Position Title:  Senior Data Scientist

Senior Data Scientists

(Fixed term 3 years, T2 Pay Class 11)

African Climate and Development Initiative

Faculty of Science www.acdi.uct.ac.za

The African Climate and Development Initiative (ACDI) wishes to appoint Senior Data Scientists to lead and direct work with our researchers, students, data scientists and collaborators on diverse climate change and related research projects.  ACDI is based at the University of Cape Town and supports research and training on climate change and sustainable development.

If you have excellent data science skills and coordination experience and want to apply these working with large climate, environmental and socio-economic and related datasets to answer climate and sustainability research questions, this is the job for you.  You will work closely with ACDI and affiliated UCT researchers to provide leadership on data infrastructure design and development, advanced data analysis, application of existing software and codes, development of new software and tools, including machine learning, data visualization, and provide data science consultations and advice.

These are three-year fixed term contract appointments, extendable for further years, depending on performance in the position and availability of funding.

Requirements for the position:

• NQF 9 (Masters) degree or equivalent postgraduate diploma qualification in an appropriate field: data science, information systems, computer science, climate science, quantitative ecology/environmental science, statistics, bioinformatics or a closely related field.
• At least five years of post-NQF9 qualification experience in data science.

• Experience in data management, data processing, coding for advanced analysis, modelling and/or machine learning (at least 3 years) 

• High skill levels coding in both R and Python (at least years total, 2 years in each) 

• Experience working with large spatial and/or temporal datasets (at least three years) 

• Skilled in the use of online code collaboration platforms such as GitHub (at least four years) and management of collaborative projects on these platforms (at least two years) 

• Experience in data quality management and coordination (at least three years). 

• Track record of provision data science services to support the research enterprise (such as developing and improving data processing and analysis workflows, working with researchers to identify and implement data science analyses for specific research questions) (minimum three years). 

• Experience working in cloud and/or high-performance computing environments/contexts, including implementing parallel computing tasks (at least two years) 

• Experience in teaching, training and/or mentorship in data science and/or other quantitative skills development (for example, running hackathons, short courses, data science surgeries)

The following will be advantageous experience and skills:

• Tertiary level training (e.g. BSc) and/or several years work experience in one or more relevant subjects, such as climate or atmospheric science, oceanography, ecology, hydrology, health sciences, economics, conservation science. 

• Experience in installing and running climate, hydrological and other process-based models. 

• Capability to lead on institutional research data governance and management 

Responsibilities:

• Act as lead or co-lead for research data governance and management within ACDI. 

• Lead on data science in ACDI’s Executive Committee 

• Provide input on data science component of budgets regarding resources (e.g., computing), equipment, time and staffing requirements. 

• Mentor and advise junior data scientists 
• Maintaining links to data science functions in the wider university, including the AI initiative and eResearch. 
• Lead on the provision of training and capacity building in data science when necessary. 

• Advise researchers of data science tools and approaches available and provide input on the best fit for the research task required. 

• Management of research project codes, scripts and data, including setting up standard procedures for data quality control, and liaising with researcher on quality and errors. 

• Source and update datasets, converting these and merging with other datasets, including for regional and multiregional analyses in line with complex analytic proposals. 

• Conduct processing, transformation, integration, analysis, visualisation and interpretation of data using appropriate programming languages and tools, including delivery via web applications where needed. 

• Create interactive visualisations and dissemination tools to support communications for different target audiences including developing web applications to showcase data and research findings.  

• Technical data science support to a varied portfolio of research projects, including code development. 

• Coordination of collaborative coding environments.
• Contribute to conceptualization of research questions / projects, including experimental and data analysis designs; data science budgeting; technical reporting to funders; research papers. 
• Advising students and postdoctoral fellows on data science, and co-supervising Masters and (potentially) PhD students.

The annual cost of employment for 2025, including benefits is between R784 833 and R923 330.

For queries, please email Brandon Perumaul (brandon.perumaul@uct.ac.za)

Please click the "apply" on the UCT Jobs site (View) button to create a candidate profile and submit your application.

Please complete/attach the following to your profile before submitting your application:

• • Cover letter explaining how you meet the job requirements
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV)

An application which does not comply with the above requirements will be regarded as incomplete. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and may be required to do a competency assessment.

Any enquiries around the application process to be addressed to Ms Abigail Dixon at abigail.dixon@uct.ac.za or 021 650 1673

Website:         www.acdi.uct.ac.za

Closing date: 16 January 2026

UCT is a designated employer and is committed to the pursuit of excellence, diversity and redress in achieving its equity targets in accordance with the Employment Equity Plan of the University and its Employment Equity goals and targets. Preference will be given to candidates from the under-represented designated groups. Our Employment Equity Policy is available at https://uct.ac.za/media/9482.

UCT reserves the right not to appoint.