Senior Data Scientist - Machine Learning Focus

Placements24; Sandton; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 2,100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Performance bonuses

Stock options

Medical aid and retirement fund

Annual leave

Professional development budget

Relocation assistance

Conferences attendance

Job summary

Placements24 in Sandton, Gauteng seeks a highly skilled Senior Data Scientist with a strong focus on machine learning to join their analytics team. You will build predictive models, develop data-driven strategies, and drive business insights to improve customer experience and efficiency.

You will lead end-to-end ML projects, mentor juniors, collaborate with data engineers, and stay at the forefront of AI innovations while presenting clear recommendations to stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in a quantitative field and strong ML focus.
• Experience crafting end-to-end ML solutions and deployments.
• Proficiency in Python or R with data visualization ability.
• Experience with big data tools and SQL; effective communicator.

Responsibilities

• Develop, train, and deploy ML models for analytics and insights.
• Conduct exploratory data analysis and feature engineering.
• Design data pipelines to support model training.
• Evaluate models with metrics and iterate for improvement.
• Translate findings into actionable business recommendations.
• Collaborate with data engineers to productionize models.
• Stay updated on ML/AI developments and mentor juniors.
• Communicate complex concepts to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Design and run experiments to validate model impact.

Skills

Machine Learning

Python

R

SQL

Data Visualization

Spark

Hadoop

Communication

Mentorship

Education

Masters or PhD in Statistics, CS, Math, Physics

Tools

scikit-learn

TensorFlow

PyTorch

Pandas

NumPy

Spark

Hadoop

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a leading financial services technology provider in Sandton, Gauteng , is seeking a highly skilled Senior Data Scientist with a strong focus on Machine Learning to join their innovative analytics team. This role is pivotal in leveraging vast datasets to build predictive models, develop data-driven strategies, and drive business insights that enhance customer experience and operational efficiency. You will be responsible for the end-to-end process of machine learning model development, from data exploration and feature engineering to model training, evaluation, deployment, and ongoing monitoring. The ideal candidate possesses advanced statistical knowledge, proficiency in programming languages like Python or R, and extensive experience with various machine learning algorithms and frameworks. You will collaborate closely with business stakeholders, data engineers, and other analysts to identify opportunities for data science application and deliver actionable intelligence. We are looking for a proactive, analytical, and results-oriented individual who can translate complex data into clear, impactful solutions. Your expertise will be crucial in shaping data-driven decision-making within this dynamic financial sector environment in Sandton, Gauteng .

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, train, and deploy sophisticated machine learning models for predictive analytics, classification, clustering, and anomaly detection.
• Conduct exploratory data analysis (EDA) to identify patterns, trends, and insights within large and complex datasets.
• Design and implement data pipelines and feature engineering processes to prepare data for model training.
• Evaluate model performance using appropriate metrics and techniques, iterating to improve accuracy and robustness.
• Translate complex analytical findings into clear, actionable recommendations for business stakeholders.
• Collaborate with data engineers to integrate models into production systems and ensure scalability.
• Stay current with the latest advancements in machine learning, artificial intelligence, and data science.
• Mentor junior data scientists and contribute to the team's knowledge sharing and best practices.
• Communicate technical concepts effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Design and execute A/B tests and other experiments to validate model impact.
• Maintain detailed documentation of data models, methodologies, and results.

Requirements

• Master's or Ph.D. in a quantitative field such as Statistics, Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, or a related discipline.
• 5+ years of professional experience as a Data Scientist, with a significant focus on machine learning model development and deployment.
• Proficiency in programming languages commonly used in data science, such as Python (with libraries like scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch, Pandas, NumPy) and/or R.
• Strong understanding of statistical modeling, machine learning algorithms (e.g., regression, classification, ensemble methods, deep learning), and evaluation techniques.
• Experience with data visualization tools and techniques.
• Familiarity with big data technologies (e.g., Spark, Hadoop) and SQL.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to explain complex findings clearly.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
• Experience in the financial services industry is a strong plus.
• Must reside in or be willing to relocate to the Sandton, Gauteng area.

Benefits

• Highly competitive salary package with performance-based bonuses and potential stock options.
• Opportunities to work on cutting-edge AI and ML projects with significant business impact.
• Access to advanced computing resources and data infrastructure.
• Comprehensive medical aid, dental, and retirement fund contributions.
• Generous annual leave and professional development budget.
• A stimulating and collaborative work environment with top industry talent.
• Career advancement opportunities within a growing and innovative company.
• Regular training sessions and opportunities to attend industry conferences.
• Relocation assistance may be available for qualified candidates.
• Work closely with senior leadership to shape data strategy.