Data Scientist - Talent Pool at Discovery Limited

Key Purpose

To analyze large amounts of data to provide core business value and key insights and enhance business processes that rely on large amounts of data.

Areas of responsibility may include but are not limited to

• Building models and developing algorithms to support new key initiatives, eg. better detect and understand driving actions, driver intent, forecasting driver behaviour
• Developing a new scoring and analytics framework within AWS
• Data mining and cleaning
• Interpret and disseminate information via reports
• Researching and prototyping new technologies and methods that are relevant to the team’s initiatives
• Analysis, presentation and communication of findings and data in a way that provides actionable insights and can be understood by larger parts of the business
• Providing business stake holders with relevant telematics data in a useable format
• Comfortable working in Linux or MacOS environment
• Write and test high quality Python code that will run in a production environment.  Familiarity with standard Python libraries 
   

Competencies

• Self-starter
• Optimistic – change the world mentality
• Fixer attitude
• Drive to learn new skills and concepts
• Able to handle multiple complex projects simultaneously
   

Knowledge

• Amazon Web Services – adv
• Familiarity with machine learning packages i.e. TensorFlow, Keras, FastAI
• Understanding of statistics and familiarity with statistical computing packages (eg. Scipy, numpy)
• Experience in data mining, feature extraction
• Modern machine learning techniques, in particular working time series data, device data and natural language processing
• Algorithm analysis and code optimization
• Understanding of techniques required to work with extremely large datasets (larger than RAM)
• Ability to work with both structured and unstructured data, and ability to combine data from diverse sources
   

Skills

• Programming experience in Python (preferred)
• Visualization tools and packages (eg. Seaborn, dash, plot.ly)
• Experience with the Python data science stack is advantageous (numpy, pandas, jupyter, scipy, etc)
• Working knowledge of SQL
• Comfortable working with Unix-based operating systems (incl. working from the command line)
• Experience with AWS and Kubernetes is advantageous
• GIS experience is advantageous

Personal Attributes

• Optimistic and enthusiastic
• Driven and keen to learn
• Motivated to make a difference to society
• Team player that can work alone
• Good communication skills
• Ability to work under pressure and in rapidly changing conditions

Challenging Aspects of the Job

• Interdependency between teams
• Conflict handling
• Data governance as per Discovery – learning curve
• Handling teams across country – different time zones
   

Education

• Matric
• Masters or PhD in Data Science, Physics, Applied Maths, Maths, Computer Science or related field
• Or, BSc Hons in a related field with additional online courses
   

 Experience

• 2+ years software development or data science – adv.   
• 2+ years Research experience – ESS
• Strong statistics and analytical skills
• Prior programming experience required
• Working experience is preferable, but not required

EMPLOYMENT EQUITY   
                             
The Company’s approved Employment Equity Plan and Targets will be considered as part of the recruitment process. As an Equal Opportunities employer, we actively encourage and welcome people with various disabilities to apply.