Data Scientist (Machine Learning Focus)

Placements24; Bloemfontein; Hybrid; ZAR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus program

Health insurance

Retirement plan

Professional development

Collaborative environment

Cutting-edge tools

Generous leave

Job summary

Placements24 in Bloemfontein is seeking an innovative and analytical Data Scientist with a strong focus on machine learning to join the analytics team. Design, develop, and deploy ML models to uncover insights from large datasets and drive data-informed decisions across the organization.

The ideal candidate holds a Master’s or PhD in a quantitative field, demonstrates proficiency in Python or R and ML libraries, and can present complex findings clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.

Qualifications

• Master's or PhD in Data Science, Statistics, Computer Science, Mathematics, or related quantitative field.
• Proven experience as a Data Scientist with a portfolio of ML projects.
• Proficiency in Python or R and ML libraries (scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch).
• Strong grasp of statistical modeling, ML algorithms, and data mining.
• Experience with data visualization and SQL; familiarity with big data is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and implement ML models to solve business problems (classification, regression, clustering, NLP).
• Clean, preprocess, and transform large, complex datasets for analysis and modeling.
• Perform exploratory data analysis to identify trends, patterns, and anomalies.
• Evaluate and compare different ML algorithms and techniques.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to translate business needs into data science requirements.
• Deploy models into production environments and monitor performance over time.
• Communicate findings clearly through visualizations and presentations.
• Stay abreast of advancements in data science, ML, and AI.

Skills

Strong analytical

Excellent communication

Problem solving

Education

Master's or PhD in Data Science, Statistics, Computer Science, Mathematics, or related quantitative field

Tools

Python

R

scikit-learn

TensorFlow

PyTorch

pandas

NumPy

SQL

Spark

Hadoop

Job description

About the Role

Our client is seeking an innovative and analytical Data Scientist with a strong focus on Machine Learning to join their analytics team in Bloemfontein . This role is integral to uncovering insights from complex datasets, developing predictive models, and driving data-informed decision-making across the organization. You will work with large-scale data, applying advanced statistical techniques and machine learning algorithms to solve challenging business problems. The ideal candidate possesses a deep understanding of ML principles, excellent programming skills, and the ability to communicate complex findings effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences. This is a dynamic opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge data science initiatives and shape the future of data utilization within the company.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and implement machine learning models to solve business problems (e.g., classification, regression, clustering, NLP).
• Clean, preprocess, and transform large, complex datasets for analysis and modeling.
• Perform exploratory data analysis to identify trends, patterns, and anomalies.
• Evaluate and compare different machine learning algorithms and techniques.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to understand business needs and translate them into data science requirements.
• Deploy models into production environments and monitor their performance over time.
• Communicate findings, insights, and recommendations clearly through visualizations and presentations.
• Stay abreast of the latest advancements in data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.
• Contribute to the development of data pipelines and infrastructure for efficient data processing.

Requirements

• Master's or Ph.D. in Data Science, Statistics, Computer Science, Mathematics, or a related quantitative field.
• Proven experience as a Data Scientist, with a strong portfolio of ML projects.
• Proficiency in Python or R, and relevant data science libraries (e.g., scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch, pandas, NumPy).
• Solid understanding of statistical modeling, machine learning algorithms, and data mining techniques.
• Experience with data visualization tools and techniques.
• Familiarity with SQL and experience working with relational databases.
• Experience with big data technologies (e.g., Spark, Hadoop) is a plus.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.

Benefits

• Attractive salary and performance-based bonuses.
• Comprehensive health insurance and retirement savings plan.
• Opportunities for professional development and attending industry conferences.
• A collaborative and intellectually stimulating work environment in Bloemfontein .
• Access to cutting-edge tools and technologies for data analysis and model development.
• Generous annual leave and work-life balance support.
• The chance to make a significant impact through data-driven insights.