Principal AI/ML Data Scientist - Lead & Architect

Placements24; Randburg; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity participation

Health & wellness benefits

Leadership development

Job summary

Placements24 seeks a Principal Data Scientist to lead advanced analytics and AI projects in Randburg, driving model development and deployment while mentoring a team of data scientists and engineers. The role collaborates with product managers and software engineers to shape project scope and deliverables.

The ideal candidate holds a PhD or MSc in a quantitative field with ML/AI specialization, 10+ years in data science, and expert Python/R with TensorFlow/PyTorch.

Qualifications

• PhD or MSc in a quantitative field with ML/AI specialization.
• 10+ years of hands-on data science experience.
• Proficiency in Python or R and ML libraries (TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit-learn).
• Deep understanding of ML algorithms (DL, NLP, RL) and practical applications.
• Experience with big data (Spark/Hadoop) and cloud platforms (AWS/Azure/GCP).
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and leadership skills.
• Excellent communication abilities and project leadership experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, and deployment of ML models and AI algorithms.
• Architect scalable data science solutions and pipelines for large-scale data.
• Mentor and guide a team of data scientists and engineers.
• Collaborate with product managers, engineers, and stakeholders to define scope and deliverables.
• Conduct rigorous experimentation, validation, and performance monitoring of models.
• Stay updated with AI/ML research and trends, applying them where beneficial.
• Communicate complex concepts to senior management and non-technical audiences.
• Contribute to the strategic roadmap for AI/ML initiatives.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Problem-solving

Project leadership

Education

PhD or MSc in CS/Statistics/Math/Physics with ML/AI specialization

Tools

TensorFlow

PyTorch

scikit-learn

Spark

Hadoop

AWS

Azure

GCP

Job description

Placements24 seeks a Principal Data Scientist to lead advanced analytics and AI projects in Randburg, driving model development and deployment while mentoring a team of data scientists and engineers. The role collaborates with product managers and software engineers to shape project scope and deliverables.

The ideal candidate holds a PhD or MSc in a quantitative field with ML/AI specialization, 10+ years in data science, and expert Python/R with TensorFlow/PyTorch.