Senior Machine Learning Engineer

The Takealot Group, a prominent player in South Africa's rapidly expanding e-commerce landscape, is seeking an accomplished Senior Machine Learning Engineer to join its dynamic Mr D division. This is a chance to immerse yourself in a high-growth environment that prioritises innovation and continuous learning, offering unparalleled opportunities to make a significant impact. If you thrive on complex challenges and are eager to work with cutting-edge technology, this role presents an exciting prospect.

About the Role

As a Senior Machine Learning Engineer at Mr D, you will be instrumental in shaping the future of machine learning applications within an e-commerce context. This position reports to the Machine Learning Engineering Manager and offers broad exposure across various business facets. You will be at the forefront of developing sophisticated machine learning models, leveraging vast amounts of customer data to drive business intelligence and enhance user experiences. The role demands a blend of deep technical expertise and a pragmatic, results-oriented approach, contributing to Mr D's ambitious development agenda.

Your responsibilities will span the entire machine learning lifecycle, from conceptualisation through to production deployment. You will be tasked with:

• **Data Analysis and Model Development:** Delving into extensive customer data streams to extract actionable insights, building, evaluating, and refining machine learning models.
• **Productionisation:** Translating theoretical models into robust, scalable, and production-ready solutions that can handle millions of users.
• **Innovation and Problem-Solving:** Brainstorming and proposing novel machine learning-driven solutions for specific business challenges and use cases.
• **Collaboration and Best Practices:** Working closely with a team of talented engineers, participating in design and code reviews, and championing the implementation of best practices to enhance existing models and develop new ones.
• **Continuous Learning:** Staying current with the latest advancements and trends in the machine learning field to continuously improve your skillset and the team's capabilities.
• **Pipeline Development:** Designing and building scalable data processing pipelines essential for efficient machine learning workflows.

What They're Looking For

A strong foundation in computer science or engineering, coupled with substantial practical experience, is essential for this role. Ideal candidates will possess:

• A degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• A minimum of 5 to 10 years of experience applying machine learning to real-world problems, or a similar tenure in commercial software development.
• A deep understanding of statistical analysis, various modelling techniques, and core machine learning principles.
• Proven experience working within an agile development environment, demonstrating a hands-on, operationally-focused mindset.
• Proficiency in Python and experience working with Linux environments.
• Hands-on experience with BigQuery.
• Familiarity with key machine learning libraries and frameworks such as TensorFlow, Scikit-learn, PyTorch, and Pandas.
• Demonstrated experience in building scalable data processing pipelines for machine learning.
• A track record of successfully deploying machine learning models into production environments.
• Experience with data mining and big data technologies.

The Takealot Group, through its Mr D division, is committed to fostering an inclusive workplace. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, they particularly welcome applications from individuals from previously disadvantaged groups and those with disabilities. This role offers a unique opportunity to grow your career within a fast-paced, innovative organisation that values internal promotion and continuous professional development.

• Degree in Computer Science or Engineering (alternatively, a degree in a related field with work experience as a software engineer).
• 5 to 10+ years of experience applying machine learning to real-world problems OR
• 5 to 10+ years of commercial software development experience.
• Strong understanding of statistical analysis, modeling, and machine learning techniques.
• Experience working within an agile team that is operationally hands-on and an advocate of that culture.
• Experience with Python.
• Experience with Linux.
• Experience with BigQuery.
• Experience with TensorFlow, Scikit-learn, PyTorch, and Pandas.
• Experience building scalable data processing pipelines for machine learning workflows.
• Experience with deploying machine learning to production environments.
• Data Mining and Big Data experience.