-ready models from messy data. Responsibilities include data preparation, model building, and performance monitoring. Candidates should have a degree in Data Science or Actuarial Science, with at least 3 years of relevant experience in the financial services sector. This position offers an exciting opportunity to make impactful decisions based on data.

Qualifications

• 3+ years in insurance or financial services (short-term insurance = bonus points).
• 3+ years taking ML projects from raw data to deployment.
• Hands-on experience with claims modeling, survival analysis, and statistical modeling.

Responsibilities

• Prepping, cleaning & shaping raw data into machine-learning gold.
• Finding hidden patterns no one else sees.
• Building, validating & deploying ML models into production.
• Keeping an eagle eye on model performance and spotting drift.
• Retraining and upgrading models to maintain sharpness.

Skills

Python

R

SQL

Data wrangling

Statistical modeling

Education

Degree or Honours in Data Science or Actuarial Science

Tools

Power BI

Qlik Sense

Tableau

ML platforms

Job description

ENVIRONMENT

Our client is on the hunt for a Data Scientist who can make machines think smarter than humans. Based in George — where your models run fast and the coffee runs faster — you’ll join a team that’s redefining how data drives business. They’re not here to build pretty dashboards — they’re here to solve real problems with machine learning that drives smarter decisions, cuts costs, and fuels innovation. If you can turn messy data into powerful, production-ready models (no handholding required), this might just be your next great adventure.

DUTIES

• Prepping, cleaning & shaping raw data into machine-learning gold
• Finding hidden patterns no one else sees
• Building, validating & deploying ML models into production
• Keeping an eagle eye on model performance (and spotting drift before it drifts too far)
• Retraining and upgrading models so they stay sharp
• Designing intuitive dashboards & tools that make complex results look effortless

REQUIREMENTS

• Have a Degree or Honours in Data Science or Actuarial Science.
• Have 3+ years in insurance or financial services (short-term insurance = bonus points).
• Have 3+ years taking ML projects from raw data to deployment.
• Can wrangle Python or R, SQL or Snowflake like a pro.
• Have hands‑on claims modelling, survival analysis & statistical modelling chops.
• Understand time series forecasting like the back of your hand.
• Are curious, independent, and allergic to “good enough”.

Extra street cred for

• Experience with ML platforms
• Power BI, Qlik Sense, Tableau wizardry