Senior AI Research Scientist - Machine Learning

Placements24; Klerksdorp; Hybrid; ZAR 1,000,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Comprehensive health benefits

Generous professional development

Work from home flexibility

Remote-first team collaboration

Job summary

Placements24 is hiring a Senior AI Research Scientist for a fully remote role within South Africa. You will design, implement, and evaluate advanced ML models, exploring deep learning, NLP, CV, and RL techniques, and publish findings with a global team.

You will mentor junior researchers, collaborate across disciplines, and help deploy AI innovations ethically at scale, with a competitive package and stock options.

Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent research experience in AI/ML.
• 5+ years of hands-on applied ML research and development.
• Strong understanding of DL frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch).
• Proficiency in Python.
• Experience with large-scale data processing and distributed computing (Spark).
• Publications in leading AI conferences.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and implement state-of-the-art ML algorithms and models.
• Research areas such as deep learning, NLP, computer vision, or RL.
• Analyze large datasets to identify patterns for AI model development.
• Collaborate with researchers and engineers to integrate models into production.
• Stay at the forefront of AI research by reading papers and attending conferences.
• Develop prototypes and proofs-of-concept to show new AI capabilities.
• Publish findings in top AI conferences and journals.
• Mentor junior researchers and contribute to the team's growth.
• Evaluate and benchmark AI models' performance.
• Contribute to ethical development and deployment of AI systems.

Skills

PhD

Applied ML research

Python programming

Remote work experience

Strong analytical skills

Education

PhD in CS/AI

Tools

TensorFlow

PyTorch

Spark

AWS

GCP

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a pioneer in Artificial Intelligence and machine learning solutions, is seeking a highly motivated and experienced Senior AI Research Scientist to join their world‑class, remote‑first research team. This role is designed for an individual passionate about pushing the boundaries of AI, developing novel algorithms, and contributing to the future of intelligent systems. As a remote employee, you will have the flexibility to work from anywhere within South Africa, collaborating seamlessly with a global team of experts. You will be instrumental in designing, implementing, and evaluating advanced machine learning models for a variety of cutting‑edge applications. We are committed to fostering a culture of innovation, continuous learning, and impactful research, offering unparalleled opportunities for growth and contribution in the dynamic field of AI.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and implement state‑of‑the‑art machine learning algorithms and models.
• Conduct in‑depth research into areas such as deep learning, natural language processing, computer vision, or reinforcement learning.
• Analyze large and complex datasets to identify patterns and insights relevant to AI model development.
• Collaborate with other researchers and engineers to integrate AI models into production systems.
• Stay at the forefront of AI research by reading academic papers, attending conferences, and experimenting with new techniques.
• Develop prototypes and proof‑of‑concepts to demonstrate the potential of new AI technologies.
• Publish research findings in top‑tier AI conferences and journals.
• Mentor junior researchers and contribute to the team’s technical growth.
• Evaluate and benchmark the performance of AI models and algorithms.
• Contribute to the ethical development and deployment of AI systems.

Requirements

• PhD or equivalent research experience in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, or a related field.
• 5+ years of hands‑on experience in applied machine learning research and development.
• Strong theoretical and practical understanding of various machine learning techniques, including deep learning frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch).
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python.
• Experience with large‑scale data processing and distributed computing frameworks (e.g., Spark).
• Proven track record of publications in leading AI conferences (e.g., NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, CVPR, ACL).
• Excellent analytical, problem‑solving, and algorithmic thinking skills.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively in a remote, distributed team environment.
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) is a plus.
• A genuine passion for advancing the field of Artificial Intelligence.

This fully remote position offers a highly competitive salary, stock options, comprehensive health and wellness benefits, a generous professional development budget, and the flexibility to work from home.

Benefits

• highly competitive salary
• stock options
• comprehensive health and wellness benefits
• a generous professional development budget
• the flexibility to work from home

You will have the opportunity to work on challenging and impactful projects with a team of brilliant minds, shaping the future of AI from anywhere in South Africa.

Join our innovative and collaborative remote team and make your mark on the world of artificial intelligence.