Principal Machine Learning Engineer - Computer Vision

Placements24; Cape Town; Hybrid; ZAR 1,992,000 - 2,988,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote work flexibility

Stock options / equity grants

Health and wellness benefits

Professional development budget

Unlimited PTO

Annual retreats (virtual and in-person

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Principal Machine Learning Engineer specializing in computer vision to lead the design, development, and deployment of cutting-edge CV models. This remote-first role with a Cape Town base offers autonomy to drive AI initiatives and collaborate with product managers and researchers.

You will mentor engineers, translate complex problems into scalable solutions, and help set the technical roadmap while staying current with research and industry trends.

Qualifications

• PhD or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, AI, or related field.
• 8+ years hands-on ML engineering experience with a strong CV focus.
• Proven experience leading ML projects from conception to production.
• Expertise in TensorFlow, PyTorch, or Keras.
• Proficiency in Python and libraries such as OpenCV and scikit-image.
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and MLOps practices.
• Strong problem-solving skills and remote, asynchronous collaboration ability.
• Excellent communication to explain complex concepts to non-technical audiences.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end development of computer vision models (detection, segmentation, facial recognition).
• Design scalable production-ready ML pipelines for training and inference.
• Conduct research into state-of-the-art CV algorithms and techniques.
• Mentor and guide a team of ML engineers, fostering high performance.
• Collaborate with product teams to translate requirements into technical specs.
• Optimize model performance for efficiency, accuracy, and deployment.
• Develop robust evaluation metrics and validation strategies.
• Stay current with AI/CV research trends and contribute to roadmaps.
• Document research, designs, and implementations thoroughly.

Skills

Leadership

Mentoring

Communication

Remote collaboration

Research & experimentation

Education

PhD or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, AI, or related field

Tools

TensorFlow

PyTorch

Keras

OpenCV

scikit-image

AWS

GCP

Azure

MLOps

Job description

About the Role

Our client is seeking a highly accomplished Principal Machine Learning Engineer specializing in Computer Vision to join their innovative and fully remote team. Based in **Cape Town, Western Cape**, this role offers an exceptional opportunity to lead the design, development, and deployment of cutting-edge computer vision models that will drive significant advancements in our products and services. As a Principal Engineer, you will be a technical leader, mentoring junior engineers, and collaborating with product managers and researchers to translate complex business problems into scalable machine learning solutions. You will have the autonomy to explore new research, experiment with novel algorithms and contribute to the strategic direction of our AI initiatives. This remote-first position requires a self-motivated individual with a passion for pushing the boundaries of what's possible with AI and a proven track record of delivering high-impact solutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end development of advanced computer vision models, including object detection, image segmentation, and facial recognition.
• Design and implement scalable, production-ready machine learning pipelines for training and inference.
• Conduct in-depth research into state-of-the-art computer vision algorithms and techniques.
• Mentor and guide a team of talented machine learning engineers, fostering a collaborative and high-performance culture.
• Collaborate with product teams to understand requirements and translate them into technical specifications.
• Optimize model performance for efficiency, accuracy, and deployment on various platforms.
• Develop and implement robust evaluation metrics and validation strategies for computer vision models.
• Stay current with the latest academic research and industry trends in machine learning and computer vision.
• Contribute to the technical roadmap and strategy for the AI and machine learning division.
• Document research, designs, and implementations thoroughly.

Requirements

• PhD or Master's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, or a related quantitative field.
• 8+ years of hands-on experience in machine learning engineering, with a strong specialization in computer vision.
• Proven experience leading complex ML projects from conception to production deployment.
• Expertise in deep learning frameworks such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, or Keras.
• Proficiency in programming languages like Python and experience with relevant libraries (e.g., OpenCV, scikit-image).
• Strong understanding of ML algorithms, statistical modeling, and data mining techniques.Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and MLOps practices.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to tackle ambiguous challenges.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a remote, asynchronous environment.

Benefits

• Highly competitive salary and performance-based bonuses.
• Remote work flexibility, allowing you to work from anywhere.
• Generous stock options and equity grants.
• Comprehensive health and wellness benefits package.
• Professional development budget for conferences, courses, and books.
• Unlimited paid time off (PTO).
• Access to cutting-edge technology and research resources.
• Annual company retreats (virtual and in-person opportunities).
• 401(k) or equivalent retirement plan with company match.
• Home office stipend for setting up a productive workspace.