Lead AI Engineer — Drug Discovery & Therapeutics (Hybrid)

Placements24; Durban; Híbrido; ZAR 1.500.000 - 2.300.000; Jornada completa

Ventajas ofrecidas por este puesto de trabajo

Competitive pay

Health benefits

Hybrid work model

Career development

Descripción de la vacante

Placements24 in Durban seeks a Lead AI Engineer to drive AI/ML for drug discovery. You will lead a team of data scientists and AI engineers, shaping models from data prep to deployment in collaboration with chemists and biologists.

You will oversee the full ML lifecycle, evaluate new AI technologies, and translate complex results into actionable insights for stakeholders. This hybrid role blends on-site leadership with remote collaboration in a fast-paced research environment.

Formación

• Master's or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Bioinformatics, or related quantitative field.
• Minimum of 7 years of experience in AI/ML engineering, with a significant portion focused on applications in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry.
• Proven track record of successfully developing and deploying production-level ML models.
• Expertise in programming languages such as Python, and proficiency with ML frameworks like TensorFlow, PyTorch, or scikit-learn.
• Strong understanding of various ML algorithms, including deep learning, reinforcement learning, and graph neural networks.
• Experience with cheminformatics, bioinformatics, or related life sciences data is highly desirable.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and team collaboration skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, innovative research environment.

Responsabilidades

• Lead the design, development, and deployment of machine learning models for drug discovery applications (target identification, hit identification, lead optimization, ADMET).
• Oversee the end-to-end ML lifecycle, from data acquisition and preprocessing to model training, validation, and deployment.
• Collaborate with medicinal chemists, biologists, and pharmacologists to translate project needs into data-driven AI solutions.
• Mentor and manage a team of AI engineers and data scientists, providing technical guidance and growth opportunities.
• Evaluate and implement new AI technologies, algorithms, and tools to enhance drug discovery capabilities.
• Develop robust data pipelines and ensure data quality for model training.
• Communicate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Contribute to strategic planning and roadmap development for AI in drug discovery.

Conocimientos

Python

TensorFlow

PyTorch

scikit-learn

Deep learning

Reinforcement learning

Graph neural networks

Leadership

Communication

Educación

MS/PhD in CS/AI

Quantitative life sciences

Descripción del empleo

Placements24 in Durban seeks a Lead AI Engineer to drive AI/ML for drug discovery. You will lead a team of data scientists and AI engineers, shaping models from data prep to deployment in collaboration with chemists and biologists.

You will oversee the full ML lifecycle, evaluate new AI technologies, and translate complex results into actionable insights for stakeholders. This hybrid role blends on-site leadership with remote collaboration in a fast-paced research environment.