Senior Data Scientist - AI Specialization

Placements24; Bloemfontein; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary with performanceBon

In-office Welkom

Health, retirement, life insurance

Generous annual leave

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a highly skilled Senior Data Scientist with a specialization in Artificial Intelligence to join our established Welkom team. You will lead advanced AI/ML projects, develop predictive models, and translate complex insights for stakeholders in a data-driven culture.

The role emphasizes statistical rigor, deployment-ready modeling, and collaboration with engineering to push AI applications into production. This is an in-office, full-time position in Welkom.

Qualifications

• Master's or Ph.D. in Statistics, Data Science, Computer Science, or a related quantitative field.
• 5+ years of experience as a Data Scientist, with a strong focus on AI/ML.
• Proficiency in Python or R, including relevant data science and ML libraries.
• Expertise in statistical modeling, machine learning algorithms (e.g., regression, classification, clustering, deep learning).
• Experience with SQL and big data technologies (e.g., Spark, Hadoop) is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement advanced statistical models and machine learning algorithms for predictive analysis and decision support.
• Extract, clean, and transform large, complex datasets from various sources.
• Design and execute experiments to test hypotheses and validate models.
• Visualize and communicate complex analytical findings to stakeholders through clear reports and presentations.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to deploy models into production environments.

Skills

Statistical modeling

Machine learning

Python

R

Education

Master's degree in Statistics/Data Science/CS

PhD in Statistics/Data Science/CS

Tools

Spark

Hadoop

SQL

Job description

About the Role

Our client is looking for a highly skilled and analytical Senior Data Scientist with a specialization in Artificial Intelligence to join their established team in Welkom. This role is central to uncovering actionable insights from complex datasets and developing predictive models that drive business strategy and innovation. You will lead advanced analytical projects, apply cutting-edge AI/ML techniques, and communicate findings effectively to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. The ideal candidate will have a strong statistical background, deep expertise in machine learning, and a passion for solving challenging problems using data, contributing to a data-driven culture and the advancement of AI applications within the company.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement advanced statistical models and machine learning algorithms for predictive analysis and decision support.
• Extract, clean, and transform large, complex datasets from various sources.
• Design and execute experiments to test hypotheses and validate models.
• Visualize and communicate complex analytical findings to stakeholders through clear reports and presentations.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to deploy models into production environments.

Requirements

• Master's or Ph.D. in Statistics, Data Science, Computer Science, or a related quantitative field.
• 5+ years of experience as a Data Scientist, with a strong focus on AI/ML.
• Proficiency in Python or R, including relevant data science and ML libraries.
• Expertise in statistical modeling, machine learning algorithms (e.g., regression, classification, clustering, deep learning).
• Experience with SQL and big data technologies (e.g., Spark, Hadoop) is highly desirable.

Benefits

• Competitive annual salary with performance bonuses.
• Full-time, in-office position in a dedicated workspace in Welkom.
• Comprehensive health, retirement, and life insurance benefits.
• Generous annual leave and paid sick days.
• Opportunities for continuous professional development and exposure to diverse AI projects.