Data Scientist at Sanlam Group

What will you do?

We are looking for an individual with experience in using a variety of data tools, analysis methods and machine learning algorithms to build and implement predictive models with demonstrable business impact.

What will make you successful in this role? 
Data Preparation 

• Assess the effectiveness and accuracy of new data sources and data gathering techniques 

• Extend the company’s data with third party sources of information when required 

• Enhance data collection procedures to include information that is relevant for building analytic systems and self-learning models

• Process cleanse and verify the integrity of data used for analysis 

• Identify valuable data sources and automate collection processes 

• Undertake pre-processing of structured and unstructured data

Analysis and Model Building 

• Mine and analyse data to drive optimisation and improvement of product development, marketing techniques and business strategies 

• Analyse large amounts of information to discover trends and patterns 

• Select features, building and optimising classifiers using machine learning techniques 

• Use predictive modelling to increase and optimise customer experiences, generation & targeting and other business outcomes 

• Develop custom data models and algorithms to apply to data sets 

• Combine models through ensemble modelling 

• Develop company A/B testing framework and test model quality

Stakeholder Engagement 

• Present information using data visualisation techniques 

• Propose solutions and strategies to business challenges

• Solicit business requirements and outcomes based on interaction with business and present in an intuitive way.

• Highlight potential value and articulate recommendations to best achieve value.

Implement and Monitor 

• Coordinate with different functional teams to implement models, allowing for different systems integration patterns, and monitor outcomes 

• Develop processes and tools to monitor and analyse model performance and data accuracy

• Derive performance benchmarks and track accordingly 

Team Effectiveness 

• Collaborate with engineering and product development teams 

• Work with data and analytics experts to strive for greater functionality in our data systems 

• Support senior data scientists in the team

What will make you successful in this role?

• Degree in Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science or another quantitative field. Honors or Masters advantageous. 

• 5 years of experience manipulating data sets and building statistical models 

• Experience querying databases and using statistical computer languages when managing data: (eg. R, Python, SQL, etc.) 

• Knowledge and experience in statistical and data mining techniques (e.g. GLM/Regression, Random Forest, Boosting, Trees, text mining, social network analysis, etc.)

• Knowledge of a variety of machine learning techniques such as clustering, decision tree learning, artificial neural networks, etc. and their real-world advantages and drawbacks.

• Experience with distributed data/computing tools: (eg. Map/Reduce, Hadoop, Hive, Spark, MySQL, etc.)

• Experience visualising/presenting data for stakeholder use and reuse across the business

• Business experience in financial services or financial asset management will be advantageous

• Knowledge of various toolsets such as SAP Hana Studio, SAP Data Services, Informatica Data Quality Suite, Cloudera big data storage and Microsoft Power BI will be advantageous.

Qualification and Experience

Degree or Diploma with 5-6 years related experience

Knowledge and Skills

IT Data Analysis

Data Collection

Data Mining

Advanced analytics to address business requirements

New technologies and methodologies

Personal Attributes

Interpersonal savvy - Contributing through others

Manages complexity - Contributing through others

Optimises work processes - Contributing through others

Plans and aligns - Contributing through others

Build a successful career with us

We’re all about building strong, lasting relationships with our employees. We know that you have hopes for your future – your career, your personal development and of achieving great things. We pride ourselves in helping  our employees to realise their worth. Through its four business clusters – Sanlam Life and Savings, Sanlam Investment Group, Sanlam Emerging Markets, Santam, as well as MiWay and the Group Office – the group provides many opportunities for growth and development.

Core Competencies

Being resilient - Contributing through others

Collaborates - Contributing through others

Cultivates innovation - Contributing through others

Customer focus - Contributing through others

Drives results - Contributing through others

Turnaround time

The shortlisting process will only start once the application due date has been reached. The time taken to complete this process will depend on how far you progress and the availability of managers. 

Our commitment to transformation

The Sanlam Group is committed to achieving transformation and embraces diversity. This commitment is what drives us to achieve a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace as we believe that these are key components to ensure a thriving and sustainable business in South Africa.  The Group's Employment Equity plan and targets will be considered as part of the selection process.