Senior AI Research Lead — Next-Gen ML & Strategy

Placements24; Gauteng; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 2,100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Health & retirement benefits

Professional development budget

Performance bonuses

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Lead Data Scientist to head AI research initiatives from our Tembisa base. You will define research agendas, guide a team of data scientists, and develop next-generation AI models for diverse applications.

The role requires strong ML theory and practice, with a track record of leadership. You will translate complex data insights into actionable business strategies while collaborating with R&D teams in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Master's or PhD in Computer Science, Statistics, AI, or related quantitative field.
• Minimum 7 years of professional data science experience with a focus on AI research and development.
• Proven leadership experience managing technical teams and research projects.
• Proficiency in Python or R and ML libraries such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit-learn.
• Strong knowledge of ML algorithms including deep neural networks, NLP, and computer vision.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, development, and deployment of advanced ML/DL models.
• Define research strategies and roadmaps for AI projects.
• Mentor and guide a team of data scientists.
• Run rigorous experiments to evaluate model performance and robustness.
• Collaborate with engineering to deploy models to production and monitor performance.
• Stay updated with AI advancements and introduce new techniques.

Skills

Leadership

Machine Learning

NLP

Computer Vision

Python

R

Communication

Education

Master's or PhD in CS/AI

Tools

TensorFlow

PyTorch

Scikit-learn

Keras

Job description

Placements24 is seeking a Lead Data Scientist to head AI research initiatives from our Tembisa base. You will define research agendas, guide a team of data scientists, and develop next-generation AI models for diverse applications.

The role requires strong ML theory and practice, with a track record of leadership. You will translate complex data insights into actionable business strategies while collaborating with R&D teams in a fast-paced environment.