Senior Data Scientist - AI Product Development

Placements24; Mtubatuba Local Municipality; Hybrid; ZAR 1,100,000 - 1,600,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Medical and retirement benefits

Professional development budget

Fully remote with flexible hours

Impactful AI products

Stock options

Job summary

Placements24 seeks a Senior Data Scientist for a remote role in South Africa. Lead development of AI-powered features, build robust models, and translate data into tangible product improvements while collaborating with product, engineering and design teams.

The ideal candidate holds a Master's or PhD in a quantitative field, is proficient in Python or R, SQL, and ML libraries, and enjoys mentoring juniors. Remote work, ethics, and impactful AI products are central to this role.

Qualifications

• Master's or Ph.D. in Statistics, Computer Science, Mathematics, or a related quantitative field.
• Proven experience as a Data Scientist, with a focus on product development.
• Strong proficiency in Python or R, and experience with libraries like pandas, scikit-learn, and TensorFlow/PyTorch.
• Experience with SQL and working with large datasets.
• Solid understanding of statistical modeling, machine learning algorithms, and experimental design.
• Ability to work effectively in a remote, collaborative environment.
• Excellent data visualization and communication skills.
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) is a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to drive product innovation through data insights.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement machine learning models to solve product-related challenges.
• Analyze large, complex datasets to identify trends, patterns, and actionable insights.
• Develop and maintain data pipelines for model training and evaluation.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define product requirements and success metrics.
• Communicate findings and recommendations clearly to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Experiment with new algorithms and techniques to enhance product capabilities.
• Build and manage A/B tests to measure the impact of AI features.
• Mentor junior data scientists and contribute to the team's knowledge sharing.
• Ensure the ethical and responsible use of data and AI models.

Skills

Python

R

Statistical modeling

Experiment design

Remote collaboration

Data visualization

Team mentoring

Education

Master's degree

Ph.D.

Tools

Pandas

scikit-learn

TensorFlow

PyTorch

SQL

AWS

Azure

GCP

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a dynamic leader in the AI product space, is seeking an experienced Senior Data Scientist to join their innovative team. This is a fully remote role, offering the flexibility to work from anywhere within South Africa. You will be at the forefront of developing new AI-powered features and products, applying advanced statistical and machine learning techniques to complex datasets. This position requires a blend of strong analytical skills, a deep understanding of data science methodologies, and the ability to translate data insights into tangible product improvements. As a remote-first employee, you will collaborate closely with product managers, engineers, and designers to bring cutting-edge AI solutions to life. You will have the opportunity to influence product strategy and drive significant impact through data-driven decision-making. This role is perfect for a proactive individual eager to solve challenging problems.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement machine learning models to solve product-related challenges.


• Analyze large, complex datasets to identify trends, patterns, and actionable insights.


• Develop and maintain data pipelines for model training and evaluation.


• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define product requirements and success metrics.


• Communicate findings and recommendations clearly to technical and non-technical stakeholders.


• Experiment with new algorithms and techniques to enhance product capabilities.


• Build and manage A/B tests to measure the impact of AI features.


• Mentor junior data scientists and contribute to the team's knowledge sharing.


• Ensure the ethical and responsible use of data and AI models.

Requirements

• Master's or Ph.D. in Statistics, Computer Science, Mathematics, or a related quantitative field.


• Proven experience as a Data Scientist, with a focus on product development.


• Strong proficiency in Python or R, and experience with libraries like pandas, scikit-learn, and TensorFlow/PyTorch.


• Experience with SQL and working with large datasets.


• Solid understanding of statistical modeling, machine learning algorithms, and experimental design.


• Ability to work effectively in a remote, collaborative environment.


• Excellent data visualization and communication skills.


• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) is a plus.


• Demonstrated ability to drive product innovation through data insights.

Benefits

• Highly competitive salary and bonus structure.


• Comprehensive medical and retirement benefits.


• Generous professional development budget.


• Fully remote work environment with flexible working hours.


• Opportunity to work on impactful AI products.


• Collaborative and inclusive company culture.


• Regular team virtual events and opportunities for connection.


• Stock options available.