Lead Machine Learning Engineer

Placements24; Centurion; On-site; ZAR 1,000,000 - 1,700,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Executive-level compensation

Stock options

Healthcare benefits

Professional development

Job summary

Placements24 in Centurion is seeking an experienced Lead Machine Learning Engineer to drive advanced analytics initiatives and ML strategy. You will lead a team of engineers, architect scalable ML systems, and deliver production-ready models that create business impact.

You will mentor data scientists and collaborate with stakeholders to translate requirements into robust ML solutions, leveraging TensorFlow, PyTorch, and cloud platforms in a modern ML stack.

Qualifications

• Master's or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Engineering, Statistics, or a related field.
• 7+ years of professional ML engineering experience with leadership.
• Proven track record deploying ML models at scale using TensorFlow, PyTorch, or scikit-learn.
• Strong programming skills in Python, Java, or Scala, and experience with big data technologies (Spark, Hadoop).

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, and deployment of scalable ML systems and pipelines.
• Mentor and manage a team of ML engineers, providing technical guidance and fostering growth.
• Collaborate with data scientists and business stakeholders to translate requirements into actionable ML solutions.
• Oversee the entire ML lifecycle, from data preprocessing and feature engineering to model training, evaluation, and production deployment.
• Ensure the performance, reliability, and scalability of ML models in production environments.
• Drive research into new ML techniques and technologies to enhance capabilities.

Job description

About the Role

Our client is looking for an experienced and visionary Lead Machine Learning Engineer to spearhead their advanced analytics initiatives in Centurion . You will lead a team of talented engineers in designing, building, and deploying sophisticated machine learning models that drive significant business value. This role requires a blend of deep technical expertise, strong leadership capabilities, and a strategic mindset to guide the ML roadmap. You will work on challenging problems, leverage state-of-the‑art technologies, and foster a culture of innovation and excellence within the ML engineering group.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, and deployment of scalable machine learning systems and pipelines.
• Mentor and manage a team of machine learning engineers, providing technical guidance and fostering their professional growth.
• Collaborate with data scientists and business stakeholders to understand requirements and translate them into actionable ML solutions.
• Oversee the entire ML lifecycle, from data preprocessing and feature engineering to model training, evaluation, and production deployment.
• Ensure the performance, reliability, and scalability of machine learning models in production environments.
• Drive research into new ML techniques and technologies to enhance the company's capabilities.

Requirements

• Master's or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Engineering, Statistics, or a related field.
• 7+ years of professional experience in machine learning engineering, with at least 2 years in a leadership role.
• Proven expertise in developing and deploying machine learning models using frameworks like TensorFlow , PyTorch, or scikit-learn.
• Strong programming skills in Python, Java, or Scala, and experience with big data technologies (e.g., Spark, Hadoop).
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and MLOps practices.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and project management skills.

Benefits

• Highly competitive salary and executive‑level benefits package.
• Significant bonus potential and stock options.
• Opportunity to lead a high‑impact team and shape the future of AI.
• Comprehensive healthcare coverage and generous retirement plan.
• Access to cutting‑edge technology and professional development resources in machine learning .