Senior Data Scientist

Absa Bank Limited; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 800 000 - 1 000 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial services provider in Johannesburg seeks a Senior Data Scientist to join its data science team. You will work on complex AI projects, mentor junior team members, and collaborate across various departments. Ideal candidates will have over 7 years of experience in data science, strong machine learning and programming skills, and a relevant degree. This role offers an opportunity to shape business strategies and drive innovation in a dynamic environment.

Qualifications

• 7+ years' experience in data science or advanced analytics.
• Deep knowledge of machine learning methods and frameworks.
• Strong programming and data querying skills.

Responsibilities

• Work with large-scale structured and unstructured datasets.
• Design, build, and deploy high-quality machine-learning models.
• Partner with stakeholders to embed insights into decision-making.

Skills

Machine Learning

SQL

Python

Data Analysis

DevOps

Data Visualization

Education

Bachelor's degree in a quantitative field

Postgraduate qualification in Data Science

Tools

Databricks

AWS

PyTorch

Scikit-learn

Job description

Empowering Africa’s tomorrow, together…one story at a timeWith over 100 years of rich history and strongly positioned as a local bank with regional and international expertise, a career with our family offers the opportunity to be part of this exciting growth journey, to reset our future and shape our destiny as a proudly African group

Job Summary

We are looking for a Senior Data Scientist to join the Personal and Private Banking Data Science team at Absa Bank. As a Senior Data Scientist, you will become a collaborator within a team of specialist data scientists aiming to help Absa discover the insights hidden in its vast amounts of data and help enable smarter decisions to deliver better products and services and shape business strategy. You will be expected to take on the most complex artificial intelligence projects, as well as provide technical mentoring and coaching for junior team members

Key Responsibilities

• Work with large-scale structured and unstructured datasets using modern data platforms (e.g. Databricks, AWS, other cloud-based environments)
• Design, build, and deploy high-quality machine-learning models and applied AI solutions (including large language models) to drive strategic and competitive advantage, ensuring robustness, governance, and interpretability
• Partner with stakeholders across business, product, marketing, risk, strategy and technology teams to help translate their challenges into actionable data science models and embed insights into decision-making processes and strategy
• Partake in data science community of practice in the broader organisation by sharing knowledge and skills
• Mentor junior data scientists and contribute to best practices in analytics, modelling, and storytelling

Minimum Experience and Skills Requirements

• 7+ years’ experience in data science or advanced analytics
• Deep knowledge of machine learning methods, principles and frameworks
• Strong programming and data querying skills (SQL, PySpark, Python)
• Machine Learning: Scikit-learn, PyTorch, PyCaret, etc
• Hadoop Big Data Platform: Spark, hdfs, hive, etc
• Python Tools: pytest, conda, poetry etc
• DevOps: Git (GitHub), bash, ssh, CI/CD Pipelines
• Cloud: DataBricks, AWS
• Presentation skills: ability to efficiently present data and ML models insights to a non-technical audience
• Team Skills: guiding junior team members, defining and maintaining team standards
• Experience delivering end-to-end analytical solutions in a complex, data-rich environment (financial services experience is advantageous)

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, Physics, or a related quantitative field
• Postgraduate qualification (Honours / Master’s) in Data Science is advantageous

Absa Bank Limited is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. In compliance with the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, preference will be given to suitable candidates from designated groups whose appointments will contribute towards achievement of equitable demographic representation of our workforce profile and add to the diversity of the Bank.

Absa Bank Limited reserves the right not to make an appointment to the post as advertised