Lead NLP Engineer - Dialogue Systems

Placements24; South Africa; Remote; ZAR 1,200,000 - 2,100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Highly competitive salary

Health and wellness benefits

Stock options

Remote-first work

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Lead NLP Engineer to spearhead the development of advanced dialogue systems from Gauteng to broader regions. You will guide architectural decisions and drive the technical roadmap for innovative conversational AI products, mentoring engineers and shaping the AI strategy.

The role requires strong leadership, deep NLP expertise, and hands-on ability with modern ML frameworks. It offers remote flexibility and a high impact on cutting-edge AI initiatives.

Qualifications

• Master’s or PhD in CS, Computational Linguistics, AI, or related field.
• 5+ years of NLP experience with dialogue systems or conversational AI.
• Deep expertise in language understanding, generation, and speech processing.
• Proficiency in Python and ML libraries (TensorFlow, PyTorch, spaCy, NLTK).
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes).

Responsibilities

• Lead design, development, and deployment of NLP models for dialogue management, intents, and entities.
• Architect scalable NLP pipelines for real-time conv. applications.
• Oversee training and fine-tuning of LLMs and transformer models.
• Collaborate with product managers, UX, and data scientists to define requirements.

Skills

Leadership

Collaboration

Communication

Education

Master’s or PhD in CS, Computational Linguistics, AI, or related

Tools

Python

TensorFlow

PyTorch

spaCy

NLTK

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

About the Role

Our client is seeking a visionary Lead Natural Language Processing (NLP) Engineer to spearhead the development of advanced dialogue systems in Tembisa, Gauteng. This is a senior role requiring a deep understanding of conversational AI, language modeling, and cutting-edge NLP techniques. You will lead a talented team of engineers and researchers, guiding the architectural decisions and technical roadmap for our next-generation intelligent assistants and chatbots. This position offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of human-computer interaction and contribute significantly to our AI initiatives within Tembisa, Gauteng. If you are passionate about building intuitive and intelligent conversational experiences, this role is for you.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, and deployment of sophisticated NLP models for dialogue management, intent recognition, and entity extraction.
• Architect and implement robust, scalable, and efficient NLP pipelines for real-time conversational applications.
• Oversee the training and fine-tuning of large language models (LLMs) and transformer-based architectures.
• Collaborate closely with product managers, UX designers, and data scientists to define product requirements and deliver exceptional user experiences.
• Mentor and guide a team of NLP engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence and continuous learning.
• Establish best practices for NLP development, including code quality, testing, and MLOps.
• Evaluate and integrate new NLP technologies and research findings into our product development lifecycle.

Requirements

• Master's or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Computational Linguistics, AI, or a related field.
• Extensive experience (5+ years) in NLP, with a proven track record in developing and deploying dialogue systems or conversational AI.
• Deep expertise in language understanding, natural language generation, and speech processing.
• Proficiency in Python and ML libraries such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, spaCy, and NLTK.
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Strong understanding of machine learning fundamentals and statistical modeling.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and collaboration skills.

Benefits

• This role comes with a highly competitive salary, comprehensive health and wellness benefits, and opportunities for stock options.
• Our client fosters a culture of innovation and provides generous support for professional development, including conference attendance and advanced training.
• The fully remote nature of this position offers unparalleled flexibility and work-life balance, allowing you to work from anywhere.
• You'll have access to cutting-edge technology and the chance to work on impactful projects that are shaping the future of AI.
• Enjoy a dynamic and supportive team environment, even from a distance.