Senior Data Scientist - Predictive Analytics (Remote)

Placements24; Mossel Bay; Hybrid; ZAR 1,200,000 - 2,400,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Fully remote work

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Retirement plan with company matching

Professional development budget

Challenging, impactful projects

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Senior Data Scientist for a fully remote role within South Africa. You will build and deploy advanced predictive models across risk, fraud, customer segmentation, and claims optimization, collaborating with cross-functional teams to translate insights into business value from your location near Mossel Bay, Western Cape.

The ideal candidate has 5+ years in data science, strong skills in Python or R, SQL, and experience with big data tools.

Qualifications

• Master's or Ph.D. in a quantitative field such as Data Science, Statistics, Computer Science, Mathematics, or related.
• Minimum of 5 years of professional experience as a Data Scientist with a focus on predictive modeling and machine learning.
• Proven expertise in programming languages like Python or R, and libraries (scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch, pandas).
• Proficiency in SQL and experience with large databases.
• Solid understanding of statistical concepts, ML algorithms, and model evaluation techniques.
• Experience with big data technologies (Spark, Hadoop) is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, implement, and validate advanced statistical and machine learning models for predictive analytics.
• Analyze large and complex datasets to identify trends, patterns, and actionable insights.
• Develop models for insurance areas such as customer lifetime value, churn, fraud detection, risk pricing, and claims forecasting.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to translate challenges into data science problems and solutions.
• Build data pipelines and ensure data quality for model development and deployment.
• Communicate findings clearly to technical and non-technical audiences through reports and presentations.
• Stay current with advances in data science and AI, applying to insurance domain where appropriate.
• Mentor junior data scientists and contribute to growing the data science practice.
• Deploy models into production and monitor performance over time.
• Contribute to strategic data utilization and analytics within the company.

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a leading global insurance provider, is actively seeking a highly skilled Senior Data Scientist to join their advanced analytics team. This role is entirely remote, offering you the flexibility to work from anywhere within South Africa. You will be instrumental in developing and deploying sophisticated predictive models that drive critical business decisions across various functions, including risk assessment, fraud detection, customer segmentation, and claims optimization. The ideal candidate possesses a strong foundation in statistical modeling, machine learning, and data manipulation, coupled with a deep understanding of insurance operations. This is an exceptional opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge data science initiatives within a supportive and innovative remote work environment. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams to translate complex data insights into tangible business value, enhancing our client’s competitive advantage. The position requires a proactive, analytical mindset and a passion for uncovering patterns within large datasets, contributing to strategic insights from your location, potentially near Mossel Bay, Western Cape.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, implement, and validate advanced statistical and machine learning models for predictive analytics.
• Analyze large and complex datasets from various sources to identify trends, patterns, and actionable insights.
• Develop models for key insurance areas such as customer lifetime value, churn prediction, fraud detection, risk pricing, and claims forecasting.
• Collaborate with business stakeholders to understand their challenges and translate them into data science problems and solutions.
• Build data pipelines and ensure data quality for model development and deployment.
• Communicate complex analytical findings and recommendations clearly and effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences through reports and presentations.
• Stay current with the latest advancements in data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, and explore their applicability to the insurance domain.
• Mentor junior data scientists and contribute to the growth of the data science practice within the organization.
• Deploy models into production environments and monitor their performance over time.
• Contribute to the strategic direction of data utilization and analytics within the company.

Requirements

• Master's or Ph.D. degree in a quantitative field such as Data Science, Statistics, Computer Science, Mathematics, or a related discipline.
• Minimum of 5 years of professional experience as a Data Scientist, with a strong focus on predictive modeling and machine learning.
• Proven expertise in programming languages like Python or R, and experience with relevant libraries (e.g., scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch, pandas).
• Proficiency in SQL and experience working with large databases.
• Solid understanding of statistical concepts, machine learning algorithms, and model evaluation techniques.
• Experience with big data technologies (e.g., Spark, Hadoop) is a plus.
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to convey complex information effectively.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and manage projects in a remote setting.
• Prior experience in the insurance industry is highly desirable.

Benefits

• - Highly competitive salary and performance-based bonus structure.
• - Fully remote work arrangement with flexible hours.
• - Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
• - Generous retirement savings plan with company matching.
• - Significant professional development budget for conferences, courses, and certifications.
• - Opportunity to work on challenging and impactful data science projects.
• - Contribute to innovation in the insurance sector from your home base, potentially in Mossel Bay, Western Cape region.