Johannesburg: Senior Data Scientist – Generative AI posted by PBT Group

PBT Group is seeking a Senior Data Scientist Generative AI to lead the design, development, and deployment of advanced AI and machine learning solutions. This role requires a highly hands-on technical specialist with deep expertise across Generative AI, Machine Learning, and Data Science, capable of building production-grade models that drive measurable business value.

The successful candidate will play a key role in shaping AI capabilities, developing scalable model architectures, and collaborating with engineering and business teams to deliver impactful, real-world AI solutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, build, and deploy Generative AI models for practical enterprise applications (text, image, video, multimodal)
• Develop, fine-tune, and optimise large language models (LLMs) and transformer-based architectures
• Apply advanced machine learning and statistical techniques to solve complex business problems
• Work with structured and unstructured datasets to engineer high-quality AI solutions
• Partner with data engineers and software teams to integrate models into production environments
• Drive model performance, scalability, and cost optimisation initiatives
• Contribute to AI strategy, experimentation, and innovation initiatives
• Conduct research and remain current with emerging trends in Generative AI and ML
• Ensure adherence to data governance, security, and responsible AI practices
• Communicate findings, insights, and model outcomes to technical and business stakeholders

Minimum Requirements

Experience

• 5+ years experience in Data Science / Machine Learning / AI roles
• Proven track record delivering production-grade ML or AI solutions
• Strong hands-on development experience (not purely research or oversight)

Core Technical Expertise

Strong practical experience with:

• Generative AI & Deep Learning
  • Large Language Models (LLMs)
  • Transformer architectures
  • GANs / VAEs / modern generative approaches
  • Prompt engineering and model optimisation
• Programming & Frameworks
  • Python (essential)
  • PyTorch and/or TensorFlow
  • Experience working with modern AI / LLM APIs
• Machine Learning & Data Science
  • Model development and evaluation
  • Feature engineering and optimisation
  • Statistical modelling and experimentation
  • Data exploration and analytical problem solving
• Data Engineering & Processing
  • Strong SQL proficiency
  • Experience with Spark / large-scale data processing
  • Handling complex, high-volume datasets
• Cloud & Infrastructure
  • Experience deploying ML / AI workloads on AWS, Azure, or GCP
  • Understanding of scalable cloud-native architectures
• MLOps & Deployment
  • Model lifecycle management
  • Docker / containerisation concepts
  • CI/CD for ML pipelines
  • Exposure to Kubernetes advantageous

Preferred Experience

Highly advantageous:

• NLP, Computer Vision, or Multimodal AI experience
• Reinforcement Learning (RL) or Self-Supervised Learning (SSL) exposure
• AI model optimisation and performance tuning
• Model interpretability / explainability techniques
• Experience working in regulated or data-sensitive environments
• Research publications or open-source contributions

Key Competencies

• Strong analytical and problem-solving capability
• Deep technical curiosity and innovation mindset
• Ability to work hands-on and independently
• Strong collaboration across technical and business teams
• Clear communication of complex AI concepts
• Pragmatic, solution-driven approach to AI adoption

Ideal Candidate Profile

This role is suited to a senior, technically strong Data Scientist who combines:

• Advanced Generative AI expertise
• Solid Machine Learning & statistical foundations
• Strong engineering & production mindset
• Ability to translate AI capabilities into business value

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