Head of Data Science | Remote, Impact‑Driven ML Leader

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

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Generous PTO

Remote work

Bonuses

Stock options

Job summary

Placements24 in Benoni, Gauteng seeks a Lead Data Scientist to spearhead data initiatives and mentor a team of data scientists. You will shape the data strategy, translate business challenges into analytical solutions, and drive value through ML and advanced analytics.

You will work with stakeholders across departments, build data pipelines, design experiments, and stay on the cutting edge of data science methodologies to ensure ethical AI use.

Qualifications

• Master's or Ph.D. in a quantitative field.
• 7+ years in data science with at least 2 in a leadership/mentorship role.
• Proven track record deploying ML models in production.
• Expertise in statistical modeling, ML algorithms, and experimental design.
• Proficient in Python or R and libraries such as scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch, pandas.
• Strong SQL skills, plus Spark/Hadoop experience.
• Data visualization using Matplotlib/Seaborn/Tableau/Power BI.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management.
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS/Azure/GCP) and MLOps is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of data scientists to drive innovation.
• Define and execute the company's data science strategy.
• Develop, deploy, and monitor ML models addressing business needs.
• Perform advanced statistical analysis to derive actionable insights.
• Collaborate with marketing, operations, and product teams on data needs.
• Design and manage experiments including A/B tests to validate hypotheses.
• Clearly communicate complex results to diverse audiences.
• Build and maintain data pipelines for training and deployment.
• Stay ahead of advances in data science and AI, adopting where appropriate.
• Ensure ethical and responsible use of data and AI models.

Skills

Leadership

Data storytelling

Mentorship

Python

R

SQL

Spark

Hadoop

Machine learning

Statistical modeling

A/B testing

Communication

Cloud platforms

Education

Master's or Ph.D. in a quantitative field

Tools

scikit-learn

TensorFlow

PyTorch

pandas

Tableau

Power BI

Job description

Placements24 in Benoni, Gauteng seeks a Lead Data Scientist to spearhead data initiatives and mentor a team of data scientists. You will shape the data strategy, translate business challenges into analytical solutions, and drive value through ML and advanced analytics.

You will work with stakeholders across departments, build data pipelines, design experiments, and stay on the cutting edge of data science methodologies to ensure ethical AI use.