Research: Machine Learning Data Scientist (Fixed Term Contract) Jobs

0
0
0

  • Full Time
  • Pretoria, South Africa

The South African Revenue Service (SARS)

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) is the nation’s tax collecting authority. Established under the South African Revenue Service Act 34 of 1997 as an autonomous agency, we administer the South African tax system and customs service. Our main functions include collecting and administering all national taxes, duties, and levies.

Research: Machine Learning Data Scientist (Fixed Term Contract)

  • Job Type: Contract
  • Qualification: Bachelors, Higher National Certificate, Masters
  • Experience: 10 – 15 years
  • Location: Gauteng
  • Job Field: Data, Business Analysis and AI; ICT / Computer; Research

Job Purpose

To provide expert advice and guidance in designing, implementing, and validating statistical machine learning and artificial intelligence products. Be innovative in combining algorithms with the organization’s expertise to meet SARS customers’ needs and support our goal of voluntary compliance. Use algorithms to improve operational efficiency and detect non-compliance. Conduct research and stay updated on the latest tools and models to solve the organization’s challenges.

Education and Experience

Minimum Qualification and Experience Required

  • Honours or Postgraduate Diploma (NQF 8) in a quantitative field such as Actuarial Science, Statistics, Physics, Computer Science, Data Science, Machine Learning, or similar, plus 10-12 years of experience in a similar environment, including 3-4 years at a specialist level.

Alternative

  • Bachelor’s Degree or Advanced Diploma (NQF 7) in a quantitative field such as Actuarial Science, Statistics, Physics, Computer Science, Data Science, Machine Learning, or similar, plus 12-15 years of related experience, including 3-4 years at a specialist level.
  • A Master’s degree is advantageous.

Minimum Functional Requirements

  • Strong skills in statistics or machine learning.
  • Ability to read and understand academic papers, think creatively about data, and guide what to build.
  • Fluency in a coding language like R, Python, or similar.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills to explain concepts clearly to different audiences, from non-technical to machine learning experts.
  • Advanced experience with relational databases and SQL (5+ years).
  • Some experience with non-relational databases, such as DynamoDB (1+ years).
  • Experience with various data formats like JSON, Parquet, CSV, Pickle, XML (2+ years).
  • Desirable: Experience with unstructured data and NLP techniques (beyond tools like ChatGPT, e.g., Spacy, Hugging Face) (1+ year).
  • Intermediate experience in running end-to-end machine learning or research projects, including operationalizing ML/AI projects.
  • Experience with streaming data is an advantage.
  • Cloud experience on AWS, Azure, GCP, or IBM Cloud is an advantage.
  • Experience with foundational models (deploying as-is, using RAG, or fine-tuning) is an advantage.

Job Outputs

Process

  • Analyze and recommend improvements to specialist systems, procedures, policies, and practices.
  • Develop practices aligned with operational policies to support tactical development and excellence.
  • Integrate business information, analyze it, and produce reports to identify trends and support decisions.
  • Stay current with data science, machine learning, AI techniques, and related architecture trends.
  • Think creatively about the organization’s data and suggest what to build, spotting opportunities with innovative thinking.
  • Share best practices and learnings with the team and other data specialists.
  • Review and improve machine learning models created by team members.
  • Expose machine learning outputs via APIs or similar for stakeholders to use.
  • Build dashboards and reports to track KPIs, experiments, and new initiatives.

Governance

  • Develop or align governance and compliance policies in your area to manage risks and liabilities.

People

  • Apply new knowledge and skills from learning opportunities in your role.
  • Provide specialist expertise, support, advice, and thought leadership in your field.

Finance

  • Implement and monitor financial controls, cost management, and corporate governance in your specialization.

Client

  • Contribute to the specialist practice community and organization knowledge management.
  • Develop practices to ensure delivery excellence and encourage exceptional stakeholder service.
  • Provide authoritative expertise and advice to internal and external stakeholders.

Behavioural Competencies

  • Analytical thinking
  • Accountability
  • Attention to Detail
  • Commitment to Continuous Learning
  • Conceptual ability
  • Expertise in Context
  • Organisational awareness
  • Fairness and Transparency
  • Honesty and Integrity
  • Building Sustainability
  • Respect
  • Trust

Technical Competencies

  • Business Knowledge
  • Data Collection and Analysis
  • Data Analytics
  • Effective Business Communication
  • Functional Policies and Procedures
  • Machine Learning
  • Reporting
  • Research and Information Gathering

Method of Application

Interested and qualified candidates should apply to The South African Revenue Service (SARS).

Build your CV for free. Download in different templates.

Apply Now CV Revamp

Was this helpful?

0 / 0