What Jobs are available for Machine Learning Specialist in South Africa?

Who
we are
Yoco was founded in 2015, and we've been breaking down barriers, unlocking economic opportunities and opening commerce for people to thrive ever since.

We're the payments provider for over 200,000 self-employed, and process over US$3 billion annually.

We have ±350 team members globally, all with a bias for boldness and a passion for simple, progressive solutions. We believe in uniting different people to solve hard problems, together.

Our mission of making society more equal requires a variety of people, with different backgrounds and points of view, to keep building solutions that make life easier for emerging businesses.

We're growing fast. With growth comes compelling challenges. If you're an ambitious problem-solver, with big ideas, a passion for doing good, bright, grounded and courageous; you're likely to thrive at Yoco.

We don't stop pushing. We break things to rebuild. We challenge ourselves and each other. We're constantly evolving - and we're doing it fast.

Grow With Us.

About The Team
You'll lead a cross-functional analytics team embedded across Yoco's business units, with primary focus on supporting our Go-to-Market and Internal Enablement teams (including Systems, Finance, Strategy, and Risk).

The Data Science & Analytics team at Yoco powers intelligent decision-making across the business, translating complex data into actionable insights that drive growth, operational efficiency, and strategic decisions. Our work spans from daily operational dashboards to sophisticated predictive models that shape how we serve merchants and scale our business.

This role sits at the intersection of technical excellence and business partnership - you'll build a high-performing team while being deeply embedded in the business problems they solve.

About The Role
We're looking for an experienced Data Science & Analytics Manager to lead, grow, and develop a team of analysts and data scientists who partner directly with our business stakeholders. This is a people-first leadership role where you'll balance team development with strategic business partnership.

You'll ensure the right work gets done by the right people at the right time, translating business priorities into team capacity, developing talent across both analytics and data science disciplines, and ensuring our work drives measurable business outcomes. Critically, you'll work closely with business leaders to mature their data literacy, analytics capabilities, and self-service frameworks—coaching them on how to engage with data productively and building sustainable analytics practices.

The ideal candidate brings substantial experience managing high-performing analytics teams in fast-paced environments, has a track record of strong business partnerships, and understands how to build analytics maturity in organisations at different stages of data sophistication. You're comfortable navigating ambiguity, translating between technical and business languages, and building trust with stakeholders at all levels.

What You Will Be Doing
Strategic Business Partnership:

• Embed deeply with Go-to-Market and Internal Enablement teams (Systems, Finance, Strategy, Risk) to understand their business challenges and priorities
• Translate business strategy into analytics team roadmap and priorities
• Partner with business leaders to identify high-impact opportunities where analytics and data science can drive value
• Build trusted advisor relationships with stakeholders at all levels, including senior leadership
• Navigate organisational dynamics and competing priorities to secure resources and alignment
• Represent the analytics function in leadership forums and strategic planning discussions

Analytics Maturity & Capability Building:

• Assess and mature data frameworks, analytics processes, and self-service capabilities across business groups
• Coach business partners on how to engage with data effectively - from asking the right questions to interpreting insights
• Build data literacy across the organization through training, documentation, and hands-on support
• Work with teams at different levels of analytics maturity, meeting them where they are and helping them progress
• Establish standards for analytical work, documentation, and knowledge sharing
• Invest in tools, infrastructure, and processes that enable the team to scale their impact

Delivery & Operational Excellence:

• Prioritise across competing demands - balancing strategic projects with operational needs
• Allocate resources effectively across analytics and data science initiatives
• Build delivery systems and processes that drive clarity, accountability, and quality at speed
• Remove blockers, manage risk, and ensure teams have what they need to succeed
• Communicate progress, setbacks, and team impact clearly to stakeholders
• Balance short-term delivery with long-term capability building

Strategic Planning & Execution:

• Translate business objectives into analytics roadmap with clear priorities and success metrics
• Make data-driven decisions about team investments, tools, and resource allocation
• Anticipate future analytics needs and build capabilities proactively
• Balance strategic, high-impact work with operational support and ad-hoc requests
• Ensure analytics work is aligned to business outcomes and demonstrates clear ROI

People Leadership & Team Development:

• Recruit, develop, and retain top analytics and data science talent with diverse skill sets
• Provide clear coaching, feedback, and performance management across both analytics and data science tracks
• Create growth pathways and development opportunities tailored to individual strengths and career aspirations
• Foster a high-performing team where people challenge each other and grow together
• Handle difficult conversations and performance issues with care and directness

About You
Essential experience:

• 5+ years managing analytics, data science, or business intelligence teams, with demonstrated success developing talent and delivering business impact
• Proven track record as a hands-on business partner - deeply embedded with business stakeholders, influencing decisions, and translating between technical and business contexts
• Experience building analytics maturity in organisations, including developing data literacy, self-service frameworks, and analytics best practices
• Strong understanding of both analytics and data science disciplines - you can speak credibly about SQL, statistical methods, experimentation, and ML approaches
• Track record working with business functions at different levels of data sophistication, meeting them where they are and coaching them forward
• Experience managing cross-functional partnerships with go-to-market, finance, operations, or risk teams
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity, managing competing priorities, and making tough decisions with incomplete information

How you work:

• People first: You genuinely care about developing people and building high-performing teams. You create psychological safety while maintaining high standards
• Business embedded: You don't manage from a distance - you're in the weeds understanding business problems, building relationships, and earning trust through results
• Clarity and communication: You provide crystal-clear direction, adapt your message to your audience, and communicate team impact compellingly
• Pragmatic and decisive: You balance trade-offs, make sound decisions with incomplete information, and know when to act vs. when to gather more data
• Maturity builder: You have a nose for where analytics capabilities are immature and a toolkit for how to develop them - whether that's better tooling, training, processes, or coaching
• Results oriented: You focus relentlessly on business outcomes, not just outputs. You connect analytics work to measurable impact and demonstrate ROI
• Organisationally savvy: You navigate politics effectively, influence without authority, build coalitions, and get things done in complex environments
• Growth mindset: You learn from mistakes, seek feedback actively, and continuously improve how you lead and how your team operates

Nice to have:

• Background as a senior analyst or data scientist yourself - you've done the work and understand what your team experiences
• Experience in fintech, payments, or high-growth technology companies
• Familiarity with modern analytics tools and data stack (SQL, Python/R, BI platforms, workflow orchestration)
• Understanding of experiment design, causal inference, or machine learning applications

The people we're looking for
We're looking for people who want to grow and have a thirst for learning. And as Yoco grows, we hope they stay with us for the long-term.

Building solutions for a more equal society is a daunting task - and it's not for everyone. We never stop pushing, we break things to rebuild, and we challenge ourselves and our teammates. We start over, we constantly evolve - and we do it fast. We know that it's just the right kind of meaningful madness for our kind of visionary human.

So, who are you? You're someone who resonates with our mission and our values, and you're relentlessly effective in your execution.

You're a curious problem-solver with a passion for doing good. You're bright, grounded, experimental and bold. You play open cards and get stuck in. You're not afraid of change. You close the loop.

At Yoco, we laugh, embrace each other's quirks, and support one another's growth, all while staying authentic.

If this sounds like your kind of challenge, apply below and come grow with us.

We encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply and ask that you please send your application in English and help us reduce unconscious bias by leaving out your picture, age, address, and other unnecessary information in your CV.
We believe that the best work comes from a place of balance and security. We see our benefits not as perks, but as a partnership to support your life, your family, and your ambitions.

• Need time to switch off? We offer 24 paid leave days annually, plus public holidays, so you can rest, travel, or simply handle life.
• Thinking about long-term security? We'll help you build a strong foundation with contributions to medical aid and gap cover.
• Putting your family first? So do we. We provide paid parental leave for mothers, fathers, and adoptive parents, along with family responsibility leave for unexpected emergencies.
• Ready to grow your skills? We provide an annual learning budget for you to invest in the courses, conferences, or training that will help you advance your career.
• Looking for your community? Find it here. From weekly company gatherings and team outings to employee-led clubs, we foster a connected culture where everyone belongs.

Yoco is the all-in-one digital commerce platform for small businesses.

As one of Africa's largest fintech companies, we make it easy to sell anywhere, manage your business from anywhere, and grow with smart insights—all under one Yoco profile.

Founded in 2015, we've helped over 200,000 small businesses across South Africa accept card payments and access capital—often for the first time.

Our ecosystem of payments, software, and tools works seamlessly under one Yoco account. Behind it all is a global team of 350+ people across South Africa and the Netherlands, building world-class solutions for small business growth.

Not for First Time Job Seeker

Important:
This role requires all 12 listed skills.

Please ensure your CV clearly reflects each of these with traceable experience and references. Candidates missing any of the required skills will not be considered.

JOB ROLE - DATA SCIENCE/ AI/ML Engineers:-

Educational qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in data science, Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, or a related quantitative field.
• Master's or PhD in Machine Learning, Applied Mathematics, Econometrics, or AI (strongly preferred).

SKILLS:

Machine learning engineering

Azure databricks

Business acumen

Python

SQL

Version control and collaboration tools (git, azure repo)

Strong communication with non-technical stakeholders

Cloud platform knowledge (azure)

Model deployment (CI/CD pipelines, model monitoring)

Understanding of rag pipelines and autonomous agents

Feature and ml data engineering (advanced big data wrangling)

Understanding of project management and agile methodologies

Relevant experience

• 8–12 years of experience in data science, machine learning, or advanced analytics roles, with at least 3 years in a leadership or managerial capacity.
• Proven delivery of AI/ML models in production environments—preferably in Fintech, Banking, or Telecoms.
• Experience translating complex data science solutions into measurable business outcomes (e.g., credit scoring, fraud detection, churn prediction).
• Exposure to cloud-based ML platforms (e.g., AWS SageMaker, Azure ML, GCP Vertex AI)."

Required certifications

Preferred: TensorFlow, AWS ML Speciality, Microsoft AI Fundamentals

Key responsibilities

• Lead and scale a high-performing team of data scientists and ML engineers.
• Define and execute the data science roadmap, aligned to business priorities and monetisation opportunities.
• Oversee the end-to-end model lifecycle—from ideation, exploration, development, validation, to monitoring.
• Partner with Product, Risk, and Engineering to integrate models into digital and operational channels.
• Establish standards for model governance, explainability, and ethical AI practices.
• Drive innovation by exploring emerging techniques in generative AI, reinforcement learning, and real-time scoring.

Work location

Hybrid

Contract Position

The Specialist Machine Learning Engineer is responsible for advancing the organisation’s technical capabilities in specific, high-impact areas of machine learning such as natural language processing (NLP), computer vision, or reinforcement learning. This role combines deep research expertise with practical engineering skills to design, prototype, and deploy innovative ML solutions that address complex, domain-specific business challenges. The incumbent serves as a subject-matter expert and innovation driver, ensuring that the organisation remains at the forefront of emerging ML technologies and methodologies.

Key Responsibilities:

Job Description
Hello Data Science Manager. Welcome to FNB, the home of the #changeables. We design for the shapeshifters and the game changers. As part of our talent team at FNB Personal Core Banking, you will be surrounded by unique talents, diverse minds, and an adaptable environment that lives up to the promise of staying curious. Now's the time to imagine your potential in a team where experts come together and ignite effective change.

The Personal and Private Core Banking Pricing team is a centre of excellence for FNB. They perform the formulation and execution of pricing strategies across the various business units including Personal Core Banking, Private Core Banking, Credit Card, Home Loans, FNB Channel Islands and Broader Africa. This crucial function engages many senior stakeholders including our CEOs, CFOs and Product Heads to collaboratively drive revenue and income statement growth. The team consists of passionate driven individuals who are invested in the team's success and work together to drive towards outcomes that exceeds expectations.

We're looking for a seasoned Data Science Manager to revolutionize our data utilization. You'll be responsible for building, optimizing, and implementing innovative quantitative analytical methodologies, procedures, products, and advanced mathematical models for our Business Pricing Model. You'll provide analytical support and interpret insights to address business opportunities and problems and implement business strategy with minimal guidance. You'll manage an analytics team, streamline processes, and ensure compliance with privacy requirements. Your role includes integrating analytics into operations, developing core capabilities, and driving performance. Join us to lead data-driven strategies and enhance our business outcomes.

Are You Someone Who Can

• Manage Quantitative Analytics and Modelling team (5 + team members)
• Ensure adoption and localization of appropriate model building policies, standards, frameworks, and governance process and integration of business modelling and analytics value chain.
• Establish goals and strategies for area of accountability in collaboration with senior data analytics management.
• Ensure ethical usage of information that complies to restrictions applied for privacy and sensitivity classification.
• Understand and ensure implementation and adherence to Privacy business requirements, legislation and policy.
• Ensure reporting of any Information Privacy Incidents and drive resolution of Privacy and Protection Audit.
• Findings, Complaints, Incidents, Investigations and Privacy and Protection Assessments.
• Provide and use data and analytic insights to improve customer experience through a better understanding of the customers context to identify monetization opportunities.
• Manage analytics team in the creation of high-quality analyses for all functions of the business, across area of accountability.
• Create tactical plans for achievement of outputs / deliverables in collaboration with business stakeholders to understand information requirements for strategy delivery and define metrics that track performance.
• Drive team performance of analytics solutions; drive and enhance data systems and streamline business processes to impact overall business results while keeping costs in check.
• Analyse available data to identify information commercialization opportunities that have not been explored to address business needs and revenue options.
• Ensure analytics productionization in the approved FirstRand architecture by translating technical data information into practical business information that addresses identified needs.
• Analyse information requirements, availability and quality of data to feed into Data and information management function and forums for resolution.
• Oversee the appropriate manipulation and analysis of data for to meet needs of the business for the purpose of future work and to ensure high information-quality and reliability across the business.
• Integrate analytics into operational processes to improve efficiency and client experience.
• Ensure development of core analytical capabilities or model libraries using advanced statistical, quantitative or econometric techniques.
• Manage overall project dependencies management and long-term prioritization of the business's overall analytical needs and opportunities.
• Serve as SME for analytics applying own understanding of the operations of the business product or service.
• Define the business questions for Business unit that need be answered; define appropriate analytics models in addition to identifying and readying relevant data sources for analysis.
• Address business problems and opportunities through robust underlying analytics.
• Translate business requirements into tangible solutions or models utilizing own understanding of business value and interrelated nature of projects, models and processes.
• Ensure accurate development and application of analytical algorithms and methods to build, test and implement advanced mathematical models and analytical solutions that address business problem, opportunities and improve business outcomes i.e. reduced risk and costs, increased profitability, optimized efficiency and to facilitate strategic decision making.
• Provide requirements to Business Information.
• Management Function as Supplier or Owner of Data to ensure data is prepared for consumption as an organizational asset.
• Create team tactical plans for achievement of outputs or deliverables in collaboration with Technology stakeholders to ensure the effective implementation of analytical solutions and models to support business requirements.
• Ensure governance and compliance rules are followed in application and implementation of predictive models to enable the business to manage risk.
• Maintain ownership and oversee the implementation of models.
• Monitor output and accuracy of models.
• Ensure the documentation and auditing of relevant models, projects and processes.
• Provide input into business strategies through data analysis that proactively improve efficiency, identify risks, save costs and drive innovation.
• Lead business through efforts that drive business performance and potential by using the existent and new data sources and techniques.
• Enable business unit to understand its own health, finds growth levers, and identify opportunities for optimization.
• Create new data-driven approaches for the purpose of generating business insights through data analytics, information visualization and addressing unanswered business issues in a proactive manner.
• Ensure validation and interpretation of analytical results and creation of reports and presentations for data analytics management, departmental heads/management, and relevant stakeholders.
• Collaborate with numerous departments across the business to assist in the proper use of data that ensure delivery of desired operational results.
• Model and drive a data driven culture that values data as an asset with business value.
• Lead relevant change and communications functions to drive functional maturity.
• Manage people by executing management responsibilities and create an environment that encourages employee growth and performance excellence.
• Prevent wastage and identify process improvements to contain and reduce costs.
• Take all necessary actions to ensure compliance with relevant statutory, legislative, policy and governance requirements in area of accountability.
• Ensure implementation of relevant policies, governance and practice standards across the business.
• Maintain expert knowledge on relevant legislative amendments, industry best practices and business's internal compliance procedures and requirements.
• Ensure compliance is adopted in terms of systems and procedures as laid out by business.
• Implement and provide input into the development of governance and compliance procedures and processes within area of specialization and identify risks.
• Build relationships that allow for the managing of expectations; the sharing of knowledge and diverse insights; and the creation of buy-in.
• Engage in cross-functional relationships to obtain and to provide work support.

You Will Be an Ideal Candidate If You Have

• Mathematical/Analytical/Actuarial Science B.Sc. degree or B. Com degree with:
• 5 – 8 years' experience in an analytical and/or modelling position
• 3 years in a management role leading a team (Non-Negotiable)
• Data science and big data knowledge preferable
• Pricing experience, added advantage
• Good communication skills
• Quantitative and analytical skills
• Financial modelling skills
• SAS, Python, SQL, Teradata, PowerBI programming preferable
• Good interpretation skills

You will have access to

• Opportunities to network and collaborate
• A challenging working environment
• Opportunities to innovate

We can be a match if you are / have

• Analytical
• Adaptable and curious
• Thrive in a collaborative environment
• Conceptual and Big Picture Thinking
• Strategic Thinking

Apply now if you are interested in taking the next step. We look forward to engaging with you
All appointments will be made in line with FirstRand Group's Employment Equity plan. The bank supports the recruitment and advancement of individuals with disabilities. In order for us to fulfil this purpose, candidates can disclose their disability information on a voluntary basis. The Bank will keep this information confidential unless we are required by law to disclose this information to other parties.

*Job Details
Take note that applications will not be accepted on the below date and onwards, kindly submit applications ahead of the closing date indicated below. *
25/09/25

All appointments will be made in line with FirstRand Group's Employment Equity plan. The Bank supports the recruitment and advancement of individuals with disabilities. In order for us to fulfill this purpose, candidates can disclose their disability information on a voluntary basis. The Bank will keep this information confidential unless we are required by law to disclose this information to other parties.

Eduvos is looking to hire the services of a permanent basis, Data Science Lecturer at our Mowbray campus on a full-time basis.

Type of appointment:

Permanent (full time workhours agreement)

Purpose:

• To lecture Information Technology-related modules, in the faculty on a part-time (contractual) basis.
• To assist in the administration and departmental affairs and activities as required by the academic department.

Minimum qualifications required:

• Masters Degree in Data Science or Equivalent

Experience:

• Relevant lecturing experience
• Necessary knowledge of higher education practices and processes
• Relevant research experience

Modules to be lectured:

• Scientific Programming in Python
• Machine Learning Algorithms
• Artificial Intelligence Techniques
• Sensors Data Management
• IoT Mining and Analytics
• R Programming for Data Science

Responsibilities:

• Lecturing
• General administration
• Setting and marking of assessments
• Preparation of notes and additional study materials
• Quality Assurance
• Management of At-risk students

Competencies

• Initiative and responsibility
• Constructive teamwork, relations and networking
• Influence
• Analysis and judgement
• Innovation and change
• Systematic approach (planning and organising)
• Steadiness (emotional tenacity)
• Communication

At
X, bigly labs
, we're Dis-Chem's high-performance innovation hub, where bold ideas meet data, design, and radical customer focus. Our mission is simple:
power the future of healthcare
by lowering costs, improving outcomes, and unlocking new possibilities. We're driven by one big question:
How do we use data + technology today to create healthier lives tomorrow?
Here, we don't just imagine the future,
we build it
. From cutting-edge digital solutions to smarter, patient-focused experiences, we're reimagining health tech to make breakthroughs possible.

Welcome to
X, bigly labs.
This is healthcare, reimagined.

From retail and pharmacy to clinics, insurance and beyond, we're applying machine learning and smart systems to reimagine healthcare pathways and create personalised experiences at scale. Here, your work doesn't sit in a notebook or on a whiteboard. It becomes real. It shapes decisions. It improves lives. And we do it all the Bigly way, questioning, challenging, and building audaciously, together.

The
Data Science Lead
will spearhead the development and deployment of advanced analytics and machine learning solutions across the organisation. This role is responsible for driving data-driven decision-making, leading a team of data scientists, and ensuring scalable, secure, and efficient implementation of models using cloud-native technologies.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR?
Minimum

• Bachelor's degree in Data Science, Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, or related field.
• 8+ years of experience in data science, with at least 3 years in a leadership or senior technical role.
• Proven experience in designing, developing, and deploying machine learning models in production environments.
• Extensive hands-on experience with cloud-native tools and platforms (e.g., AWS SageMaker, Azure ML, Google Cloud AI Platform).
• Strong proficiency in Python, R, SQL, and relevant ML libraries (e.g., scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch).
• Experience with MLOps practices and tools (e.g., MLflow, Kubeflow, Airflow).
• Solid understanding of data engineering principles and cloud data architectures.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

Advantageous

• Master's degree in Data Science, Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, or related field.
• Experience in developing and deploying pre built models (e.g. Large Language Models).
• Experience in healthcare, retail, or insurance data ecosystems.

WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING?

• Model Development & Deployment
• Accelerate Analytics and AI Adoption
• Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement
• Innovation & Research
• Team Leadership and Capability Building

WHO YOU ARE?

• Analytical mindset with attention to detail.
• Comfortable working in fast-paced, evolving environments.
• Willingness to pivot strategies based on feedback and results.
• Passion for exploring new technologies and methodologies.
• Encourages experimentation and creative thinking.
• Commitment to responsible AI practices and data privacy and upholds transparency and fairness in model development and deployment.

Our values aren't just ideals, they're the through-lines in how we think, build, and make decisions that impact real lives. From bold experimentation in digital solutions to platforms built on integrity, we're shaping a culture designed for
progress that lasts
. It's a culture that
designs for the future
, asks better questions, and answers them with care, urgency, and systems that scale.

Think you've got the energy, the curiosity, and the guts? Stay close
b
igly things are ahead.

Job Description

The Pricing Manager will lead strategic pricing for Transact interest and facility fees, driving revenue and profitability through data‑driven decision making. This role implements Analytics standards across assigned business units and converts data into monetisation opportunities by developing and deploying advanced mathematical models and commercial frameworks. The Pricing Manager uncovers hidden patterns and associations in customer and transaction data to shape pricing strategy, optimise channel design, and predict client behavior for improved product performance and customer outcomes.

• Ensure adoption and localization of appropriate model building policies, standards, frameworks, and governance process and integration of business modelling and analytics value chain.
• Establish goals and strategies for area of accountability in collaboration with senior data analytics management.
• Ensure ethical usage of information that complies to restrictions applied for privacy and sensitivity classification.
• Understand and ensure implementation and adherence to Privacy business requirements, legislation and policy.
• Ensure reporting of any Information Privacy Incidents and drive resolution of Privacy and Protection Audit.
• Findings, Complaints, Incidents, Investigations and Privacy and Protection Assessments.
• Provide and use data and analytic insights to improve customer experience through a better understanding of the customers context to identify monetization opportunities.
• Manage analytics team in the creation of high-quality analyses for all functions of the business, across area of accountability.
• Create tactical plans for achievement of outputs / deliverables in collaboration with business stakeholders to understand information requirements for strategy delivery and define metrics that track performance.
• Drive team performance of analytics solutions; drive and enhance data systems and streamline business processes to impact overall business results while keeping costs in check.
• Analyse available data to identify information commercialization opportunities that have not been explored to address business needs and revenue options.
• Ensure analytics productionization in the approved FirstRand architecture by translating technical data information into practical business information that addresses identified needs.
• Analyse information requirements, availability and quality of data to feed into Data and information management function and forums for resolution.
• Oversee the appropriate manipulation and analysis of data for to meet needs of the business for the purpose of future work and to ensure high information-quality and reliability across the business.
• Integrate analytics into operational processes to improve efficiency and client experience.
• Ensure development of core analytical capabilities or model libraries using advanced statistical, quantitative or econometric techniques.
• Manage overall project dependencies management and long-term prioritization of the business's overall analytical needs and opportunities.
• Serve as SME for analytics applying own understanding of the operations of the business product or service.
• Define the business questions for Business unit that need be answered; define appropriate analytics models in addition to identifying and readying relevant data sources for analysis.
• Address business problems and opportunities through robust underlying analytics.
• Translate business requirements into tangible solutions or models utilizing own understanding of business value and interrelated nature of projects, models and processes.
• Ensure accurate development and application of analytical algorithms and methods to build, test and implement advanced mathematical models and analytical solutions that address business problem, opportunities and improve business outcomes i.e. reduced risk and costs, increased profitability, optimized efficiency and to facilitate strategic decision making.
• Provide requirements to Business Information.
• Management Function as Supplier or Owner of Data to ensure data is prepared for consumption as an organizational asset.
• Create team tactical plans for achievement of outputs or deliverables in collaboration with Technology stakeholders to ensure the effective implementation of analytical solutions and models to support business requirements.
• Ensure governance and compliance rules are followed in application and implementation of predictive models to enable the business to manage risk.
• Maintain ownership and oversee the implementation of models.
• Monitor output and accuracy of models.
• Ensure the documentation and auditing of relevant models, projects and processes.
• Provide input into business strategies through data analysis that proactively improve efficiency, identify risks, save costs and drive innovation.
• Lead business through efforts that drive business performance and potential by using the existent and new data sources and techniques.
• Enable business unit to understand its own health, finds growth levers, and identify opportunities for optimization.
• Create new data-driven approaches for the purpose of generating business insights through data analytics, information visualization and addressing unanswered business issues in a proactive manner.
• Ensure validation and interpretation of analytical results and creation of reports and presentations for data analytics management, departmental heads/management, and relevant stakeholders.
• Collaborate with numerous departments across the business to assist in the proper use of data that ensure delivery of desired operational results.
• Model and drive a data driven culture that values data as an asset with business value.
• Lead relevant change and communications functions to drive functional maturity.
• Manage people by executing management responsibilities and create an environment that encourages employee growth and performance excellence.
• Prevent wastage and identify process improvements to contain and reduce costs.
• Take all necessary actions to ensure compliance with relevant statutory, legislative, policy and governance requirements in area of accountability.
• Ensure implementation of relevant policies, governance and practice standards across the business.
• Maintain expert knowledge on relevant legislative amendments, industry best practices and business's internal compliance procedures and requirements.
• Ensure compliance is adopted in terms of systems and procedures as laid out by business.
• Implement and provide input into the development of governance and compliance procedures and processes within area of specialization and identify risks.
• Build relationships that allow for the managing of expectations; the sharing of knowledge and diverse insights; and the creation of buy-in.

Additional requirements

• Relevant BSC Degree / Actuarial Science
• Minimum of 5 years' experience in a Data Science role
• Relevant Pricing Experience
• Experience Managing a team

Additional requirementEngage in cross-functional relationships to obtain and to provide work support

Job Details

Take note that applications will not be accepted on the below date and onwards, kindly submit applications ahead of the closing date indicated below.

23/10/25

All appointments will be made in line with FirstRand Group's Employment Equity plan. The Bank supports the recruitment and advancement of individuals with disabilities. In order for us to fulfill this purpose, candidates can disclose their disability information on a voluntary basis. The Bank will keep this information confidential unless we are required by law to disclose this information to other parties.

Fintech is entering a new phase where operational and commercial excellence has become critical for success. We at MTN believe this is a game changer in terms of our business strategy. We are looking at an incumbent to join us as we build a successful business together.

As part of your portfolio as a
Manager: Data Science
you will:

• Lead the development and implementation of the
  AI and advanced analytics strategy
  , ensuring alignment with MTN Fintech's business objectives.
• Translate business needs into
  AI/ML use cases
  that deliver measurable impact (growth, efficiency, risk mitigation).
• Drive adoption of
  real-time and prescriptive analytics
  , embedding AI into decisioning and product workflows.
• Develop comprehensive implementation plans for data science projects, balancing innovation speed with governance.
• Build frameworks for
  AI readiness assessment
  , ensuring data quality, ethics, and infrastructure alignment.
• Provide analytical insight to shape product, marketing, and risk strategies.
• Foster partnerships with Group Technology and external AI/ML vendors to co-create scalable data solutions.
• Drive delivery of
  end-to-end machine learning pipelines
  from data ingestion to model deployment and lifecycle management.
• Execute
  AI-driven automation
  for fraud detection, customer segmentation, personalization, and pricing optimization.
• Leverage large-scale wallet and transactional data to identify patterns, forecast trends, and optimize risk strategies.
• Apply advanced analytics, including
  deep learning, NLP, computer vision, and graph analytics
  , to solve complex fintech challenges.
• Enable
  MLOps practices
  for model monitoring, retraining, and continuous delivery.
• Collaborate with data engineers to evolve next-generation data platforms (streaming, real-time data lakes).
• Build and scale
  AI-enabled APIs and microservices
  that plug directly into operational and customer-facing platforms.
• Drive
  data democratization
  by developing self-service analytical tools for business teams.
• Explore opportunities for
  data monetization
  through insights-as-a-service and ecosystem partnerships.
• Implement
  Responsible AI principles
  , ensuring fairness, explainability, and transparency across models.

The incumbent
must have
the following:

• Minimum of 4-year tertiary degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Data Science or related field
• Master's Degree in a Data Science, AI/ML, Statistical or related field (preferred)
• MBA or Masters (advantageous)
• 5 or more years of relevant work experience as a Data Engineer/ Data Scientist
• 4–6 years applied data science; 2+ years owning production AI/ML.
• At least 3 years' experience within a non-traditional FinTech, Banking or Financial Services Sector
• Experience in Data Science and Data Analysis with a specific focus on AI/ ML models within banking, finance and/or telecommunications industry
• Proven delivery of automated decisioning (recommendation/propensity/fraud/forecasting) with quantified business impact.
• Experience in Data Engineering within banking or financial services industry
• Understanding of enterprise-scale systems and technologies used in data infrastructures
• Experience of working in an Agile/DevOps environment
• GitHub or GitLab experience for CI/CD
• Consistent improvement CI/CD applications for collaborations and enhancement to drive develop once and deploy to many mindset through container repositories
• Proficiency in working with Python and its relevant libraries SAS or R / Scala for data clean up and advanced data analytics
• Working knowledge in Hadoop, Apache Spark and related Big Data technologies (MapReduce, PIG, HIVE)
• Demonstrated experience utilizing software tools to query and report data and being software agnostic
• Highly proficient in database management systems like Postgres, Oracle, Mongo, MSSQL
• Experience in data analysis and management, business performance management and/or reporting within the financial sector or banking industry

Ready to make and drive the change with us? Apply now

Closing date: 15 October 2025. Late applications will not be accepted.

Should you not hear from us within 2 weeks of applying, please consider your application unsuccessful.

THE WORK
: Join our dynamic team and embark on a journey where you will be empowered to perform independently and become an SME. Required active participation/contribution in team discussions and contribute in providing solutions to work related problems. Let's create a brighter future together

Use existing research methods and develop new approaches to discover anthropological, ethnographical and sociological insights.

Develop brand tracking systems and convert data into relevant KPI dashboards.

Utilize analytical methodologies, mathematical modeling or optimization techniques to develop intellectual property.

BONUS POINTS IF YOU HAVE:

Advanced proficiency in Generative Design

Advanced proficiency in Machine Learning

HERE'S WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
Expert proficiency in Data Science.

Advanced proficiency in Data Analytics.

A minimum of 1 year of experience in relevant related skills.

Bachelor's Degree in relevant field of studies

BONUS POINTS IF YOU HAVE:
Advanced proficiency in Generative Design

Advanced proficiency in Machine Learning