Lead Machine Learning Engineer - AI Specialization

Our client is a leader in AI innovation, seeking a highly skilled and experienced Lead Machine Learning Engineer to drive the development and deployment of advanced AI models. This role is critical in pushing the boundaries of what's possible with artificial intelligence and requires a deep understanding of complex algorithms and practical implementation.

Responsibilities: Lead a team of machine learning engineers in the design, development, and deployment of scalable and robust machine learning models. Architect and implement cutting-edge machine learning solutions to solve complex business problems across various domains. Oversee the entire ML lifecycle, from data acquisition and preprocessing to model training, evaluation, and production deployment. Develop and refine deep learning architectures and algorithms for tasks such as natural language processing, computer vision, and predictive analytics. Mentor and guide junior engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence and innovation. Collaborate with data scientists, researchers, and product managers to translate business requirements into technical specifications and ML roadmaps. Ensure the performance, scalability, and reliability of machine learning systems in production environments. Stay current with the latest research and advancements in machine learning and artificial intelligence, and advocate for their adoption where appropriate. Design and implement A/B testing frameworks for evaluating new model performance. Develop and maintain robust data pipelines and MLOps infrastructure. Optimize ML models for efficiency and performance on various hardware platforms. Contribute to the company's intellectual property through research and development. Present technical findings and project progress to both technical and non-technical audiences. Champion best practices in software engineering, code quality, and testing within the ML team. Identify opportunities for leveraging AI and ML to create new products or enhance existing ones. Manage vendor relationships for specialized ML tools or services. Ensure compliance with data privacy and security regulations in all ML projects. Troubleshoot and resolve complex issues in production ML systems. Qualifications: Master's or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, or a related quantitative field. Minimum of 7 years of professional experience in machine learning engineering, with a strong focus on AI. Proven track record of leading ML projects from conception to deployment. Deep expertise in one or more areas of machine learning, such as deep learning, reinforcement learning, NLP, or computer vision. Proficiency in programming languages such as Python and libraries like TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit-learn. Strong understanding of MLOps principles and tools (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes, MLflow). Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and their ML services. Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and algorithmic thinking skills. Strong leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills. Ability to mentor and develop a high-performing engineering team. Experience with large-scale data processing frameworks (e.g., Spark). Familiarity with ethical AI principles and bias mitigation techniques. This is an on-site role based in Upington, Northern Cape, ZA , requiring a dedicated professional to drive our AI initiatives.