Lead Machine Learning Engineer

Placements24; Stellenbosch; Hybrid; ZAR 1,000,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Retirement plan with match

Paid time off

Job summary

Placements24 in Stellenbosch, Western Cape, ZA is seeking an experienced Lead Machine Learning Engineer to design, develop, and deploy scalable ML systems. You will lead a team of engineers, guiding them from data preprocessing and model training to production deployment in a fast-paced environment.

The ideal candidate has 7+ years in software engineering with a strong ML focus, expert Python, and hands-on experience with TensorFlow, PyTorch, and Docker/Kubernetes.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in software engineering with a strong ML focus.
• Experience leading a team of engineers.
• Strong Python and ML libraries.
• Experience with distributed systems and cloud platforms.

Responsibilities

• Design and architect scalable ML systems.
• Develop, train, and deploy ML models using TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit-learn.
• Oversee end-to-end ML lifecycle: data pipelines, feature engineering, deployment.
• Mentor ML engineers and enforce coding/testing best practices.
• Collaborate with data scientists and product managers.
• Optimize model performance, latency, and resource usage in production.
• Implement monitoring and alerting for ML models.

Job description

About the Role

Our client is seeking an experienced and visionary Lead Machine Learning Engineer to join their innovative technology team in Stellenbosch, Western Cape, ZA. In this role, you will be instrumental in designing, developing, and deploying scalable machine learning systems that power our core products and services. You will lead a team of talented engineers, guiding them in the implementation of state-of-the‑art ML solutions, from data preprocessing and model training to deployment and monitoring. This is an exceptional opportunity to shape the future of our AI capabilities and contribute to a dynamic, fast‑paced environment. The ideal candidate possesses a strong blend of software engineering principles and deep machine learning expertise, with a proven ability to deliver robust and efficient ML pipelines.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design and architecture of scalable machine learning systems and infrastructure.
• Develop, train, and deploy machine learning models using a variety of algorithms and frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit-learn).
• Oversee the end-to-end ML lifecycle, including data pipelines, feature engineering, model selection, validation, and production deployment.
• Mentor and guide a team of machine learning engineers, fostering best practices in coding, testing, and deployment.
• Collaborate with data scientists and product managers to understand requirements and translate them into technical solutions.
• Optimize model performance, latency, and resource utilization in production environments.
• Stay current with the latest advancements in machine learning and MLOps, and identify opportunities for innovation.
• Implement robust monitoring and alerting systems for ML models in production.

Requirements

• Master's or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Engineering, Statistics, or a related quantitative field.
• 7+ years of experience in software engineering, with a significant focus on machine learning systems development and deployment.
• Proven experience leading a team of engineers.
• Expert proficiency in programming languages such as Python, with extensive experience in ML libraries and frameworks.
• Strong understanding of distributed systems, cloud computing platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Experience with MLOps tools and best practices for model lifecycle management.
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and debugging skills.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across teams.
• Willingness to work in a hybrid model, involving both remote work and on‑site presence in Stellenbosch.

Benefits

• Our client offers a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package, including health, dental, and vision insurance, a retirement savings plan with company match, and generous paid time off.
• We support professional development through training programs, conferences, and access to cutting‑edge technologies.

Join a forward‑thinking company where you can significantly impact the Machine Learning landscape in Stellenbosch, Western Cape, ZA.