Remote Lead Data Scientist: AI for Scientific Discovery

Placements24; Cape Town; Hybrid; ZAR 2,470,000 - 3,787,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Health insurance

Professional development budget

Equipment provided

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a visionary Lead Data Scientist to pioneer AI and ML initiatives in a fully remote-first setting. You will architect and deploy scalable ML models for complex scientific data, collaborating with a distributed team of world-class researchers.

The role requires 8+ years in data science, advanced degrees, and strong Python/R expertise with TensorFlow/PyTorch. Remote collaboration, leadership, and excellent communication are essential.

Qualifications

• Master's or PhD in Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, or related quantitative field.
• Minimum of 8 years of progressive experience in data science with a focus on AI/ML.
• Demonstrated success in leading data science projects from conception to deployment.
• Expertise in Python or R and ML libraries such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit-learn.
• Strong experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and big data tech (Spark, Hadoop).
• Ability to work independently and in a distributed remote team.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills for technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Passion for scientific research and impact.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, development, and deployment of advanced AI/ML models for scientific data analysis.
• Identify opportunities to apply ML to solve complex research problems and extract insights.
• Develop scalable data pipelines and model deployment strategies in the cloud.
• Collaborate with research scientists to understand data challenges and provide solutions.
• Mentor and guide junior data scientists and engineers in the remote team.
• Stay updated on AI/ML advancements and relevant scientific fields.
• Communicate complex findings effectively to stakeholders.
• Champion best practices in data science, coding, and reproducibility.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Research mindset

Independent work

Python

R

ML libraries

Education

Master's or PhD in CS/DS/Stats

Tools

TensorFlow

PyTorch

Scikit-learn

Spark

Hadoop

Job description

Placements24 is seeking a visionary Lead Data Scientist to pioneer AI and ML initiatives in a fully remote-first setting. You will architect and deploy scalable ML models for complex scientific data, collaborating with a distributed team of world-class researchers.

The role requires 8+ years in data science, advanced degrees, and strong Python/R expertise with TensorFlow/PyTorch. Remote collaboration, leadership, and excellent communication are essential.