Data Scientist (Intermediate)

Discovery
Johannesburg, Gauteng
Full-time
Posted 9 hours ago
Full-time IT & Software
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Job Description

Key Purpose 

  • In this role you will be involved in creating opportunities that delight our customers by leveraging Discovery’s vast clinical, demographic, and operational data. The successful applicant will be working within a highly specialized and growing team investigating ways to optimize and improve client services for Discovery’s client schemes. The successful candidate must be motivated, productive and work well within a team.  

Areas of responsibility may include but not limited to 

  • Connecting with a multitude of stakeholders to understand the data in a healthcare context 
  • Mining large structured and unstructured datasets to find new insights to inform healthcare efficiency and interaction strategies 
  • Research and application of the most up to date machine learning algorithms and AI techniques  
  • Present data and model findings in a way that provides actionable insights 
  • Implementing results for use in both the internal and external environments 
  • Monitoring model performance  
  • Improve processes and databases where opportunities arise 

Personal Attributes and Skills 

  • Expert in data science programming languages such as R, Python, Scala 
  • Expert in data manipulation skills including SQL to extract, transform and load data 
  • Experience in interactive data exploration and data-driven story telling  
  • Understanding and application of Big Data and distributed computing principles (Hadoop and MapReduce) 
  • Hands on experience with Big Data systems will be preferred 
  • Strong analytical and statistical knowledge with an understanding of the latest machine learning algorithms for both structured and unstructured data  
  • Ability to formulate problem statements and develop a plan for tackling the problem 
  • Strong ability to communicate findings and recommendations from data (visual, verbal and written) 
  • Production environment machine learning and AI  
  • A passion for data exploration and complex healthcare environment 
  • Self-starter 
  • Willingness to learn and grow exponentially  
  • A restless curiosity towards data and uncovering unknown correlations  
  • Ability to work cohesively in a team environment and balance multiple priorities 
  • A team player who can work alone when required and without supervision  
  • High level of attention to detail, resilience, enthusiasm, energy and drive  
  • Positive, can-do attitude  
  • Ability to adapt to emerging technologies and tools 
  • Proficiency in version control systems such as Git for collaborative coding and maintaining code integrity 
  • Ethical and able to maintain confidentiality and manage boundaries  
  • Aligned to Discovery values and core purpose 

Education and Experience 

  • Honours or Master’s degree in either Data Science, Statistics, or Applied Mathematics with some experience in software engineering, computer science or working with big disparate sets of data, OR 
  • Honours or Master’s degree in Computer Science or Software Engineering with solid experience in statistical modelling, data mining and machine learning  
  • Other analytical qualifications will also be considered if accompanied by the relevant experience 
  • A minimum of 2-3 years’ work experience in a data science position 

Interested in this role?

You'll apply on Discovery's own site before 26 October 2026. Put your most relevant experience at the top of your CV first.

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Job details
Job TypeFull-time
LocationJohannesburg, Gauteng
CategoryIT & Software
Experience2+ years
Posted12 October 2026
Closing Date26 October 2026
Discovery
Johannesburg, Gauteng

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