Senior Machine Learning Engineer (6-Month Contract) Banking

Sasso Consulting • Full-time • Johannesburg, ZA • 5d ago

Introduction

We are seeking a Senior Machine Learning Engineer to join our team on a 6-month contract. This is an exciting opportunity to play a pivotal role in delivering a greenfields proof-of-concept (POC) for one of South Africa’s leading banks, focused on transforming the loyalty and rewards space.

If you’re passionate about applying machine learning and data science to real-world challenges, this role offers the chance to influence long-term AI adoption in the financial services sector.

Duties & Responsibilities

Design, develop, and validate machine learning models to support the loyalty and rewards POC.
Collaborate with client stakeholders, data engineers, and solution architects.
Explore new approaches to model customer behaviour, segmentation, and reward optimisation.
Translate business objectives into impactful machine learning use cases.
Ensure scalability, reproducibility, and robustness of models.
(Bonus) Contribute to operationalising AI models and supporting transition to production.

Desired Experience & Qualification

3–5 years’ experience in machine learning engineering, data science, or applied AI.
Proven ability to build and deploy machine learning models in real-world contexts.
Strong proficiency in Python, SQL, and ML libraries (scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch).
Experience in cloud environments (Azure preferred).
Knowledge of feature engineering, model evaluation, and MLOps best practices.
Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to work in a fast-paced consulting environment.
Advantageous: Financial services, customer analytics, or loyalty/rewards experience.
Bonus: Hands-on experience taking AI projects into production.

Package & Remuneration

R650 per hour

Work on a high-impact AI project for a leading financial institution.
Be part of a passionate, innovative team at the forefront of AI in South Africa.
Enjoy the flexibility of a hybrid / remote-first environment.
Opportunity to shape and influence long-term AI strategies in financial services.