Remote Chief Data Scientist

Placements24; Gqeberha; Híbrido; ZAR 1.800.000 - 3.600.000; Jornada completa

Ventajas ofrecidas por este puesto de trabajo

Competitive salary

Annual bonus

Equity options

Fully remote work within South Africa

Health, dental & vision insurance

Generous paid time off

Learning & development opportunities

Descripción de la vacante

Placements24 is seeking a Chief Data Scientist to define the data strategy and mentor a world-class team. This remote role within South Africa focuses on ML, AI, and analytics to drive business impact and product innovation.

You will lead predictive analytics, customer segmentation, risk assessment, and data-driven decision making across the organization, collaborating with product and engineering to unlock new opportunities.

Formación

• PhD or Master's in a quantitative field such as CS, statistics, math or physics.
• 10+ years of data science/analytics with leadership experience.
• Proven record of deploying production-grade ML models.
• Strong Python or R skills with common ML libraries.
• Experience with big data and cloud platforms.

Responsabilidades

• Define and execute the data science strategy and roadmap.
• Lead and grow a team of data scientists and ML engineers.
• Oversee end-to-end ML model development and deployment.
• Champion data-driven decision making across the company.
• Collaborate with product, engineering and business teams.
• Evaluate new technologies and methodologies in data science.
• Ensure quality, scalability, and reliability of solutions.
• Communicate findings to executives and non-technical stakeholders.
• Stay at the forefront of AI, ML and big data advances.

Conocimientos

Python

R

TensorFlow

PyTorch

Scikit-learn

Spark

Hadoop

AWS

Azure

GCP

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Educación

PhD in CS/Statistics/Math/Physics

Master's in related field

Herramientas

Spark

Hadoop

AWS

Azure

GCP

Descripción del empleo

About the Role

Our client is a cutting-edge financial technology company seeking a visionary and highly experienced Chief Data Scientist to lead their advanced analytics and data science initiatives. This is a fully remote position, offering the flexibility to work from anywhere within South Africa. You will be responsible for shaping the company's data strategy, building and mentoring a world-class data science team, and driving innovation through the application of machine learning, artificial intelligence, and advanced statistical methods. The ideal candidate will possess a deep technical expertise, strong leadership capabilities, and a proven ability to translate complex data insights into actionable business strategies that impact the bottom line. This role is critical in leveraging data to enhance product development, optimize customer experiences, and identify new business opportunities within the digital finance landscape.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and execute the company's overall data science strategy and roadmap, aligning with business objectives.
• Lead, mentor, and grow a high-performing team of data scientists, machine learning engineers, and data analysts.
• Oversee the end-to-end development and deployment of machine learning models for predictive analytics, customer segmentation, fraud detection, and risk assessment.
• Champion the adoption of data-driven decision-making across the organization.
• Collaborate closely with product, engineering, and business teams to identify opportunities for data science application.
• Evaluate and implement new technologies, tools, and methodologies in data science and AI.
• Ensure the quality, scalability, and reliability of data science solutions.
• Communicate complex technical findings and recommendations effectively to executive leadership and non-technical stakeholders.
• Stay at the forefront of advancements in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data technologies.

Requirements

• Ph.D. or Master's degree in Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Physics, or a related quantitative field.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in data science, machine learning, and analytics, with at least 3 years in a leadership or management role.
• Proven track record of building and deploying sophisticated machine learning models in a production environment.
• Expertise in programming languages such as Python or R, and experience with relevant libraries (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit-learn).
• Strong understanding of big data technologies (e.g., Spark, Hadoop) and cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP).
• Exceptional analytical, problem-solving, and strategic thinking skills.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to inspire and manage remote teams.
• Experience in the financial services or FinTech industry is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear business value.

Benefits

• Our client offers a highly competitive salary, a substantial annual bonus, and equity options.
• Full remote work flexibility is provided, allowing you to work from anywhere in South Africa.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance are included.
• Generous paid time off, including vacation, sick leave, and public holidays, is offered.
• Opportunities for continuous learning, attending top-tier conferences, and professional development are strongly supported.
• This role offers the unique opportunity to shape the future of data science in a rapidly growing FinTech company, with significant potential for career advancement and impact.
• You will be part of a collaborative and innovative culture, working with talented individuals from around the globe.