Principal Data Scientist

Placements24; Mtubatuba Local Municipality; Híbrido; ZAR 1.200.000 - 2.100.000; Jornada completa

Ventajas ofrecidas por este puesto de trabajo

Medical aid

Life cover

Retirement annuity

Professional development budget

Descripción de la vacante

Placements24 is partnering with a data-driven leader to hire a Principal Data Scientist in Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal. The role focuses on steering advanced analytics, ML initiatives, and strategic impact across the business.

You will drive end-to-end projects from conception to deployment, mentor junior scientists, and collaborate with data engineers to integrate models into production systems in a hybrid work setting.

Formación

• Ph.D. or Master's in a quantitative field (CS/Statistics/Math).
• 10+ years in data science or ML delivering impactful solutions.
• Expertise in statistical modeling, ML algorithms, and experimental design.

Responsabilidades

• Lead end-to-end development and deployment of ML models and analyses.
• Identify opportunities to leverage data science for strategic insights.
• Perform data exploration, feature engineering, and model selection.
• Design and run A/B tests to validate performance and business impact.
• Communicate findings clearly to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Mentor junior scientists and promote rigorous scientific methods.
• Collaborate with data engineers and software teams to productionize models.
• Stay updated with advances in data science and AI.

Conocimientos

Strategic thinking

Mentorship

Problem solving

Communication

Educación

Ph.D./Master's in CS/Stats/Math

Herramientas

Python

R

scikit-learn

TensorFlow

PyTorch

SQL

Spark/Hadoop

AWS/Azure/GCP

Descripción del empleo

About the Role

Our client, a leader in data-driven business intelligence, is seeking a highly accomplished Principal Data Scientist to join their innovative team. This role is crucial for driving advanced analytics and machine learning initiatives. You will be responsible for leading complex data science projects, from conception and data exploration to model deployment and impact assessment. The ideal candidate possesses a strong theoretical foundation in statistics, machine learning, and data mining, combined with practical experience in solving real-world business problems. This position offers the opportunity to work with large, complex datasets and influence strategic decision-making within the organization, based in Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal .

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end development and implementation of advanced machine learning models and statistical analyses.
• Identify opportunities to leverage data science to solve business challenges and drive strategic insights.
• Perform in-depth data exploration, feature engineering, and model selection for diverse business problems.
• Design and execute A/B tests and other experiments to validate model performance and business impact.
• Communicate complex findings and recommendations clearly and concisely to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Mentor and guide junior data scientists, fostering a culture of scientific rigor and continuous learning.
• Collaborate with data engineers and software developers to integrate models into production systems.
• Stay current with the latest advancements in data science, machine learning, and AI research.
• Develop and maintain documentation for data science projects and methodologies.

Requirements

• Ph.D. or Master's degree in a quantitative field such as Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, or related discipline.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in data science or machine learning, with a proven track record of delivering impactful solutions.
• Expertise in statistical modeling, machine learning algorithms (e.g., regression, classification, clustering, deep learning), and experimental design.
• Proficiency in programming languages commonly used in data science, such as Python or R, and relevant libraries (e.g., scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch).
• Strong experience with SQL and working with large datasets.
• Familiarity with big data technologies (e.g., Spark, Hadoop) and cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) is highly desirable.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to diverse audiences.

Benefits

• Our client offers an industry-leading salary, a comprehensive benefits package including medical aid, life cover, and a retirement annuity.
• Employees will have access to generous professional development budgets and opportunities for career advancement.
• This hybrid role based in Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal offers a challenging yet rewarding career path in a dynamic industry.