Trade Execution Manager: Contracts, Data & Team Lead

Creative Leadership Solutions; South Africa; On-site; ZAR 1,500,000 - 2,100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Generous annual leave

Professional development budget

Advanced computing resources

Career progression

Retirement fund contributions

On-site amenities

Team-building activities

Company-sponsored events

Job summary

Creative Leadership Solutions in South Africa seeks a visionary Lead Data Scientist - AI Innovation to head analytics and AI initiatives in Tembisa, Gauteng. You will mentor a team of data scientists, design production ML models, and collaborate with engineering, product and business teams to turn data into strategic business value.

The role requires a PhD or Master's, 8+ years in data science with leadership, strong Python/R skills, experience in Spark/Hadoop, and cloud platforms.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, or a related quantitative discipline.
• Minimum 8 years of hands-on data science and ML experience, with 2+ years in leadership.
• Proven ability to deploy production‑level ML models and mentor teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, development and deployment of advanced AI/ML models to solve business problems.
• Mentor data scientists and ensure high‑quality project delivery.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to translate requirements into ML plans.
• Define methodologies and success metrics for AI initiatives.
• Stay current with AI/ML research and champion adoption.
• Communicate findings to technical and executive stakeholders.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Communication

Problem solving

Education

PhD or Master’s in Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics or related quantitative field

Tools

Python

R

TensorFlow

PyTorch

scikit-learn

Pandas

NumPy

Spark

SQL

Cloud platforms (AWS/Azure/GCP)

Job description

Lead Data Scientist - AI Innovation

About the Role Our client is seeking a visionary and highly accomplished Lead Data Scientist - AI Innovation to spearhead their advanced analytics and artificial intelligence initiatives in Tembisa, Gauteng. This is a critical leadership role responsible for driving the development and application of sophisticated machine learning models and AI solutions that will revolutionize our client's core business operations and customer engagement strategies. You will be at the forefront of discovering actionable insights from vast datasets, translating complex findings into tangible business value, and mentoring a talented team of data scientists. The ideal candidate will possess a profound understanding of statistical modeling, predictive analytics, and the full lifecycle of AI/ML development.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, and implementation of advanced AI and machine learning models to solve complex business problems.
• Mentor and guide a team of data scientists, fostering their technical growth and ensuring high-quality project delivery.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including engineering, product, and business development, to identify opportunities for AI-driven solutions.
• Translate business requirements into data science and machine learning project plans, defining methodologies and success metrics.
• Conduct in-depth exploratory data analysis, feature engineering, and model selection to optimize predictive performance.
• Develop and deploy scalable machine learning models into production environments, working closely with MLOps engineers.
• Stay current with the latest research and advancements in AI, machine learning, and data science, and champion their adoption where appropriate.
• Communicate complex findings and recommendations clearly and effectively to both technical and executive stakeholders.
• Ensure the ethical and responsible use of data and AI technologies throughout all projects.
• Contribute to the overall data strategy and AI roadmap of the organization.

Requirements

• Ph.D. or Master's degree in Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, or a related quantitative discipline.
• Minimum of 8 years of hands‑on experience in data science and machine learning, with at least 2 years in a lead or senior mentorship role.
• Demonstrated expertise in building and deploying production‑level machine learning models (e.g., classification, regression, clustering, NLP, deep learning).
• Strong proficiency in Python, R, and relevant data science libraries (e.g., scikit‑learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch, pandas, NumPy).
• Experience with big data technologies (e.g., Spark, Hadoop) and SQL.
• Solid understanding of statistical principles, experimental design, and hypothesis testing.
• Proven ability to translate complex business problems into data science solutions.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) for data science workloads is highly desirable.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving capabilities.

Benefits

• Highly competitive salary with an attractive annual bonus structure.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Generous annual leave and company holidays.
• Professional development budget for training, conferences, and certifications.
• Access to advanced computing resources and cutting‑edge AI tools.
• Opportunities for rapid career progression and leadership development.
• Retirement fund contributions.
• On‑site amenities and collaborative work spaces.
• Company‑sponsored social events and team‑building activities.