Senior Data Scientist (Financial Analytics)

Placements24; South Africa; Hybrid; ZAR 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Performance bonuses

Medical aid

Retirement fund contributions

Hybrid role in Polokwane, Limpopo

Job summary

Placements24 in Polokwane, Limpopo, is seeking a Senior Data Scientist to advance financial analytics through predictive modeling, ML, and data mining. You will develop models, build data pipelines, and communicate insights to stakeholders while mentoring juniors.

The role blends hybrid work with office collaboration to drive data-informed decision making across the organization. The ideal candidate has 5–7 years of experience, advanced degree, strong Python/R skills, and expertise in ML

Qualifications

• Ph.D. or Master's degree in Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Economics, or a related quantitative field.
• Minimum of 5-7 years of experience as a Data Scientist, with a strong focus on financial analytics.
• Proven expertise in machine learning algorithms (e.g., regression, classification, clustering, deep learning).
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python (with libraries like Scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch) or R.
• Experience with SQL and working with large databases.
• Familiarity with big data technologies (e.g., Spark, Hadoop) and cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP).
• Strong understanding of statistical modeling, hypothesis testing, and experimental design.
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and critical thinking skills.
• Effective communication and presentation skills.
• Experience in the Limpopo financial sector is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Develop and deploy machine learning models for financial forecasting, risk assessment, fraud detection, and customer segmentation.
• Analyze large, complex datasets to identify trends, patterns, and insights relevant to financial performance.
• Design and conduct A/B tests and other experiments to evaluate model performance and business impact.
• Collaborate with business stakeholders to understand their data needs and translate them into analytical solutions.
• Build and maintain data pipelines for model training and deployment.
• Communicate complex analytical findings and recommendations clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Stay abreast of the latest advancements in data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.
• Mentor junior data scientists and contribute to the team's technical growth.
• Develop data visualization dashboards to present key metrics and insights.

Skills

Machine Learning

Data Visualization

A/B Testing

Python

R

SQL

Communication

Education

Master's or PhD in CS/Statistics/Math/Economics

Tools

Python (Scikit-learn/TensorFlow/PyTorch)

SQL

Spark

Hadoop

AWS/Azure/GCP

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a leading financial services provider in Polokwane, is seeking a highly skilled Senior Data Scientist to enhance their data analytics capabilities. This role involves leveraging advanced statistical modeling, machine learning techniques, and data mining to extract actionable insights from large datasets. You will play a key part in developing predictive models, optimizing business strategies, and driving data-informed decision-making across the organization. This hybrid role offers a blend of remote work flexibility and in-office collaboration within the Limpopo province.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and deploy machine learning models for financial forecasting, risk assessment, fraud detection, and customer segmentation.
• Analyze large, complex datasets to identify trends, patterns, and insights relevant to financial performance.
• Design and conduct A/B tests and other experiments to evaluate model performance and business impact.
• Collaborate with business stakeholders to understand their data needs and translate them into analytical solutions.
• Build and maintain data pipelines for model training and deployment.
• Communicate complex analytical findings and recommendations clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Stay abreast of the latest advancements in data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.
• Mentor junior data scientists and contribute to the team's technical growth.
• Develop data visualization dashboards to present key metrics and insights.

Requirements

• Ph.D. or Master's degree in Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Economics, or a related quantitative field.
• Minimum of 5-7 years of experience as a Data Scientist, with a strong focus on financial analytics.
• Proven expertise in machine learning algorithms (e.g., regression, classification, clustering, deep learning).
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python (with libraries like Scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch) or R.
• Experience with SQL and working with large databases.
• Familiarity with big data technologies (e.g., Spark, Hadoop) and cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP).
• Strong understanding of statistical modeling, hypothesis testing, and experimental design.
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and critical thinking skills.
• Effective communication and presentation skills.
• Experience in the Limpopo financial sector is an advantage.

Benefits

• Our client offers a competitive salary, performance bonuses, and a comprehensive benefits package including medical aid and retirement fund contributions.
• This hybrid role provides flexibility and the opportunity to work on challenging data science projects in Polokwane, Limpopo, contributing to innovative financial solutions.