Data Scientist II (Finance) at The Shoprite Group of Companies

Purpose of the Job    

• Our Analytics team within the Security & Loss Prevention (SLP) department is looking to appoint a Data Scientist II who is eager to grow their career within the SLP department, by supporting the Analytics team to transform and model data sets that provides valuable insights to the business while contributing towards leveraging data as a competitive advantage for Shoprite. The role extracts, analyses and interprets data from a range of sources, using algorithmic, data mining, artificial intelligence, machine learning and statistical tools, to uncover trends and patterns that support business objectives. The Data Scientist has a passion for developing their skills in the art of Data Science, requiring a combination of technical, analytical and communication skills to infer meaning from data and translate these in a concise and cohesive story. 

Job Objectives    

• Work with business stakeholders to identify business requirements and model and frame business scenarios that are meaningful and that answers business questions
• Work closely with data and software teams to translate business requirements into fit-for-purpose, robust and scalable solutions
• Develop, validate and execute algorithms and predictive models to collect, merge, analyse, extract and interpret large and complex datasets
• Use data to investigate complex problems, detect patterns and extrapolate insights that delivers business value and impact
• Develop data structures and pipelines to organise, collect and standardise data
• Perform sophisticated data preparation in order to reduce and shape data. Clean and validate data and assure its integrity, accuracy, completeness, and uniformity
• Adhere to stringent quality assurance and documentation standards using version control and code repositories
• Test data mining models to select the most appropriate one for use on a project
• Cross-validate models to ensure their generalizability
• Assess the effectiveness of data sources and data-gathering techniques to improve data collection methods
• Communicate and present analytical findings, results and reports to stakeholders, using data visualisation techniques to tell compelling stories
• Effectively structure and plan projects, timelines, and deliverables, weighing business and technical trade-offs as required.
• Conduct research from which to develop prototypes and proof of concepts
• Share insights across teams to inform collaborative efforts
• Understand and apply best practises for own work while supporting others to improve delivery standards and adopt best practices
• Stay updated on the latest research and developments in Data Science and adjacent fields to ensure the latest technology, techniques and methods are always applied

Qualifications    

• Bachelor’s Degree in Data Science, Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Information Technology, Information Systems or a related field
• Post Graduate Degree in the above or related fields 

Experience    

• 3 years’ plus experience in a Data Scientist or similar role with demonstrable experience applying machine learning, deep learning, data mining, modelling and mathematical and/or statistical concepts and methodology to support business objectives

Knowledge and Skills    

• Excellent knowledge of SQL, Python and data science toolkits 
• Strong proficiency in MS Office 365 with advanced Excel skills 
• Experience delivering project outcomes using design thinking, lean and agile principles 
• Experience in a retail, commercial or Financial Services environment