Since the sale of our first kit in 2013, SunCulture has been on a mission to help smallholder farmers in Africa improve both crop yields and quality. We are driven to constantly innovate and improve our technology to make solar powered irrigation solutions truly affordable for the millions of farmers on the continent. As a Senior Data Scientist, you will own the end-to-end lifecycle of AI/ML projects and drive innovation through predictive analytics and generative AI.
Key Responsibilities
AI and Data Science Leadership: Own the end-to-end lifecycle of AI/ML projects, from ideation and business scoping to prototyping, model packaging (e.g., via Docker), and deployment with DevOps, ensuring seamless integration into production environments.
Predictive Analytics and Model Ownership: Own and enhance critical ML models, such as the Credit Scoring model, by continuously monitoring performance, ensuring high accuracy, and implementing improvements to boost predictive power and reliability. Develop data-driven predictive models to unlock revenue growth, enable smarter credit decisions, strengthen collections, and optimize marketing strategies.
Champion AI-Led Self-Service Data Platform: Spearhead the development and adoption of an AI-driven self-service data platform, leveraging generative AI, AI agents, and LLMs to automate tasks, streamline workflows, and empower teams to access insights independently.
Drive Innovation through POCs: Proactively design and execute POCs using AI to test hypotheses, validate business use cases, and develop new models to address user needs or simplify processes through automation.
Business Process Optimization: Partner with business teams (via the Data Business Partner) to identify repetitive, decision-heavy, or complex tasks, applying predictive models or AI-driven automation to optimize processes.
MLOps and AI Governance: Collaborate with Data Engineers and DevOps to build robust ML pipelines, ensuring model monitoring, versioning, and reliability. Maintain AI fairness, performance, and compliance, adhering to local regulations such as Kenya’s Data Protection Act.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work with department heads and stakeholders to understand challenges and align AI-driven solutions with strategic objectives.
Continuous Improvement: Identify and implement enhancements to data science processes, model accuracy, and analytics workflows.
Ad Hoc Support: Address occasional ad hoc requests, such as building one-off dashboards or data extracts, to support the Business Intelligence team.
Requirements
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Statistics, Applied Mathematics, Engineering, or a related field.
Minimum of 5 years of hands-on experience developing and deploying data science or AI/ML solutions in a business setting, with a proven track record in AI strategy and implementation.
Demonstrated expertise in designing, prototyping, and deploying machine learning models, including generative AI applications and critical models like Credit Scoring.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to translate complex AI solutions into clear business value for non-technical stakeholders.
Strategic thinker with an innovative mindset, driven by curiosity to uncover new opportunities through self-discovery.
Creative problem-solver who thrives in dynamic environments, prioritizes efficiency, and goes above and beyond to propose and implement innovative solutions.
Required Skills
Data Science & Machine Learning: Proficiency in Python and ML frameworks.
Generative AI & LLMs: Expertise in applying generative AI and large language models (LLMs) to create innovative applications.
SQL Expertise: Strong skills in SQL for data manipulation and analytics in relational databases (e.g., ClickHouse).
MLOps and Deployment: Proficiency in MLOps tools (e.g., MLflow, Kubeflow), Docker, and cloud platforms (AWS SageMaker, GCP Vertex AI, Azure ML).
Version Control: Proficiency in Git/GitHub for collaborative development.
Prototyping Tools: Experience with Streamlit or Gradio for rapid demo development.
BI Tools: Familiarity with Power BI, Tableau, or Amazon QuickSight.
Interested and qualified candidates should apply online via the SunCulture recruitment portal at https://www.myjobmag.co.ke/apply-now/1215303. This will direct you to their Freshteam application page.
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