Sandton: AI Enablement Lead posted by The Focus Group

January 14, 2026 Jobs in Gauteng

The Focus Group

Gauteng

Other Finance/Accounting

Job Description

Company Summary
A leading JSE-listed financial services company is committed to improving peoples lives and delivering forward-thinking innovations across the healthcare and financial ecosystem. The organisation thrives on curiosity, high performance, and the pursuit of meaningful change. It offers a dynamic environment where exceptional talent collaborates to create solutions with long-term impact.

About the Group Data Science Team
The Group Data Science Team is expanding and plays a central role in shaping digital, clinical, wellness and behavioural solutions across the business. The team works with large-scale structured and unstructured data on modern cloud and big-data architectures, collaborating with global partners and academic institutions to develop high-impact AI solutions. With a future-fit platform and a focus on new data opportunities, the team builds scalable, production-ready systems that support strategic business priorities. The AI Enablement team is the engineering engine that transforms cutting-edge data science into tangible value for our members and business. We bridge experimental AI and robust, enterprise-scale production systems, enabling scalable, reliable, and efficient AI solutions.

Key Purpose of the role

The AI Lead is responsible for translating cutting-edge data science into robust, scalable production systems. This role leads a multidisciplinary team focused on the productionisation of machine learning and LLM models, ensuring operational excellence, technical innovation, and strategic alignment with business goals. Success in this position requires architecting and implementing production-grade systems that are scalable, maintainable, resilient, and integrated with existing production systems.

Requirements

Essential:

Masters degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
12+ years experience in software engineering, data engineering, or AI productionisation.
Advanced proficiency in Python, SQL, cloud-native development, and MLOps/LLMOps tools.
Strong experience with CI/CD, Docker, Kubernetes, and Infrastructure-as-Code.

Advantageous:

Postgraduate qualification in AI, Data Science, or Systems Engineering.
Experience with Vertex AI, BigQuery, Cloud Composer, Kubeflow, or similar platforms.

Attributes:

Collaborative mentor with a passion for developing others.
Pragmatic, delivery-focused, and solutions-driven.
Strong communicator with the ability to simplify complex concepts.
Curious, innovative, and adaptable with an ownership mindset.

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Responsibilities

Team Leadership & Delivery

Lead and mentor a cross-functional squad including engineers, developers, analysts, and data scientists.
Drive agile delivery practices to ensure high-quality, on-time deployment of AI solutions.

Technical Strategy & Architecture

Own the technical roadmap for ML and LLM productionisation.
Oversee architectural decisions for model deployment, data pipelines, and cloud-native systems.

Operational Excellence

Implement monitoring, alerting, observability, and incident response processes for production AI systems.
Champion best practices in CI/CD, testing, automation, and reliability engineering.

Stakeholder Collaboration

Work with data science teams to convert prototypes into stable, production-ready applications.
Partner with platform and infrastructure teams to ensure seamless integration and scalability.

Strategic Impact

Drive enterprise-wide improvement in AI delivery velocity and reliability.
Represent the AI Enablement Squad in strategic forums and contribute to group-wide AI innovation.

About Other Finance/Accounting Jobs in Gauteng

The finance and accounting sector is a significant contributor to the economy of Gauteng, South Africa, providing numerous opportunities for professionals looking to advance their careers. With major financial institutions, banks, and multinational corporations based in the province, there is a high demand for skilled finance and accounting professionals.

Salary ranges in Gauteng are generally in line with national averages, but can vary depending on factors such as industry, company size, and level of experience. According to recent job postings, average salary ranges for finance and accounting positions in Gauteng include:

R250 000 – R350 000 per annum for junior finance professionals
R400 000 – R600 000 per annum for experienced accountants
R700 000 – R1 200 000 per annum for senior finance managers

Key skills required for success in the finance and accounting sector in Gauteng include:

Financial planning and analysis
Accounting standards and compliance (e.g. IFRS)
Data analytics and reporting
Communication and interpersonal skills
Budgeting and forecasting
Risk management
Business acumen and strategic thinking

Major employers in the finance and accounting sector in Gauteng include:

Standard Bank, one of South Africa’s largest banks, with its headquarters located in Sandton, Johannesburg.
Multinational corporations such as IBM, which has a significant presence in the province, and Unilever, a leading consumer goods company.
The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), which is also based in the province and provides opportunities for finance professionals to work in investment banking and stockbroking.

View Job South Africa: Financial Executive posted by Joubert & Associates

Career growth opportunities are available in the finance and accounting sector in Gauteng, with many companies investing in training and development programs to support their employees’ career progression. Senior finance managers can move into executive roles, while experienced accountants can take on leadership positions or start their own businesses. Additionally, the JSE offers a range of training programs and certifications for finance professionals, such as the Certified Financial Analyst (CFA) program.

Overall, the finance and accounting sector in Gauteng presents numerous opportunities for career advancement and professional growth, with a high demand for skilled professionals and competitive salary ranges.

This information provides general career guidance. Actual salaries and requirements vary by employer.

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