Remote Lead Data Scientist – Financial Risk & ML Leader

Placements24; Kempton Park; Remote; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote work

Flexible hours

Training & conferences

Home office stipend

Cutting-edge technology

Remote team culture

Performance bonuses

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking an experienced Lead Data Scientist to spearhead a remote-first financial risk modeling team based in Gauteng. You will develop and deploy advanced ML models to assess and mitigate risk across platforms, leading a high-performing data science group in Banking & Finance.

The role requires a Master’s or PhD in a quantitative field, 7+ years in data science with 2+ in leadership, and strong Python/R skills with Spark/Hadoop experience.

Qualifications

• Master's or Ph.D. in Data Science, Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics or related quantitative field.
• Minimum of 7 years of hands-on data science experience, with at least 2 years in a leadership role.
• Proven ability to build and deploy ML models for financial risk management in Banking & Finance.
• Strong programming skills in Python or R and libraries like Scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch, Pandas.
• Proficient in SQL and big data tech (Spark, Hadoop).
• Excellent communication to convey complex concepts to diverse audiences.
• Experience in remote-first environments with strong self-discipline and time management.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, development and deployment of ML models for financial risk assessment (credit, market, fraud).
• Mentor a team of data scientists and foster innovation and technical excellence.
• Collaborate with product managers, engineers and stakeholders to define scope and deliver insights.
• Process and analyze large, diverse datasets ensuring data quality and integrity.
• Stay updated on data science advances relevant to finance and risk modeling.
• Document models, methodologies and results robustly.
• Present findings to senior management and technical teams.
• Champion model validation, deployment and monitoring in a remote setting.

Skills

Leadership

Statistical modeling

Communication

Time management

Education

Master's or PhD

Tools

scikit-learn

TensorFlow

PyTorch

Pandas

SQL

Job description

Placements24 is seeking an experienced Lead Data Scientist to spearhead a remote-first financial risk modeling team based in Gauteng. You will develop and deploy advanced ML models to assess and mitigate risk across platforms, leading a high-performing data science group in Banking & Finance.

The role requires a Master’s or PhD in a quantitative field, 7+ years in data science with 2+ in leadership, and strong Python/R skills with Spark/Hadoop experience.