Lead Data Scientist

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

Benefits offered by this job

Medical aid

Provident fund

Life insurance

Professional development

Generous leave

Job summary

Placements24 in Rustenburg, North West, SA, is seeking a Lead Data Scientist to spearhead our analytics initiatives on-site. You will mentor a team, shape the data science strategy, and develop advanced ML models to solve complex business challenges.

The role demands a PhD or Master’s in a quantitative field, 8+ years in data science, and strong leadership with expertise in ML, big data, and cloud platforms. On-site in Rustenburg with competitive benefits.

Qualifications

• PhD or Master’s degree in quantitative field (CS/Statistics/Math).
• 8+ years in data science with production ML experience.
• Proven leadership of data science teams.
• Expertise in ML algorithms and data mining techniques.
• Strong Python/R and ML libraries.
• Experience with Spark/Hadoop and SQL.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of data scientists, guiding technical development and project execution.
• Define and drive the overall data science strategy, identifying opportunities for data-driven innovation.
• Develop, validate, and deploy ML models and statistical algorithms to address business problems.
• Oversee end-to-end data science lifecycle from data acquisition to deployment and monitoring.
• Collaborate with engineering, product, and business units to integrate data science solutions.
• Conduct exploratory data analysis to uncover trends and insights.
• Communicate findings clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Stay updated on latest data science research and cloud platforms.

Skills

Team leadership

Data strategy

Statistical modeling

ML deployment

Python/R

Big data

Education

PhD or Master’s in CS/Statistics/Math

Tools

Python

R

TensorFlow

PyTorch

Spark

SQL

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a cutting-edge analytics firm specializing in predictive modeling and machine learning, is seeking an experienced and visionary Lead Data Scientist to spearhead their data science initiatives. This is a critical on-site role based in Rustenburg, North West, ZA , where you will lead a team of talented data scientists, shape the company's analytical strategy, and drive the development of sophisticated algorithms. You will be instrumental in extracting actionable insights from complex datasets, building robust machine learning models, and communicating findings to executive stakeholders. We are looking for a highly analytical individual with a proven ability to translate business challenges into data-driven solutions. This position offers the chance to make a significant impact, work with state-of-the-art technologies, and mentor a growing team. The ideal candidate possesses exceptional technical skills, strong leadership qualities, and a deep understanding of statistical modeling and data mining techniques. If you are passionate about leveraging data to solve real-world problems and lead high-performing teams, this opportunity is for you.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of data scientists, guiding their technical development and project execution.
• Define and drive the overall data science strategy, identifying key opportunities for data-driven innovation.
• Develop, validate, and deploy advanced machine learning models and statistical algorithms to address business problems.
• Oversee the end-to-end data science project lifecycle, from data acquisition and cleaning to model deployment and performance monitoring.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including engineering, product, and business units, to integrate data science solutions.
• Conduct in-depth exploratory data analysis to uncover trends, patterns, and insights.
• Communicate complex analytical findings and recommendations clearly and concisely to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Stay abreast of the latest research and advancements in data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.
• Ensure data quality, integrity, and ethical considerations in all data science activities.

Requirements

• Ph.D. or Master's degree in Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, or a related quantitative field.
• Minimum of 8 years of experience in data science, with a strong focus on building and deploying machine learning models in production environments.
• Proven experience in leading and managing a team of data scientists.
• Expertise in statistical modeling, machine learning algorithms (e.g., regression, classification, clustering, deep learning), and data mining techniques.
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python or R, and associated data science libraries (e.g., scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch, pandas, NumPy).
• Experience with big data technologies (e.g., Spark, Hadoop) and SQL is essential.
• Strong understanding of data visualization tools and techniques.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex business problems into data science solutions.
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) for data science workloads is a plus.

Benefits

• This role offers a highly competitive salary, performance-based bonuses, and comprehensive benefits including medical aid, provident fund, and life insurance.
• We invest in our employees' growth with opportunities for advanced training, conference attendance, and support for further education.
• Employees also enjoy a generous leave allowance and access to company facilities.
• This position is based in Rustenburg, North West, ZA , requiring on-site presence.