Senior AI Research Scientist - Natural Language Processing

Placements24; Gauteng; Hybrid; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Health insurance

Generous paid time off

Professional development opportunities

Hybrid work options

Research facilities access

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Senior AI Research Scientist (NLP) to lead advanced NLP initiatives in a dynamic Gauteng team. You will drive research agendas, mentor junior scientists, and translate findings into practical business impact.

You will design and deploy cutting‑edge NLP models, collaborate across functions, and publish results at conferences. Hybrid options and strong research facilities support your work.

Qualifications

• PhD or Master’s in CS/AI/ML/Computational Linguistics or related.
• Proven NLP research track record: publications, patents, or significant projects.
• Strong Python skills and NLP libraries: NLTK, spaCy, Transformers.

Responsibilities

• Conduct advanced NLP research: sentiment analysis, translation, text generation, QA, summarization.
• Design, develop, and implement state‑of‑the‑art NLP models with DL frameworks (TF, PyTorch, Keras).
• Evaluate and benchmark models; identify improvements and optimization.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to integrate NLP solutions into products.
• Stay updated on AI/NLP advances; publish findings when applicable.
• Mentor junior researchers and provide technical guidance on projects.
• Contribute to IP through patents/publications; define research roadmaps and plans.

Skills

NLP research

Python

Deep learning

Model deployment

Communication

Education

PhD or Master’s in CS/AI/ML/Computational Linguistics

Tools

TensorFlow

PyTorch

Keras

NLTK

spaCy

Hugging Face Transformers

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a leader in AI innovation, is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Senior AI Research Scientist specializing in Natural Language Processing (NLP) to join their dynamic team in Tembisa, Gauteng . This role is pivotal in driving forward the development and implementation of cutting-edge NLP models and solutions. You will be instrumental in shaping the future of how machines understand and interact with human language, contributing to groundbreaking projects that have a significant real-world impact. The ideal candidate possesses a deep theoretical understanding of NLP concepts coupled with practical experience in building and deploying robust AI systems. You will collaborate with a talented group of researchers and engineers, fostering an environment of continuous learning and technological advancement. We are looking for a proactive individual who can lead research initiatives, mentor junior scientists, and translate complex research findings into actionable business strategies. This is an exciting opportunity to work on challenging problems at the forefront of artificial intelligence in a collaborative and supportive setting within Tembisa .

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct advanced research in Natural Language Processing, including areas such as sentiment analysis, machine translation, text generation, question answering, and summarization.
• Design, develop, and implement state-of-the-art NLP models using deep learning frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch).
• Evaluate and benchmark model performance, identifying areas for improvement and optimization.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate NLP solutions into existing products and services.
• Stay abreast of the latest advancements in AI, machine learning, and NLP research, publishing findings in top-tier conferences and journals where applicable.
• Mentor junior research scientists and provide technical guidance on projects.
• Contribute to the intellectual property portfolio of the company through patent filings and research publications.
• Define research roadmaps and project plans, ensuring alignment with business objectives.

Requirements

• Ph.D. or Master's degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Computational Linguistics, or a related quantitative field.
• Proven track record of research and development in Natural Language Processing, demonstrated through publications, patents, or significant project contributions.
• Strong programming skills in Python and proficiency with relevant libraries (e.g., NLTK, spaCy, Hugging Face Transformers).
• Hands-on experience with deep learning frameworks such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, or Keras.
• Deep understanding of NLP fundamentals, including language modeling, word embeddings, sequence-to-sequence models, and attention mechanisms.
• Experience with large-scale datasets and distributed computing frameworks is a plus.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to think critically and creatively.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) is desirable.

Benefits

• Competitive salary package with performance-based bonuses.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Generous paid time off and holidays.
• Opportunities for professional development, including attending conferences and workshops.
• Access to cutting-edge research facilities and computational resources.
• Collaborative and innovative work environment.
• Potential for flexible working arrangements, including hybrid options.
• Retirement savings plan contributions.