SENIOR ML ENGINEER / AI - GenAI - Databricks - Azure

Sabenza IT & Recruitment; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 2,100,000; Full time

Job summary

Sabenza IT & Recruitment in Johannesburg seeks a hands-on Senior ML Engineer to take AI from development to production. You will deploy ML models, build data pipelines, and scale AI capabilities using Databricks, AKS and containerised architectures.

You will collaborate with data scientists, implement robust MLOps, and optimize AI platforms for performance and cost. A strong background in GenAI and open-source LLMs is essential for success.

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience delivering ML/AI from development to production.
• Strong background in Databricks, Azure, Kubernetes, MLOps and GenAI.
• Knowledge of production-grade AI platforms and APIs.

Responsibilities

• Productionise and deploy ML models and data pipelines on Databricks.
• Build and support AI Agents, GenAI & RAG solutions.
• Develop robust MLOps/CI/CD pipelines with automated testing, monitoring and governance.
• Deploy and optimise Open Source LLMs & AI models on AKS.
• Build scalable APIs & microservices to expose AI capabilities.
• Develop containerised solutions using Docker & Kubernetes.
• Monitor model performance, drift and reliability in production.
• Collaborate with Data Scientists to turn prototypes into production-ready solutions.
• Troubleshoot and scale AI/ML platforms for cost and performance.
• Mentor junior engineers and share engineering best practices.

Skills

Databricks

MLflow

Mosaic AI

Model Serving

AKS

Python

SQL

REST APIs

Docker

CI/CD

MLOps

GenAI

LLMs

RAG

Spark

Education

Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Econometrics, Mathematical Statistics, Actuarial Science or related field

Job description

Johannesburg, South Africa | Posted on 14/09/2026

Ready to take AI and Machine Learning from prototype to production? Join a forward-thinking technology team where you’ll build, deploy and scale ML, AI and GenAI solutions that deliver real business value.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Productionise and deploy ML models & data science pipelines on Databricks
• Build and support AI Agents, GenAI & RAG solutions
• Develop robust MLOps / CI/CD pipelines with automated testing, monitoring and governance
• Deploy and optimise Open Source LLMs & AI models on Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)
• Build scalable APIs & microservices to expose AI capabilities
• Develop containerised solutions using Docker & Kubernetes
• Monitor model performance, drift, reliability and production health
• Partner with Data Scientists to turn prototypes into business-ready solutions
• Troubleshoot, optimise and scale AI/ML platforms for performance, cost and reliability
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to AI/ML engineering best practices
  

MUST-HAVE TECHNICAL SKILLS

• Databricks
• MLflow
• Mosaic AI
• Model Serving
• AKS
• Python
• SQL
• REST APIs
• Docker
• CI/CD
• MLOps
• GenAI
• LLMs
• RAG
• Spark

QUALIFICATIONS

Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Econometrics, Mathematical Statistics, Actuarial Science or a related field.

ADVANTAGEOUS CERTIFICATIONS

• AWS or Google Cloud certifications

A hands-on Senior ML Engineer who understands how to take AI from development → deployment → production, with strong experience across Databricks, Azure, Kubernetes, MLOps and GenAI.

If you're passionate about building production-grade AI solutions at scale, this could be your next opportunity!