Senior AI Engineer
Location : Cape Town or Johannesburg, South Africa
Department : Media24 Technology
Media24 is South Africa’s leading media and technology company, reaching millions of people daily across our diverse portfolio of digital platforms, news brands, and content channels. We’re at the forefront of digital transformation in the media industry, leveraging cutting-edge AI and machine learning technologies to personalize experiences and accelerate content creation across all our brands.
Main Purpose of the Role
We are seeking an innovative and experienced Senior AI Engineer to join our growing AI team and help scale artificial intelligence across Media24’s diverse portfolio of digital platforms and news brands. In this role, you will be instrumental in implementing production-ready AI solutions that enhance personalization, accelerate newsroom productivity, and improve user experiences across all our channels and brands.
As a Senior AI Engineer, you will work on challenging problems ranging from content recommendation systems and personalization engines to AI-powered newsroom tools and automated content workflows. You’ll collaborate with cross-functional teams including product managers, data scientists, engineers, and editorial teams to deliver AI solutions that directly impact millions of users.
Key Responsibilities
AI Production & Scaling :
- Design, develop, and deploy scalable AI / ML systems and pipelines using cloud infrastructure (AWS, Google Cloud, Azure)
- Build and maintain production-grade machine learning models for content recommendation, personalization, and newsroom automation
- Implement MLOps practices including model versioning, automated testing, monitoring, and continuous deployment
- Optimize AI model performance, latency, and resource utilization for high-traffic production environments
Personalization & Content Intelligence :
Develop and enhance personalization algorithms that deliver relevant content experiences across web, mobile, and emerging platformsBuild content classification, semantic analysis, and recommendation systems using NLP and deep learning techniquesImplement real-time content processing pipelines for automated tagging, categorization, and content matchingCreate user profiling and behavioral analysis systems to improve content targeting and engagementNewsroom AI & Editorial Tools :
Collaborate with editorial teams to develop AI-powered tools that accelerate content creation and curationBuild automated content workflows including article summarization, fact-checking assistance, and content optimizationImplement AI solutions for news aggregation, content deduplication, and trend analysisDevelop tools for automated social media content generation and distribution optimizationTechnical Excellence & Innovation :
Write clean, maintainable, and well-documented Python code following software engineering best practicesDesign and implement APIs and microservices for AI model serving and integrationConduct experiments with cutting-edge AI technologies including large language models (LLMs), transformer architectures, and generative AIStay current with AI / ML research and evaluate new technologies for potential implementationCollaboration & Community Building :
Work closely with product teams to translate business requirements into technical AI solutionsMentor junior engineers and contribute to knowledge sharing within the AI community at Media24Participate in code reviews, technical discussions, and architectural planning sessionsCollaborate with data scientists to productionize research models and prototypesRequired Skills and Experience
Technical Qualifications :
Honour’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Data Science, or related technical fieldMinimum 5+ years of software engineering experience with at least 3 years focused on AI / ML developmentStrong proficiency in Python and experience with ML frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit-learn)Hands-on experience with cloud platforms (AWS SageMaker, Google AI Platform, Azure ML) and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes)Proven experience building and deploying production ML systems at scaleAI / ML Expertise :
Deep understanding of machine learning algorithms, deep learning architectures, and neural networksStrong experience with NLP, text processing, and content recommendation systemsKnowledge of MLOps practices including model monitoring, versioning, and automated retrainingExperience with vector databases, embedding-based search, and similarity matching algorithmsFamiliarity with transformer models, large language models, and modern NLP architectureSoftware Engineering :
Proficiency in API development (REST, GraphQL) and microservices architectureExperience with version control (Git), CI / CD pipelines, and automated testing frameworksStrong understanding of database technologies (SQL, NoSQL) and data pipeline toolsKnowledge of software engineering best practices including design patterns and code quality standardsPreferred Experience :
Experience in media, publishing, or content-driven industriesKnowledge of content management systems and editorial workflowsUnderstanding of web analytics, user behavior analysis, and A / B testing methodologiesExperience with real-time streaming data processing (Kafka, Kinesis, Pub / Sub)Familiarity with monitoring and observability tools (Prometheus, Grafana, DataDog)Personal Characteristics
Innovation-driven : Passionate about exploring new AI technologies and finding creative solutions to complex problemsCollaborative mindset : Ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary teams and communicate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholdersResults-oriented : Strong focus on delivering measurable business impact through AI implementationsContinuous learner : Commitment to staying current with rapidly evolving AI / ML landscape and best practicesProblem-solver : Analytical thinking and ability to break down complex challenges into manageable componentsQuality-focused : Attention to detail and commitment to building robust, scalable, and maintainable systemsWhat We Offer
Competitive salary commensurate with experience and skillsComprehensive benefits package including medical aid and retirement contributionsAccess to cutting-edge AI / ML infrastructure and toolsOpportunity to work on high-impact projects reaching millions of usersProfessional development budget for conferences, courses, and certificationsCollaborative and innovative-focused work environmentCareer growth opportunities within South Africa’s leading media technology companyApplication Process
To apply for this position, please submit your CV along with a cover letter highlighting your relevant AI / ML experience and passion for innovation in media technology.
Please include examples of production AI systems you’ve built and any relevant portfolio projects.
Given the employment equity policy of Media24, preference will be given to suitable candidates from the designated groups.
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