Head of Data Science

Head of Data Science

Overview

A senior leadership role responsible for defining and executing our clients data science strategy within a financial services environment. This position focuses on driving AI/ML innovation, building high-performing teams, and delivering scalable data products that directly impact business outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and deliver the data science vision, roadmap, and strategic direction.
• Lead, mentor, and scale a team of data scientists, ML engineers, and analysts.
• Oversee the development and deployment of machine learning models across areas such as risk, fraud, credit, forecasting, and customer analytics.
• Ensure models are production-ready, monitored, and continuously optimised.
• Collaborate closely with product, engineering, risk, and compliance teams to embed models into systems while ensuring regulatory alignment and model explainability.
• Drive best practices in data governance, infrastructure, feature engineering, and model lifecycle management.
• Define success metrics and promote a culture of experimentation and data-driven decision making.

Key Requirements

• 10+ years' experience in data science/ML, including leadership experience.
• Strong background in statistical modelling, machine learning, and deep learning techniques.
• Industry experience within financial services (e.g. lending, credit risk, fraud, or similar).
• Proficiency in Python, R, or Scala, and common ML frameworks.
• Experience with SQL, data visualisation tools, and large-scale data platforms (e.g. Spark, cloud environments).
• Proven ability to deliver and scale data products in production environments.

Leadership Profile

• Strong people leadership and team-building capability.
• Strategic mindset with the ability to align technical initiatives to commercial goals.
• Effective communicator, able to engage both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

This position is remote in SA but requires quarterly travel to Ethiopia.

• Must have right to work in SA without visa sponsorship