Lead Machine Learning Engineer - NLP

About the Role

Our client, a leader in AI & Emerging Technologies, is seeking an experienced and visionary Lead Machine Learning Engineer specializing in Natural Language Processing (NLP) to join their growing team. This critical role is based in Tembisa, Gauteng , and will involve shaping the strategic direction of our NLP initiatives. You will lead a talented group of engineers and data scientists in developing sophisticated language models and AI-powered solutions that enhance user experience and drive business value. This position offers a significant opportunity to make a lasting impact by leveraging your expertise in cutting-edge NLP techniques. The role demands a strategic thinker with a passion for innovation and a proven ability to translate complex requirements into scalable, production-ready systems. We foster a culture of collaboration, continuous learning, and technical excellence, providing ample opportunities for professional development and career advancement within a forward-thinking organization. This is a fully remote position, offering flexibility and the ability to work from anywhere within South Africa.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, and deployment of advanced NLP models and applications, including text classification, sentiment analysis, named entity recognition, question answering, and machine translation.
• Architect robust and scalable machine learning pipelines for training, evaluating, and deploying NLP models in production environments.
• Mentor and guide a team of machine learning engineers and data scientists, fostering technical growth and ensuring high-quality deliverables.
• Collaborate with product managers, software engineers, and other stakeholders to define NLP project requirements and roadmaps.
• Conduct research into new NLP techniques and technologies, evaluating their potential to solve business problems and improve existing solutions.
• Ensure the performance, reliability, and scalability of NLP systems, optimizing models for efficiency and accuracy.
• Stay current with the latest advancements in NLP, deep learning, and transformer architectures (e.g., BERT, GPT).
• Champion best practices in machine learning development, including code quality, testing, documentation, and MLOps.
• Present findings, progress, and technical strategies to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Requirements

• Master's or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Computational Linguistics, or a closely related field.
• 5+ years of professional experience in machine learning engineering, with a strong emphasis on NLP.
• Proven track record of successfully developing and deploying NLP models in real-world applications.
• Expertise in Python programming and proficiency with core NLP libraries (e.g., NLTK, spaCy, Hugging Face Transformers) and ML frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch).
• Strong understanding of machine learning principles, algorithms, and statistical modeling.
• Experience with large language models (LLMs) and transformer architectures is essential.
• Experience with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP) and containerization technologies (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes) is highly desirable.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and prioritize effectively.
• Experience with data engineering and building data pipelines for NLP tasks.

Benefits

This is a remote-first position offering significant flexibility. Our client provides a highly competitive salary, comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance, a generous retirement savings plan, and ample paid time off. We invest in our employees' growth through dedicated learning budgets for conferences, courses, and certifications. You'll have the opportunity to work on challenging and impactful projects with a talented, globally distributed team. We also offer opportunities for performance-based bonuses and stock options. Our client is committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive work environment, where innovation thrives regardless of physical location. Joining us means becoming part of a team that values creativity, collaboration, and impactful solutions.

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