Senior ML Engineer – Lead AI & MLOps in Cape Town

Mind Detect Ltd.; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 450,000 - 800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Performance-based bonuses

Medical aid

Retirement fund

Professional development budget

Conference opportunities

Collaborative environment

Work-life balance

On-site amenities

Job summary

WhatJobs Direct in Cape Town, Western Cape, is seeking a Lead Machine Learning Engineer to head the design, development, and deployment of advanced ML models and AI-driven solutions. You will guide a team of engineers and data scientists, shaping our AI roadmap and ensuring integration into products and operations.

The role demands strategic thinking, hands-on expertise, and the ability to translate business needs into actionable ML strategies, with a focus on responsible AI and cutting-edge

Qualifications

• Master's or Ph.D. in Computer Science, AI, Statistics, or related field.
• Extensive experience in developing and deploying production ML models.
• Proficiency in Python and core ML libraries (TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit-learn, Keras).
• Strong understanding of ML algorithms (supervised, unsupervised, reinforcement).
• Experience with MLOps tools and practices (MLflow, Kubeflow, Docker, Kubernetes).
• Proven experience in leading technical teams and managing complex projects.
• Excellent data manipulation and analysis skills.
• Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and ML services.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, and presentation skills.
• Ability to translate business requirements into actionable ML strategies.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end development lifecycle of ML models from data prep to deployment.
• Design and implement robust MLOps pipelines for CI/CD and monitoring in production.
• Mentor and guide a team of ML engineers and data scientists.
• Collaborate with product, engineering, and business units to identify AI opportunities.
• Research latest ML advances and translate into innovative solutions.
• Develop and maintain scalable ML infrastructure and platforms.
• Ensure ethical and responsible development and deployment of AI systems.
• Conduct rigorous testing and validation of models for accuracy and reliability.
• Present findings and recommendations to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Champion best practices in ML development, reproducibility, and documentation.

Skills

Python

Data analysis

Leadership

Team management

Communication

MLOps

Cloud services

Model deployment

PyTorch/TensorFlow

Education

Master's or Ph.D. in Computer Science/AI/Statistics

Tools

TensorFlow

PyTorch

Scikit-learn

Keras

Docker

Kubernetes

MLflow

Kubeflow

Job description

WhatJobs Direct in Cape Town, Western Cape, is seeking a Lead Machine Learning Engineer to head the design, development, and deployment of advanced ML models and AI-driven solutions. You will guide a team of engineers and data scientists, shaping our AI roadmap and ensuring integration into products and operations.

The role demands strategic thinking, hands-on expertise, and the ability to translate business needs into actionable ML strategies, with a focus on responsible AI and cutting-edge