Data Scientist at Sasol

Purpose of Job

• The Data Scientist is responsible for the development, operationalisation and modification of data science products in accordance with sound analytical principles and standards to deliver business value by enabling data-driven business decisions.He/She will work closely with Senior Data Scientists and business technical teams to extract business insights, predictions and recommendations. He/She will apply knowledge of recent techniques and research to propose new approaches and methodologies to apply to business opportunities; including applied AI techniques and data‑driven automation where appropriate.He/She will lead less‑complex projects and will be required to support larger projects through the guidance of Senior Data Scientists.

Key Accountabilities

• Lead / support the end-to-end development of Data Science products in accordance with sound analytical principles and data science standards to address business requirements.
• Lead less‑complex projects and support larger projects under the guidance of Senior Data Scientists.
• Apply Data Science knowledge (Advanced Analytics / Machine Learning / Simulation) with general awareness across all areas of Data Science, and basic exposure to modern AI techniques (e.g. NLP, computer vision, or generative AI concepts).
• Demonstrated experience using modern data science programming languages and platforms (e.g. Python and SQL), with exposure to cloud‑based analytics platforms (Azure, Databricks) and emerging AI frameworks).
• Apply basic version control practices to manage code, analytical artefacts and model iterations  (e.g. Git, MLFlow, etc.)
• Ensure solutions are secure, sustainable and adequately packaged for support handover, including basic documentation and awareness of deployment and operational considerations.
• Fulfil the Data Scientist role on multiple projects using Agile and/or Waterfall execution methods.
• Consider latest trends, best practices and technologies to differentiate between complex problem types and modelling approaches, with awareness of responsible and ethical use of AI.
• Actively seek customers where support can be offered and proactively identify real business needs.
• Ability to clearly explain technical concepts, analytical approaches and model outputs to non‑technical business stakeholders in a structured and actionable manner.

Formal Education

• 4 year University Bachelor’s Degree (Data Science, Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics)
• Postgraduate qualification in a quantitative or analytical field will be advantageous.

Minimum Experience

• 3 years relevant experience

Certification

• Exposure to relevant data science, cloud or applied AI certifications will be advantageous.