Principal AI Engineer - NLP Specialist

Placements24; Centurion; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 2,400,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Health and retirement benefits

Professional development

Generous PTO

Cutting-edge technology

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Principal AI Engineer (NLP) to lead the design and deployment of cutting-edge NLP systems in Centurion. You will drive architecture decisions, collaborate with data scientists, and mentor a team of AI engineers.

The role requires a PhD/masters, 7+ years of NLP experience, and expert proficiency with transformers, Python, and ML frameworks. You will shape the R&D roadmap and deliver production-grade NLP solutions in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Master's or PhD in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Computational Linguistics, or a related field.
• Minimum of 7 years of hands-on experience in developing and deploying NLP solutions.
• Deep expertise in NLP concepts (text classification, sentiment analysis, NER, MT, QA).
• Proficiency with NLP libraries and frameworks such as Hugging Face Transformers, spaCy, NLTK, and Gensim.
• Strong programming skills in Python and experience with deep learning frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch).
• Experience with MLOps practices for NLP model deployment and lifecycle management.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, and implementation of advanced NLP models and algorithms (e.g., transformers, LLMs, seq-to-seq).
• Develop and optimize NLP pipelines for text processing, understanding, and generation tasks.
• Collaborate with product managers and data scientists to define NLP features and requirements.
• Engineer robust and scalable NLP solutions for production environments.
• Conduct research into new NLP techniques to enhance existing systems.
• Mentor and guide junior AI engineers and data scientists.
• Ensure the quality, performance, and maintainability of NLP code and systems.
• Contribute to the strategic planning and technical direction of NLP initiatives.
• Present technical concepts and findings to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Skills

NLP expertise

Leadership

Mentoring

Communication

Research capability

Education

Master's or PhD in Computer Science, AI, Computational Linguistics

Tools

Hugging Face Transformers

spaCy

NLTK

Gensim

Python

TensorFlow

PyTorch

MLOps for NLP

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a leading innovator in AI-driven solutions, is actively seeking a highly skilled and experienced Principal AI Engineer specializing in Natural Language Processing (NLP) to join their prestigious R&D division in Centurion, Gauteng . This is a senior position demanding deep technical expertise and a passion for building state-of-the‑art NLP systems. You will be instrumental in designing, developing, and deploying advanced NLP models and applications that address complex business challenges. This role involves leading challenging projects, mentoring junior engineers, and contributing significantly to the company's technological roadmap. The ideal candidate possesses a strong foundation in NLP, machine learning, and software engineering best practices. You will work within a collaborative and stimulating environment, pushing the boundaries of what's possible with language technology.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, and implementation of advanced NLP models and algorithms (e.g., transformers, LLMs, sequence-to-sequence models).
• Develop and optimize NLP pipelines for text processing, understanding, and generation tasks.
• Collaborate with product managers and data scientists to define NLP features and requirements.
• Engineer robust and scalable NLP solutions for production environments.
• Conduct research into new NLP techniques and technologies to enhance existing systems.
• Mentor and guide junior AI engineers and data scientists.
• Ensure the quality, performance, and maintainability of NLP code and systems.
• Contribute to the strategic planning and technical direction of NLP initiatives.
• Present technical concepts and findings to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Requirements

• Master's or Ph.D. degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Computational Linguistics, or a related field.
• Minimum of 7 years of hands-on experience in developing and deploying NLP solutions.
• Deep expertise in NLP concepts, including but not limited to, text classification, sentiment analysis, named entity recognition, machine translation, and question answering.
• Proficiency with NLP libraries and frameworks such as Hugging Face Transformers, spaCy, NLTK, and Gensim.
• Strong programming skills in Python and experience with deep learning frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch).
• Experience with MLOps practices for NLP model deployment and lifecycle management.
• Solid understanding of machine learning principles and statistical modeling.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a collaborative, fast-paced environment in Centurion, Gauteng .

Benefits

• Our client offers a highly competitive salary package, including a substantial annual income and performance-based incentives.
• Comprehensive health and wellness benefits are provided, alongside a generous retirement savings plan.
• Opportunities for professional development, including attending leading AI and NLP conferences, are readily available.
• The company supports a strong work-life balance with ample paid time off and a supportive work environment.
• You will have access to cutting-edge technology and collaborate with a team of passionate AI experts in our state-of-the-art Centurion, Gauteng office.