Lead Data Scientist - Contact Centre & Customer Experience Analytics

The Data Scientist Lead plays a pivotal role in transforming the Contact Centre into a data-driven, insight-led environment. This role is responsible for leading the development and enhancement of real-time and historical dashboards, driving customer experience improvements, and optimising operational efficiency through advanced analytics and data visualisation. The role will act as a data‑driven advisor to the Contact Centre team, providing insights that support strategic and operational decision‑making.

Role Description

• Lead the design and development of advanced, real‑time Contact Centre dashboards that provide actionable insights for operational and strategic decision‑making.
• Support strategic decision‑making by providing data‑driven recommendations to leadership.
• Translate business questions into analytical views and communicate findings.
• Act as a business advisor to the Contact Centre team with a focus on data analytics.
• Collaborate with real‑time analysts and workforce management teams to optimise queue management, staffing, and service levels using predictive analytics.
• Drive the automation of manual reporting processes, identifying opportunities to implement scalable, system‑based solutions.
• Develop and maintain machine learning models to analyse unstructured data and provide insights.
• Champion data visualisation best practices, ensuring insights are communicated clearly and effectively to both technical and non‑technical stakeholders.
• Partner with IT and business stakeholders to define and implement a long‑term data strategy for the Contact Centre.
• Lead the integration of disparate data sources (e.g., CRM, IVR, ACD, QA, CSAT, Social Media technologies) into a unified analytics environment.
• Design and maintain data pipelines for real‑time and batch processing.
• Build predictive models to forecast interaction volumes and staffing needs.
• Train Natural Language Processing (NLP) models to classify interactions and automate tagging of contact reasons.
• Optimise call routing algorithms using data‑driven insights to improve first‑call resolution.
• Ensure data privacy and compliance with regulations in all data processes.
• Implement anomaly detection systems to flag unusual call patterns or potential fraud.
• Collaborate with IT and engineering teams to deploy models into production environments.
• Support budgeting and cost optimisation through data‑driven analysis of call centre operations.
• Ensure data accuracy and integrity in all reporting and analysis.
• Support compliance reporting by providing accurate and timely data extracts.
• Mentor and coach junior analysts and data professionals, fostering a high‑performance, data‑driven culture and a cross‑functional team.
• Conduct deep‑deep analyses into customer journeys, pain points, and behavioural trends to inform CX improvements.
• Design and implement data pipelines and ETL processes to ensure timely and accurate data availability.
• Collaborate with product and digital teams to align Contact Centre insights with broader omnichannel strategies.
• Evaluate and be proactive in recommending new tools, platforms, and technologies to enhance the analytics ecosystem.
• Ensure data governance, quality, and compliance across all Contact Centre analytics initiatives.
• Translate complex data into compelling business cases that drive investment in customer experience and operational improvements.
• Co‑develop and maintain performance scorecards for agents, teams, and campaigns, aligned with business KPIs.
• Support A / B testing and experimentation to evaluate the impact of new processes, scripts, or technologies.
• Lead cross‑functional analytics projects, managing timelines, deliverables, and stakeholder expectations.
• Stay abreast of industry trends and innovations in AI, NLP, and Contact Centre technologies.
• Continuously assess and improve the maturity of the Contact Centre analytics function, setting benchmarks and driving innovation.

Qualifications and Experience

By responding to this application and providing your personal information, you confirm your express and informed consent for Shoprite Checkers (Pty) Ltd and all its subsidiaries and affiliates companies to process your personal information for the consideration of this position. All personal information you provide to the Company will be used and / or retained only for the purposes for which it is collected, and thereafter it will be permanently destroyed unless required by law or with your consent to retain such information for an extended period.

If you don’t hear from us within 14 days, please consider your application unsuccessful. Any personal information collected as part of your application will be destroyed, securely, in accordance with South African legislation.

Seniority level : Mid‑Senior level

Employment type : Full‑time

Job function : Customer Service, Supply Chain, and Other

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