Lead Data Scientist

Placements24; Pietermaritzburg; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Health insurance

Retirement fund contribution

Professional development

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Lead Data Scientist to spearhead advanced analytics in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal. You will guide a talented team, define the data science roadmap, and translate insights into strategic business recommendations. The role is on-site, offering influence on business decisions and a data-driven culture across the organization.

Candidates should have a Master’s or Ph.D. in a quantitative field, 7+ years in data science with 2+ years in leadership, and strong skills in

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in a quantitative field (MS/PhD).
• 7+ years in data science with at least 2 years in leadership.
• Expertise in statistical modeling, ML algorithms, and experimental design.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of data scientists and analysts.
• Develop and deploy advanced ML models and statistical methods.
• Ingest, clean and transform large datasets from diverse sources.
• Design experiments to test hypotheses and validate models.
• Communicate insights to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Define KPIs and monitor data science project performance.
• Stay updated on ML research and industry trends.
• Collaborate with engineering to deploy models into production.

Skills

Leadership

Data Science

Machine Learning

Python

R

SQL

Big Data

Visualization

Education

Master's or Ph.D. in Data Science or related field

Tools

scikit-learn

TensorFlow

PyTorch

Pandas

Tableau

Matplotlib

Seaborn

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a renowned analytics firm, is looking for an exceptional Lead Data Scientist to spearhead their advanced analytics initiatives in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, ZA . This pivotal role involves guiding a talented team of data scientists and analysts in uncovering actionable insights from complex datasets. You will be responsible for defining the data science roadmap, developing sophisticated machine learning models, and translating data-driven findings into strategic business recommendations. This is an on-site position, providing an opportunity to directly influence business decisions and foster a data-centric culture within the organization. If you possess a deep understanding of statistical modeling, machine learning, and data visualization, coupled with strong leadership qualities,

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of data scientists and analysts, fostering a collaborative and innovative environment.
• Develop and implement advanced statistical models and machine learning algorithms to solve complex business problems.
• Extract, clean, and transform large datasets from various sources for analysis.
• Design and conduct experiments to test hypotheses and validate model performance.
• Visualize and communicate complex findings and recommendations to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) for data science projects.
• Stay abreast of the latest research and techniques in data science and machine learning.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to deploy models into production environments.
• Ensure the integrity and accuracy of data analysis and model outputs.
• Drive the adoption of data-driven decision-making across the organization.

Requirements

• Master's or Ph.D. in Data Science, Statistics, Computer Science, Mathematics, or a related quantitative field.
• Proven experience (7+ years) in data science, with at least 2 years in a leadership or lead role.
• Expertise in statistical modeling, machine learning algorithms (e.g., regression, classification, clustering, deep learning), and experimental design.
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python or R, and relevant libraries (e.g., scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch, Pandas).
• Strong SQL skills for data extraction and manipulation.
• Experience with big data technologies (e.g., Spark, Hadoop) is a plus.
• Excellent data visualization skills (e.g., Tableau, Matplotlib, Seaborn).
• Demonstrated ability to lead projects and mentor team members.
• Outstanding communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
• Experience in the Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, ZA area or willingness to relocate.

Benefits

• Our client provides a highly competitive salary package, comprehensive health insurance, and a generous retirement fund contribution.
• You will have access to state-of-the-art tools and resources, opportunities for continuous learning through conferences and training programs, and a chance to work on impactful projects.
• We offer a structured career progression path and a supportive management team.
• This role is based in our modern facility in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, ZA , providing a stimulating and professional work environment.