Lead Machine Learning Engineer

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

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Medical & dental cover

Pension contributions

Generous leave

Learning & conference opportunities

Modern Centurion office

Lead impactful projects

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Lead Machine Learning Engineer in Centurion, Gauteng, to guide a team through building production-grade ML models and scalable AI systems. The role emphasizes deployment, collaboration with data scientists, and advancing MLOps practices in a fast-paced environment.

The ideal candidate holds a Master's or PhD in a related field, has 5+ years in ML engineering with at least 2 years in a leadership capacity, and is proficient in Python, ML frameworks, and cloud-based ML

Qualifications

• Master's or PhD in CS/Engineering with ML specialization.
• 5+ years of hands-on ML engineering experience, with at least 2 years in a lead/senior role.
• Proven experience deploying ML models to production.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, development, and deployment of production-grade ML models and systems.
• Mentor a team of ML engineers with technical guidance.
• Develop and maintain robust MLOps pipelines for training, validation, deployment, and monitoring.
• Collaborate with data scientists and software engineers to translate research into scalable production solutions.
• Optimize ML models for performance, efficiency, and scalability.
• Ensure reliability and maintainability of ML systems in production.
• Stay updated with ML, MLOps, and related tech developments.
• Contribute to ML infra and tooling architectural decisions.

Skills

Python

ML frameworks (TensorFlow/PyTorch)

MLOps (MLflow/Kubeflow/Docker/K8s)

Cloud platforms (AWS/Azure/GCP)

Leadership

CI/CD

Git

Education

Master's or Ph.D. in CS/Engineering with ML specialization

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

TensorFlow

PyTorch

scikit-learn

Job description

About the Role

Our client is at the forefront of AI innovation and is seeking an experienced and forward-thinking Lead Machine Learning Engineer to join their team in Centurion, Gauteng . This pivotal role involves leading the development, implementation, and deployment of sophisticated machine learning models and systems. You will guide a team of talented engineers, fostering an environment of technical excellence and continuous improvement. This position offers the chance to work on challenging projects that leverage AI to drive business value and push the boundaries of what's possible. The successful candidate will have a deep understanding of ML pipelines, MLOps practices, and a passion for building scalable and robust AI solutions. As a key member of the AI & Emerging Technologies division, you will have a direct impact on the company's technological advancements. The role is based in our modern Centurion, Gauteng offices, providing a collaborative and inspiring workspace.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, and deployment of production-grade machine learning models and systems.
• Manage and mentor a team of machine learning engineers, providing technical guidance and support.
• Develop and maintain robust MLOps pipelines for automated training, validation, deployment, and monitoring of ML models.
• Collaborate with data scientists and software engineers to translate research concepts into scalable production solutions.
• Optimize machine learning models for performance, efficiency, and scalability.
• Ensure the reliability, availability, and maintainability of ML systems in production environments.
• Stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in machine learning, MLOps, and related technologies.
• Contribute to the architectural decisions regarding ML infrastructure and tooling.
• Champion best practices in software engineering and machine learning development.

Requirements

• Master's or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field with a specialization in Machine Learning.
• 5+ years of hands-on experience in machine learning engineering, with at least 2 years in a lead or senior capacity.
• Proven experience in developing and deploying machine learning models into production environments.
• Strong proficiency in Python and ML libraries/frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit-learn).
• Extensive experience with MLOps principles and tools (e.g., MLflow, Kubeflow, Docker, Kubernetes).
• Solid understanding of software development best practices, including version control (Git), CI/CD, and testing.
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and their AI/ML services.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a collaborative, fast-paced environment in Centurion, Gauteng .

Benefits

• Highly competitive salary and performance-based bonus structure.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Pension fund contributions.
• Generous annual leave and sick leave policy.
• Opportunities for continuous learning, certifications, and conference attendance.
• State-of-the-art office facilities in Centurion, Gauteng .
• The chance to lead impactful projects in a rapidly growing field.