Senior Data Scientist

Vodafone Group; Midrand; On-site; ZAR 400 000 - 500 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading telecommunications company is seeking an experienced AI and Big Data professional based in Midrand, South Africa. Responsibilities include creating AI products, developing predictive models, and mentoring team members. The ideal candidate should hold a degree in a quantitative field and have extensive experience in Big Data and Data Science, along with strong programming skills. Attractive benefits and incentives are provided as part of the employment package.

Benefits

Enticing incentive programs

Medical aid benefits

Exclusive staff discounts

Qualifications

• 4-6 years of relevant experience in Big Data & Data Science.
• Experience in mentoring/coaching data scientists.
• Proficiency in data manipulation using SQL and PySpark.

Responsibilities

• Create AI products providing actionable insights.
• Develop predictive models with large datasets.
• Mentor data scientists in the team.

Skills

Experience in Big Data & Data Science

Proficiency in Python or R

Experience with SQL

Machine Learning model frameworks

Good interpersonal communication

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in a quantitative field

Tools

Tableau

Docker

PowerBI

Job description

Overview

When it comes to putting people first, we're number 1.

The number 1 Top Employer in South Africa. Certified by the Top Employer Institute 2025.

Vodacom is a Leading African Mobile communication company providing wider range of communication services including mobile voice, messaging, data and converged services to over 200 million customers. From our roots in South Africa, we have grown our mobile network business to include operations in Tanzania, DRC, Mozambique, Kenya, Lesotho, Egypt and now Ethiopia. The mobile networks cover a total population of approximately 250 million people. Through Vodacom Business Africa (VBA) we also offer business managed services to enterprises in over 40 countries across the continent.

We employ individuals who are as passionate about customers as we are. We are truly Customer Obsessed, which means that we are passionate about exceeding customer expectations; work relentlessly to really understand the customer; look at decisions through the customer’s eyes and take personal accountability for the customer experience. We are looking for people with a passion for Artificial Intelligence and Big Data.

Responsibilities

• Create AI products that provide actionable business insight to Vodacom and its stakeholder
• Developing predictive models with large and varied datasets, working with a community of colleagues across Advanced Analytics, technology, and data and customer functions
• Contributing to the wider community to enable AIcapability across Vodafone globally.
• Development of machine learning models for various areas of the business on the Big Data Platforms
• Machine Learning model performance tracking and reporting. e.g. Use data visualizations to engage audience in a compelling way, enabling effective storytelling
• Work withlead and principal data scientists to deliver key strategic initiatives to meet the needs of business customers
• Works in partnership with Big Data Engineering team to automate, integrate & productionize AI workloads.
• Work in partnership business decision support team to provide Big Data insights
• Mentorship to data scientists in the team
• Present results to technical and non- technical audiences

The ideal candidate for this role will have

• Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in quantitative fields like Mathematics, Statistics, Economics, Computer Science Engineering, Artificial Intelligence or related fields (essential)

Core competencies, knowledge, and experience

• A minimum of 4-6 years relevant experience in Big Data & Data Science.
• Experience working with and mentoring/coaching data scientists in training
• Experience in data manipulation: use of structured data tools (e.g., SQL), and unstructured data platforms (e.g. PySpark, NoSQL)
• Proficiency in at least one relevant programming language: Python, R, Java
• Experience across major machine learning model frameworks (e.g. H2O, scikit-learn, PyTorch, Tensorflow) and techniques (e.g. random forest, gradient boosting, k-means segmentation, multiple regression, factor analysis, time-series forecasting)
• Exposure to cloud native deployment of models and working with containerized technologies such as Docker and Kurbernetees.
• Knowledge of MLOps and LLMOps concepts and deployment of models through batch and real-time architectures.
• Professional and/or academic experience in Big Data analytics & deployment of models and algorithms to solve real-world problems (with deep statistical and machine learning modelling expertise)
• Familiarity with visualization tools (e.g. Tableau, Qlik, D3, Apache Superset, Plotly, PowerBI, Opensearch, Grafana)
• Good interpersonal communication and presentation skills
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment
• Analytical and expansive thinking with a strong desire to deliver and develop.
• Experience working with teams and coaching data scientists
• Design & Systems Thinking in relation to AI and Machine Learning Eco Systems.
• Real-time Decisioning & Intelligence use case deployment and evaluation experience.

We make an impact by offering

• Enticing incentive programs and competitive benefit packages
• Retirement funds, risk benefits, and medical aid benefits
• Cell phone and data benefits, advantages fibre connection discounts, and exclusive staff discounts offered in collaboration with partner companies

Closing date

Closing date for Applications: 28 January 2026.

Location

The base location for this role is Midrand, Vodacom Campus

Diversity and Inclusion

The company's approved Employment Equity Plan and Targets will be considered as part of the recruitment process. As an Equal Opportunities employer, we actively encourage and welcome people with various disabilities to apply. Vodacom is committed to an organisational culture that recognises, appreciates, and values diversity & inclusion.