Head of Data Science

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With over 100 years of rich history and strongly positioned as a local bank with regional and international expertise, a career with our family offers the opportunity to be part of this exciting growth journey, to reset our future and shape our destiny as a proudly African group.

Job Summary
To coordinate the data science and AI engineering tasks at the bank. To provide strategic guidance, technical design, and quality assurance over implementation of data science, machine learning and AI and the related infrastructure implementation.

Key Accountabilities
o Manage data science requirements by ensuring alignment of data science strategy with overall bank strategy.
o Support the Chief data officer in design and implementation of data strategy
o Oversee collection and analysis of requirements for data science and ML/AI centred automation.
o Provide tools to team members who collect requirements and perform analysis to ensure consistent approach to delivery of value and quality.
o Prioritize business requirements and provide feedback to unit heads on priority listings
o Set up measurement and performance standards of data science solutions by facilitating collection of metrics on all solutions developed for consolidation in the data science value tracker
o Facilitate learning and development of team members and bank staff on data and/or data science literacy and use of bank data science solutions.
o Review planned and anticipated projects on weekly basis to ensure consistency in solution development and alignment to overall bank objectives communicated by Unit heads
o Continuously review data science solutions in place to identify improvements and develop action plans
o Provide in put on design of business solutions by ensuring data science requirements are embedded into the project plans.
o Coach team members on how to interpret data science outputs and integrate subject matter expertise to derive relevant insights.
o Agree targets and take overall accountability for achievements of performance objectives for the data science function.
o Provide clear direction to team members on areas strategic plan and focus areas
o Embed high performance culture in team by creating effective structures for distributed leadership, open feedback and objective performance measurement
o Motivate staff and ensure efforts are recognized and provide first level of escalation for staff grievances
o Facilitate design of technical data and AutoML architecture to support democratization of data science.
o Design best in class standards for solution development to be implemented by Data scientists and data engineers
o Ensure that core data governance standards as defined by CDO are implemented and maintained including quality and privacy.

Education and experience required
o Bachelor’s degree in a quantitative/numerical discipline, or business analytics. Master’s Degree in related field an added advantage.
o Minimum 5 years Technical experience in data science related practice
o Proven experience managing a Data Science or wider Analytics team

Knowledge and skills
o Lateral and strategic thinking
o Relationship management
o Leadership and people management
o Experience in project management software especially technology-oriented project tools

Competencies
o Excellent technical capability in Data Science/ML/AI techniques and algorithms, such as k-NN, Naive Bayes, SVM, Generalized linear models, Decision trees, Deep Neural Networks
o Ability to communicate complex scientific/engineering ideas to a non-technical audience.
o Data visualization skills in Tableau, PowerBI, QlickView, etc
o Experience in cloud data structures and platforms like AWS, GCP and Azure
o Knowledge of EDA techniques in both structured and unstructured data
o Strong object-oriented and functional programming skills in at least one of Python, R, Scala, Spark, SQL, etc.
o Proficiency in using query languages such as SQL, Hive, Pig
o Experience with NoSQL databases, such as MongoDB, Cassandra, HBase
o Evidence of innovative mindset in creating solutions and process improvement.
o Experience in risk management
o Experience with building significant pieces of an organization's data platform and strategy is a plus
o Ability to communicate complex scientific/engineering ideas to a non-technical audience.

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: 60

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree