Lead Data Scientist (Machine Learning Focus)

Placements24; Centurion; Hybrid; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work

Health insurance

Leadership opportunities

Tech budget

Retirement plan

Office in Centurion

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Lead Data Scientist for a prominent financial services firm in Centurion, Gauteng. This leadership role drives advanced analytics, mentors a team, and guides strategic ML initiatives across the business.

You will work with large datasets to build production models, perform customer analytics, fraud detection, and risk assessment, while communicating insights to senior management. The role offers a hybrid work setup, generous development opportunities, and access to

Qualifications

• Master's or PhD in Computer Science/Statistics/Mathematics or related field.
• 8+ years in data science and ML with at least 2 years in a leadership role.
• Proven experience deploying production ML models (classification, regression, clustering, NLP, DL).
• Strong Python or R and libraries (scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch, Pandas, NumPy).

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of data scientists.
• Develop and deploy ML models for predictive analytics, customer segmentation, fraud detection, and risk management.
• Identify business problems that can be addressed with data science and ML.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to translate data needs into analytics projects.
• Design and execute data mining and feature engineering strategies.
• Evaluate algorithms and communicate findings to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Stay updated with advancements in data science and AI; ensure ethical use of data.

Skills

Leadership

Statistical Modeling

Machine Learning

Data Visualization

Communication

Education

Master's or Ph.D. in quantitative field

Tools

scikit-learn

TensorFlow

PyTorch

Pandas

NumPy

SQL

Spark

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a prominent financial services firm, is seeking an experienced Lead Data Scientist to spearhead their advanced analytics initiatives. This role involves leading a team of data scientists, driving the development of machine learning models, and providing strategic insights to senior management. You will work with large, complex datasets to uncover patterns, predict trends, and optimize business strategies. This is a key leadership position based in Centurion, Gauteng, with a hybrid work arrangement.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of data scientists, fostering innovation and high performance.
• Develop and deploy sophisticated machine learning models for predictive analytics, customer segmentation, fraud detection, and risk management.
• Identify business challenges and opportunities that can be addressed through data science and machine learning.
• Collaborate with stakeholders across various departments to understand their data needs and translate them into actionable analytics projects.
• Design and execute data mining and data analysis strategies.
• Clean, transform, and engineer features from complex datasets.
• Evaluate and select appropriate algorithms and tools for data analysis and model building.
• Communicate complex findings and recommendations clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Stay abreast of the latest advancements in data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.
• Ensure the ethical and responsible use of data and algorithms.

Requirements

• Master's or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, or a related quantitative field.
• 8+ years of experience in data science and machine learning, with at least 2 years in a leadership role.
• Proven experience in developing and deploying production-level machine learning models (e.g., classification, regression, clustering, NLP, deep learning).
• Strong proficiency in Python or R, and relevant data science libraries (e.g., scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch, Pandas, NumPy).
• Expertise in SQL and experience with big data technologies (e.g., Spark, Hadoop).
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and their machine learning services.
• Excellent understanding of statistical modeling, data mining, and data visualization techniques.
• Strong leadership, communication, and presentation skills.
• Ability to translate complex business problems into data-driven solutions.
• Experience in the financial services industry is a significant advantage.

Benefits

• Highly competitive salary and performance bonuses.
• Executive-level health insurance.
• Significant opportunities for career advancement and leadership.
• Hybrid work environment with flexible hours.
• Access to cutting-edge technology and research.
• Generous professional development budget.
• Retirement savings plan.
• Prime office location in Centurion, Gauteng.