Lead Data Scientist

MSP Staffing (PTY) LTD; KwaZulu-Natal; Remote; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

MSP Staffing (PTY) LTD seeks a Lead Data Scientist to drive production-ready AI/ML solutions in a remote, permanent role. The candidate will lead design, development and deployment of ML/AI systems, mentor data scientists, and collaborate with senior stakeholders to translate complex analytics into business outcomes.

The role requires 7+ years in data science with leadership experience, strong Python tooling, lakehouse architecture familiarity, and excellent English communication.

Qualifications

• 7+ years' experience across data science, data analytics or data warehousing.
• At least 2 years' experience in a technical or engineering leadership role.
• Advanced Python skills with Jupyter Notebooks, pandas, NumPy and scikit-learn.
• Experience with Delta Lake or comparable lakehouse architectures.
• Strong experience with PySpark, feature stores, training-data versioning and schema evolution.
• Proficiency in Power BI and Python-based visualisation or interactive analysis tools.
• Experience deploying and operating machine learning models in production.
• Excellent written and verbal English communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development and deployment of ML/AI solutions in production environments.
• Apply advanced statistical modelling and data science techniques to complex business challenges.
• Build, monitor, maintain and retrain production ML models.
• Lead or contribute to Agile delivery squads within the Platform organisation.
• Mentor data scientists and provide technical and engineering leadership.
• Communicate technical concepts and delivery outcomes with senior stakeholders.
• Develop robust data pipelines and training datasets using modern lakehouse architectures.
• Produce analytics and visualisations to support business decisions.

Job description

Our client is seeking a highly experienced Lead Data Scientist to drive advanced data science initiatives within a remote, permanent environment. This role is suited to a senior data science professional who combines strong technical capability with proven leadership and the ability to deliver production-ready AI and machine learning solutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development and deployment of machine learning and AI solutions in production environments.
• Apply advanced statistical modelling and data science techniques to complex business challenges.
• Build, monitor, maintain and retrain production machine learning models.
• Lead or contribute to Agile delivery squads within the Platform organisation.
• Mentor data scientists and provide technical and engineering leadership.
• Work closely with senior stakeholders to communicate technical concepts and delivery outcomes.
• Develop robust data pipelines, features and training datasets using modern lakehouse architectures.
• Produce meaningful analytics and visualisations to support business decision-making.

Key Requirements

• 7+ years' experience across data science, data analytics or data warehousing, with substantial recent data science experience.
• At least 2 years' experience in a technical or engineering leadership role.
• Bachelor's degree in a STEM discipline or equivalent professional experience.
• Advanced Python skills with strong experience in Jupyter Notebooks, pandas, NumPy and scikit-learn.
• Experience with Delta Lake or comparable lakehouse architectures.
• Strong experience with PySpark, feature stores, training-data versioning and schema evolution.
• Proficiency in Power BI and Python-based visualisation or interactive analysis tools.
• Demonstrated experience deploying and operating machine learning models in production.
• Excellent written and verbal English communication skills.

About MSP Staffing (PTY) LTD

MSP Staffing is a Specialist Recruitment Agency that focuseson the Engineering & Construction, Mining, Finance, Trade & Technical,Supply Chain, Information Technology and Medical and Pharmaceutical sectors.

MSP Staffing is dedicated to connecting top talent withopportunities both locally and abroad. With this in mind, our team of seasonedprofessionals bring a wealth of industry knowledge and a global perspective tothe table. We have a deep understanding of the dynamic employment landscape anda proven track record of matching top-tier professionals with prestigiouscompanies.

Whether you're a talented individual seeking the perfectrole or a forward-thinking organization in need of exceptional talent, MSPStaffing have the expertise to make it happen