Lead Machine Learning Engineer - Computer Vision

Placements24; South Africa; Remote; ZAR 1,700,000 - 3,200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Stock options

Job summary

Placements24 seeks a Lead Machine Learning Engineer (Computer Vision) to head CV model development and deployment in Centurion, Gauteng. You will guide a team of engineers and researchers, shaping technical direction, data pipelines, and MLOps practices to deliver production-ready vision systems.

The role demands a strong ML/CV background, leadership skills, and the ability to align technical work with business goals in a fast-paced environment. Relocation support available.

Qualifications

• Master's or PhD in CS, EE, AI or related field with CV focus.
• 7+ years in ML and CV, including 2+ years in leadership roles.
• Proven DL model development for CV tasks (detection, segmentation, recognition, generation).
• Strong Python and ML frameworks: TensorFlow, PyTorch, Keras.
• Experience with OpenCV and CV libraries.
• MLOps experience and production deployment of models.
• Solid software engineering principles and best practices.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Able to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Experience with cloud ML services (AWS, Azure, GCP).

Responsibilities

• Lead design, development, training, and deployment of CV models.
• Mentor a team of ML engineers and data scientists.
• Define technical roadmap for CV initiatives.
• Oversee data pipelines, model validation, and MLOps.
• Collaborate with product, software, and stakeholders to deliver CV solutions.
• Stay updated with CV/ML research and industry trends.
• Ensure CV systems are scalable, efficient, and reliable in production.
• Contribute to the company's AI strategy and vision.
• Conduct code reviews and provide feedback to team members.
• Champion best practices in software and ML engineering.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Interpersonal skills

Education

Master's or PhD in CS / EE / AI (CV focus)

Tools

OpenCV

TensorFlow

PyTorch

Keras

Job description

About the Role

Our client is seeking an accomplished and visionary Lead Machine Learning Engineer with a specialization in Computer Vision to join their innovative team, based in Centurion, Gauteng. This is a leadership position where you will spearhead the development and deployment of advanced computer vision systems that push the boundaries of AI. You will be responsible for guiding a team of talented engineers and researchers, fostering a collaborative and high-performance culture. The ideal candidate will have a deep technical understanding of machine learning and computer vision algorithms, coupled with strong leadership capabilities and a passion for solving real-world problems. This role offers the exciting opportunity to influence product strategy and technical direction within a forward-thinking organization located in Centurion, Gauteng. You will work on cutting-edge projects that impact multiple industries.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, training, and deployment of state-of-the-art computer vision models and systems.
• Manage and mentor a team of machine learning engineers and data scientists, providing technical guidance and career development support.
• Define the technical roadmap for computer vision initiatives, ensuring alignment with business goals.
• Oversee the implementation of robust data pipelines, model validation strategies, and MLOps practices for computer vision projects.
• Collaborate closely with product management, software engineering, and other stakeholders to deliver impactful computer vision solutions.
• Stay abreast of the latest research and industry trends in computer vision and machine learning.
• Ensure the scalability, efficiency, and reliability of computer vision systems in production environments.
• Contribute to the overall AI strategy and technical vision of the company.
• Conduct code reviews and provide constructive feedback to team members.
• Champion best practices in software development and machine learning engineering.

Requirements

• Master's or Ph.D. degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, or a related field with a focus on Computer Vision.
• Minimum of 7 years of experience in machine learning and computer vision, with at least 2 years in a leadership or senior technical role.
• Proven expertise in developing and deploying deep learning models for computer vision tasks such as object detection, image segmentation, facial recognition, and image generation.
• Strong proficiency in Python and ML frameworks like TensorFlow, PyTorch, or Keras.
• Experience with computer vision libraries (e.g., OpenCV).
• Demonstrated experience with MLOps and deploying models to production environments.
• Excellent understanding of software engineering principles and best practices.
• Strong leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and their ML services is highly desirable.

Benefits

• Highly competitive salary and bonus structure.
• Comprehensive health, wellness, and retirement benefits.
• Significant opportunities for professional growth and learning.
• Chance to lead impactful projects at the forefront of AI innovation.
• Flexible working arrangements are available to support a healthy work-life balance.
• Access to advanced research and development resources in Centurion, Gauteng.
• Relocation assistance for qualified candidates.
• Employee stock purchase plan.