Data Scientist III

Capitec Bank Ltd.; South Africa; On-site; ZAR 700 000 - 900 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading South African bank is seeking a Mid/Senior Data Scientist to drive their AI strategy and develop innovative models. Candidates should have over 6 years of experience, a relevant degree, and expertise in machine learning principles. This role emphasizes stakeholder management and mentoring junior staff, contributing to the bank's mission of enabling clients to live better.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience in a Senior Data Science role
• Experience with stakeholder engagement management.
• Ability to mentor junior data scientists.

Responsibilities

• Drive Capitec's AI strategy and own the vision.
• Design, implement, and optimize predictive models.
• Manage stakeholder engagement across the business.

Skills

Hands-on experience deploying AI/ML solutions in real-world applications

Experience with advanced data science principles including NLP, deep learning, reinforcement learning, or time-series modeling

Python/R experience and relation/non-relational databases

Familiarity with modern deep learning frameworks (Pytorch, Tensorflow)

Stakeholder engagement management up to executive management

Strategic thinking

Leadership ability

Researching skills

Planning, organising and coordination skills

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

Tools

TensorFlow

PyTorch

GitHub

Job description

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Who we are:

We are a bank, but we’re much more than that.We believe that banking is about enabling peopleto control their financial lives through banking that is simplified, accessible, affordable and delivered through personal experience. By helping our clients manage their financial lives better, we enable them to live better.

Why choose us:

At Capitec, we offer our best by living up to our CEO values in every situation – we always put theClient first, act withEnergy andtakeOwnership.And to support people in being their best,our Employee Value Propositionoffersevery value to all team members through cohesive teams, growth opportunities as well asemployee benefitsand savings. We make it a priority toensure that each member of the Capitec team feels welcome, valued, focused, and has the opportunity to grow.

About the roles:

As a Mid/Senior Data Scientist at Capitec, your purpose is to drive Capitec’s AI strategy, with the unique opportunity to shape and own this vision from the ground up. This involves leveraging advanced, practical knowledge of state-of-the-art machine learning principles and techniques, including deep learning, natural language processing (NLP), and reinforcement learning, to develop innovative models and solve complex business challenges. You will be responsible for designing, implementing, and optimising predictive models and intelligent algorithms to uncover actionable insights that drive strategic decision-making across departments.

The role also includes the full machine learning lifecycle, from data preprocessing and experimental design to production-level model deployment. As a Senior Data Scientist, you will gather requirements and manage stakeholder engagement across the business, including executive-level management. Additionally, you will bring expertise in deep learning frameworks such as TensorFlow and PyTorch, while mentoring junior data scientists to foster a collaborative and growth-oriented team environment.

We are looking for mid/senior data scientist, ideally located in the western cape, with roles also open in Sandton. Our current requirements span business banking client experience delivery, retail banking client experience delivery, marketing client insights and engagement, retail credit management, and risk. This advertisement is intended to

Areas of focus:

• Marketing client insights and engagement,
• Risk

Our ideal candidate has:

• 6+ years of experience in a Senior Data Science role
• Bachelor’s degree or higher.
• Hands-on experience deploying AI/ML solutions in real-world applications
• Experience with advanced data science principles including NLP, deep learning, reinforcement learning, or time-series modeling.
• Python/R experience and relation/non-relational databases.
• Familiarity with modern deep learning frameworks (Pytorch, Tensorflow)
• Stakeholder engagement management up to executive management.
• Github experience or Git
• Strategic thinking
• Leadership ability
• Researching skills
• Planning, organising and coordination skills

Education:

• Completed a degree or higher

Ideal:

If you are interested in being part of this dynamic team, on a mission to build the best bank in the world through unlocking the potential of its people, please apply. We would love to hear from you!

Capitec is committed to diversity and, where feasible, all appointments will support the achievement of our employment equity goals

Capitec Bank is an authorised financial services provider (FSP 46669) and registered credit provider (NCRCP13). Capitec Bank Limited Reg. No: 1980/003695/06