Lead AI Scientist — Shape Strategy & Drive Innovation

Placements24; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 2,000,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Significant annual bonus potential

Medical aid

Retirement fund contributions

Professional development budget

Cape Town office

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Lead Data Scientist to drive AI innovation in Cape Town. You will lead a team of data scientists and engineers, guiding development of predictive models and AI-powered solutions.

The role demands strong leadership, strategic thinking, and hands-on expertise in ML/DL, data engineering, and cloud platforms. Cape Town office-based role with a focus on ethical AI and business impact.

Qualifications

• PhD or MSc in data science, statistics, CS, or related field.
• 7+ years in data science with proven leadership of AI projects.
• Expertise in statistical modeling, ML, DL, and AI techniques.
• Proficiency in Python or R and data visualization tools.
• Familiarity with big data tech (Spark, Hadoop) and cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP).
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and stakeholder management.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of data scientists and engineers.
• Develop and implement advanced statistical models and ML algorithms.
• Identify new AI opportunities across departments.
• Oversee end-to-end lifecycle of DS projects from conception to deployment.
• Communicate complex findings to senior leadership.
• Ensure ethical and responsible use of data and AI technologies.

Skills

Data leadership

Mentoring

Python

R

Deep learning

ML algorithms

Big data

Spark

Hadoop

Cloud platforms

Stakeholder mgmt

Education

PhD in Data Science

Master's in Data Science

Tools

Python

R

Spark

Hadoop

Tableau

Job description

Placements24 is seeking a Lead Data Scientist to drive AI innovation in Cape Town. You will lead a team of data scientists and engineers, guiding development of predictive models and AI-powered solutions.

The role demands strong leadership, strategic thinking, and hands-on expertise in ML/DL, data engineering, and cloud platforms. Cape Town office-based role with a focus on ethical AI and business impact.