Lead Data Scientist - ML, Analytics & Team Leadership

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

Benefits offered by this job

Executive salary and bonus potential

Health benefits

On-site amenities

Professional development budget

Collaborative work environment

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a visionary Lead Data Scientist to spearhead advanced analytics initiatives in Centurion. You will guide a team, mentor junior members, and collaborate with business stakeholders to drive data-driven decision-making and product innovation.

The role combines deep technical ML expertise with strong leadership and communication skills. The ideal candidate has a passion for turning complex data into actionable business insights and translating them into strategic

Qualifications

• Master's or Ph.D. in a quantitative field (Data Science, Statistics, CS)
• 8+ years of data science experience, with 3+ years in leadership or senior roles
• Proficiency in statistical modeling, ML algorithms (regression, classification, clustering, deep learning) and experimental design
• Proficiency in Python or R and libraries such as scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch
• Strong SQL skills and experience with large datasets in distributed computing environments (e.g., Spark)
• Excellent communication and presentation skills to influence decisions

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, and deployment of ML models and analytics solutions
• Mentor and manage a team of data scientists and guide career development
• Collaborate with product, engineering, and marketing to define data science projects and measure impact
• Develop and maintain data pipelines for collection, cleaning, and feature engineering
• Present findings clearly to technical and non-technical audiences
• Stay current with AI/ML advancements and drive adoption where appropriate

Skills

Leadership

Data Science

Machine Learning

Python

SQL

Education

Master's or PhD in a quantitative field

Tools

TensorFlow

PyTorch

scikit-learn

Spark

Job description

Placements24 is seeking a visionary Lead Data Scientist to spearhead advanced analytics initiatives in Centurion. You will guide a team, mentor junior members, and collaborate with business stakeholders to drive data-driven decision-making and product innovation.

The role combines deep technical ML expertise with strong leadership and communication skills. The ideal candidate has a passion for turning complex data into actionable business insights and translating them into strategic