Principal AI Software Engineer - MLOps

Placements24; Pretoria; Hybrid; ZAR 1,200,000 - 2,000,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Health and retirement benefits

Flexible work arrangements

Relocation assistance

Stock purchase plan

Professional development

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Principal AI Software Engineer specializing in MLOps to join our client’s team in Pretoria, Gauteng. You will bridge ML research and production, designing scalable infrastructure for data, training, deployment, monitoring, and retraining.

The role requires 8+ years in software engineering with MLOps, experience with containerization, cloud ML services, and CI/CD for ML. Lead, mentor, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver AI-powered products.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field.
• 8+ years of software engineering experience with a strong focus on MLOps and distributed systems.
• Proven experience designing and implementing end-to-end MLOps pipelines.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain scalable MLOps infrastructure and pipelines.
• Automate ML workflows including data versioning, model training, testing, deployment, and monitoring.
• Implement CI/CD practices for machine learning models.

Skills

MLOps

Distributed systems

Python

Go

Java

CI/CD

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science/Software Engineering or related field

Master's degree in related field

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Kubeflow

Airflow

MLflow

Jenkins

GitHub Actions

GitLab CI

Job description

About the Role

Our client is a leader in applying advanced AI solutions and is searching for a Principal AI Software Engineer specializing in MLOps to join their innovative team in Pretoria, Gauteng . This senior role is critical for bridging the gap between machine learning research and production deployment, ensuring robust, scalable, and efficient MLOps pipelines. You will architect and implement infrastructure that supports the entire machine learning lifecycle, from data management and model training to deployment, monitoring, and retraining. This is a challenging opportunity to work with state-of-the-art technologies and influence the operational excellence of AI systems. The ideal candidate is a seasoned software engineer with deep expertise in MLOps principles and best practices. You will collaborate closely with data scientists, ML engineers, and DevOps teams to streamline workflows and accelerate the delivery of AI-powered products. We are looking for a strategic thinker and hands-on implementer who can drive significant improvements in our AI deployment capabilities. Join us in Pretoria and play a key role in advancing our AI initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain scalable and reliable MLOps infrastructure and pipelines.
• Automate ML workflows, including data versioning, model training, testing, deployment, and monitoring.
• Implement CI/CD practices for machine learning models.
• Develop tools and frameworks to streamline the ML development lifecycle.
• Collaborate with data scientists and ML engineers to deploy models into production environments.
• Establish best practices for model versioning, experiment tracking, and reproducibility.
• Monitor model performance in production and implement strategies for drift detection and retraining.
• Ensure the security, compliance, and cost-efficiency of MLOps infrastructure.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to junior engineers.
• Stay abreast of emerging MLOps tools, technologies, and best practices.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 8+ years of experience in software engineering, with a strong focus on MLOps and distributed systems.
• Proven experience designing and implementing end-to-end MLOps pipelines.
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python, Go, or Java.
• Experience with containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and their ML services (e.g., SageMaker, Vertex AI, Azure ML).
• Experience with ML workflow orchestration tools (e.g., Kubeflow, Airflow, MLflow).
• Solid understanding of machine learning concepts and workflows.
• Experience with CI/CD tools (e.g., Jenkins, GitLab CI, GitHub Actions).
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work effectively in a team environment.
• Excellent communication skills for technical and cross-functional collaboration.

Benefits

• Highly competitive salary and performance-based incentives.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and retirement benefits.
• Generous paid time off and flexible work arrangements.
• Opportunities for professional development, including advanced training and certifications.
• Access to leading-edge technology and a stimulating work environment.
• Significant impact on the company's AI strategy and execution in Pretoria .
• Collaborative team culture focused on innovation and excellence.
• Relocation assistance available for qualified candidates.
• Employee stock purchase plan.
• Regular company-sponsored events and workshops.