Lead Machine Learning Engineer - NLP

Placements24; South Africa; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,900,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Medical, dental, vision coverage

Generous annual leave

Training and conference attendance

Access to cutting-edge technology

Job summary

Placements24 client in Gauteng seeks a Lead Machine Learning Engineer (NLP) in Tembisa. You will lead NLP model design, development, and production deployment, building scalable ML pipelines and guiding a team of engineers and researchers.

Ideal candidates have 5+ years in ML with NLP, a Master's/PhD, strong Python, and hands-on NLP libraries (spaCy, NLTK, Transformers) plus cloud experience. Shape conversational AI and text analytics in a fast-growing AI solutions provider.

Qualifications

• Master's or Ph.D. in Computer Science, AI, Linguistics or related field.
• 5+ years in machine learning with a strong NLP focus.
• Proven leadership of technical teams and complex projects.
• Strong Python and experience with NLP libraries (spaCy, NLTK, Transformers).
• Experience with model deployment and cloud platforms (AWS/Azure/GCP).

Responsibilities

• Lead design, development, and deployment of NLP models and apps.
• Architect scalable ML pipelines for NLP tasks.
• Mentor and manage ML engineers and researchers.
• Collaborate with data scientists, engineers, and PMs to define projects.
• Evaluate NLP techniques and ensure high-quality deliverables.
• Stay updated on NLP and ML research trends.

Skills

Python programming

NLP libraries (spaCy, NLTK, Transform

Education

Master's or Ph.D. in CS/AI/Linguistics

Tools

TensorFlow

PyTorch

AWS/Azure/GCP

MLOps

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a rapidly growing AI solutions provider, is looking for an experienced Lead Machine Learning Engineer with a specialization in Natural Language Processing (NLP) to join their innovative team in Tembisa, Gauteng . This is a critical leadership role where you will be responsible for designing, developing, and deploying advanced NLP models and systems. You will lead a team of talented engineers and researchers, driving projects from ideation to production. The ideal candidate possesses a deep understanding of NLP techniques, a strong command of machine learning principles, and a proven ability to deliver impactful AI solutions in a business context. This role offers a fantastic opportunity to shape the future of conversational AI and text analytics within a dynamic and forward-thinking organization. You will work closely with product managers and stakeholders to translate business needs into robust technical solutions, ensuring high-quality outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, and deployment of NLP models and applications, including sentiment analysis, named entity recognition, and machine translation.
• Architect scalable and efficient machine learning pipelines for NLP tasks.
• Mentor and manage a team of machine learning engineers and researchers, fostering a collaborative and high-performance culture.
• Collaborate with data scientists, software engineers, and product managers to define project requirements and deliverables.
• Evaluate and select appropriate NLP techniques, algorithms, and tools for specific use cases.
• Implement and optimize machine learning models for performance and scalability.
• Stay current with the latest research and industry trends in NLP and machine learning.
• Conduct code reviews and provide technical guidance to team members.
• Ensure the quality, reliability, and maintainability of deployed NLP systems.

Requirements

• Master's or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Linguistics, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in machine learning, with a significant focus on Natural Language Processing.
• Proven experience in leading technical teams and managing complex projects.
• Strong programming skills in Python and experience with NLP libraries (e.g., spaCy, NLTK, Hugging Face Transformers).
• Expertise in deep learning frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch).
• Solid understanding of traditional NLP techniques and modern deep learning approaches for text.
• Experience with model deployment, MLOps, and cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP).
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear business insights.

Benefits

• Highly competitive salary and performance-based bonuses.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Generous annual leave and public holidays.
• Opportunities for advanced training and conference attendance.
• Access to cutting-edge technology and research resources.
• A supportive and collaborative work environment.
• Career advancement opportunities within a growing company.
• Contribution to impactful AI solutions for diverse industries.