Data Scientist (George, Western Cape)

About Badger Holdings

At Badger Holdings, we don’t just crunch numbers, we use data to reshape insurance and solve real-world problems. We’re looking for a Data Scientist who’s ready to take ownership of the full machine learning lifecycle: from raw data, to insights, to deployed models that actually move the needle.

Purpose of the Role

You’ll be responsible for the development and deployment of machine learning solutions that tackle real business challenges. This means data preparation, exploratory data analysis, feature engineering, model development, deployment, monitoring — and doing it all without needing your hand held.

Responsibilities

• Prep, clean, transform and engineer features from raw data
• Run exploratory data analysis to uncover insights & shape models
• Build, validate and deploy machine learning models
• Monitor and retrain models to stay ahead of drift
• Troubleshoot and maintain deployed solutions
• Document pipelines, models and processes clearly
• Create dashboards & reporting tools for business teams

Requirements

Essential:

• Degree/Honours in Data Science or Actuarial Science
• 3+ years’ experience in insurance/financial services (short-term insurance = big plus)
• 3+ years hands-on with machine learning projects (data prep• deployment)
• Proven experience with Python or R, SQL/Snowflake
• Experience with claims modelling & survival analysis
• Strong foundation in statistical modelling & time series forecasting

Preferred (Bonus Points):

• Exposure to ML platforms
• Proficiency in BI tools (Power BI, Qlik Sense, Tableau, etc.)

Why Join Badger?

• George lifestyle – think mountains, ocean, fresh air & zero gridlock
• A company that backs innovation with action, not just words
• A culture where your ideas matter and your growth is real

Ready to build smarter solutions in an environment that values both brains and balance? Apply now and let’s do big things together.