Remote Agricultural Data Scientist: ML for Yields

Placements24; LegKraal Gate; Hybrid; ZAR 900,000 - 1,400,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Performance bonuses

Medical coverage

Retirement planning

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking an experienced Remote Agricultural Data Scientist in South Africa to lead crop growth modeling using weather, soil, satellite imagery, and farm data. You will build and validate predictive models that improve yields and resource use, while communicating insights to stakeholders.

The ideal candidate has 6+ years in data science, advanced degrees, and strong Python/R programming skills.

Qualifications

• Master's or PhD in Data Science, Computer Science, Statistics, Agricultural Science with a strong computational focus, or related quantitative field.
• Minimum 6 years of professional experience as a Data Scientist with focus on predictive models and large datasets.
• Demonstrated expertise in machine learning algorithms, statistical modeling, and data mining techniques.
• Strong programming skills in Python or R, including experience with relevant data science libraries.
• Experience with agricultural data (weather, soil, imagery, yield) and crop modeling is advantageous.
• Proficiency in data manipulation and SQL querying.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking abilities.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills; able to explain technical concepts to non-technical audiences.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and implement advanced statistical and ML models for crop growth simulation and yield prediction.
• Process, clean, and integrate diverse datasets (weather, soil, satellite imagery, sensor data).
• Use Python or R and libraries (scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch) to build/refine models.
• Assess model performance, validate, and iterate improvements.
• Develop data visualization tools and dashboards for stakeholders.
• Collaborate with agronomists and domain experts to ensure model relevance.
• Stay updated with latest research in data science and agricultural modeling.
• Contribute to data pipelines and infrastructure for large-scale analysis.
• Document methodologies, code, and findings clearly.

Skills

Machine learning

Statistical modeling

Data mining

Education

Master's degree in Data Science

PhD in Data Science

Tools

Python

R

SQL

TensorFlow

PyTorch

Job description

Placements24 is seeking an experienced Remote Agricultural Data Scientist in South Africa to lead crop growth modeling using weather, soil, satellite imagery, and farm data. You will build and validate predictive models that improve yields and resource use, while communicating insights to stakeholders.

The ideal candidate has 6+ years in data science, advanced degrees, and strong Python/R programming skills.