Senior Data Scientist (Machine Learning Focus)

Placements24; Durban; On-site; ZAR 1,100,000 - 1,900,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Aid

Retirement Fund

Bonuses

Professional Development

Paid Time Off

Challenging Projects

Leadership Opportunities

Job summary

Placements24 is recruiting a Senior Data Scientist in Durban to lead ML-driven initiatives and deliver predictive models that guide business decisions. The role emphasizes collaboration with data engineers, software developers, and business units, with a strong need for translating complex insights into actionable outcomes.

The ideal candidate has 5+ years in data science, deep ML expertise, and hands-on experience with Python/R, ML libraries, and cloud platforms, working from our Durban office.

Qualifications

• PhD or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, or a related quantitative field.
• 5+ years of hands-on experience as a Data Scientist with a significant focus on ML.
• Proficiency in Python or R, including libraries such as scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch, Keras, pandas, and NumPy.
• Strong understanding of statistical modeling, data mining, and ML algorithms.
• Experience with SQL for data extraction and manipulation.
• Familiarity with big data tech (Spark, Hadoop) and cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP).
• Proven ability to translate business problems into data science solutions.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and implement advanced machine learning models for business problems.
• Conduct exploratory data analysis to identify trends and opportunities in large datasets.
• Preprocess and clean complex datasets for modeling.
• Evaluate model performance and iterate to improve accuracy and robustness.
• Deploy ML models into production with data engineers and software developers.
• Communicate findings clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Stay updated on latest ML and AI advancements.
• Mentor junior data scientists and share knowledge.
• Document models, experiments, and methodologies.
• Collaborate with business units to translate needs into data science problems.

Skills

Python

R

scikit-learn

TensorFlow

PyTorch

Keras

Pandas

NumPy

Data Visualization

SQL

Education

PhD or Master’s in a quantitative field

Tools

Spark

Hadoop

AWS

Azure

GCP

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a leading analytics firm based in Durban , is looking for a highly motivated Senior Data Scientist with a strong specialization in Machine Learning. This role is crucial for developing predictive models and data-driven solutions that provide actionable insights to our business stakeholders. You will be working in a collaborative environment, tackling complex data challenges and contributing to the company's strategic decision-making. This position requires you to work from our office in Durban to facilitate seamless teamwork and access to on-site resources.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and implement advanced machine learning models for various business problems, including classification, regression, clustering, and time-series forecasting.
• Conduct exploratory data analysis (EDA) to identify trends, patterns, and opportunities within large datasets.
• Preprocess and clean complex datasets, ensuring data quality and suitability for modeling.
• Evaluate model performance using appropriate metrics and iterate on models to improve accuracy and robustness.
• Deploy machine learning models into production environments, working closely with data engineers and software developers.
• Communicate complex findings and recommendations clearly and concisely 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 share knowledge within the team.
• Develop and maintain robust documentation for models, experiments, and methodologies.
• Collaborate with business units to understand their needs and translate them into data science problems.
• Contribute to the development of data infrastructure and pipelines.

Requirements

• PhD or Master's degree in Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, or a related quantitative field.
• 5+ years of hands‑on experience as a Data Scientist, with a significant focus on machine learning.
• Proficiency in Python or R, including libraries such as scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch, Keras, pandas, and NumPy.
• Strong understanding of statistical modeling, data mining, and machine learning algorithms.
• Experience with SQL for data extraction and manipulation.
• Familiarity with big data technologies (e.g., Spark, Hadoop) and cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP).
• Proven ability to translate business problems into data science solutions.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to explain technical concepts to a diverse audience.
• Experience with data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Matplotlib, Seaborn).
• Ability to work effectively in a team‑oriented environment in our Durban office.

Benefits

• A competitive annual salary of ZAR.
• Comprehensive medical aid and retirement fund.
• Performance‑based bonuses.
• Professional development opportunities and conference attendance.
• Generous paid time off.
• Exposure to challenging and impactful projects.
• A stimulating and collaborative work environment in Durban .
• Opportunities for leadership within the data science team.