Group Lead - Artificial Intelligence Engineering
Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Scope: Global technology initiatives across multiple international markets
A rare opportunity to shape the future of AI in a global consumer brand
Imagine working somewhere where innovation isn't a buzzword - it's the daily expectation. A place where engineers build real-world AI systems that influence millions of customer interactions, power intelligent digital experiences, and help transform how a global lifestyle brand operates.
We're building a world-class Artificial Intelligence capability within a large international organisation known for redefining customer experience across multiple continents. Our mission is simple: deploy AI responsibly and at scale to create better experiences for our members, empower our teams, and drive meaningful commercial impact.
This role is based in Cape Town, working from brand-new offices designed for collaboration, creativity, and wellbeing. Think modern workspaces, access to premium fitness facilities, and a team culture that values curiosity, experimentation, and bold thinking.
If you're an experienced AI engineer who loves building systems that actually make it into production - and wants to lead some of the most interesting AI initiatives in the consumer sector - this role was made for you.
The Role:
As Group Lead AI Engineer, you'll sit at the intersection of software engineering, machine learning, and product innovation. Your mission will be to design, build, and scale intelligent systems that solve real business problems and deliver tangible value.
You'll lead the development of end-to-end AI solutions - from early experimentation through to fully operational services used across global markets.
This role is both hands-on and strategic. You'll build complex systems yourself while guiding other engineers and shaping the broader AI roadmap across multiple domains.
Expect to collaborate with teams across marketing, digital products, operations, finance, and governance to transform business challenges into working AI solutions.
Ultimately, success in this role means delivering AI products that people actually use - and that measurably improve the business.
What You'll Be Doing:
Building AI products end-to-end
* Design and develop production-grade AI systems - from concept and modelling through to deployment and monitoring.
* Combine machine learning, data engineering, and modern software engineering to deliver reliable AI-powered services.
* Make key architectural decisions for systems that operate across multiple markets.
Partnering with the business
* Work closely with teams across the organisation to identify high-impact opportunities for AI.
* Translate complex operational or customer problems into clear technical solutions.
* Lead discovery sessions, pilots, and experimentation to test ideas quickly.
Advanced modelling and experimentation
* Develop models using a range of techniques including: predictive modelling; recommendation systems; forecasting; generative AI and large language models
* Build solutions such as customer propensity models, churn prediction, intelligent automation, and personalised experiences.
* Establish rigorous experimentation and evaluation frameworks.
AI platform and integration
* Build APIs, services, and integrations that embed AI into digital products and internal tools.
* Collaborate with engineering and data teams to integrate models into real user journeys.
* Design solutions that are scalable, secure, and reusable across global markets.
Operationalising AI
* Implement modern MLOps practices including deployment pipelines, monitoring, retraining strategies, and performance tracking.
* Ensure systems remain reliable, fair, and accurate as data evolves.
* Optimise infrastructure and cloud usage for performance and cost.
Leading and mentoring
* Provide technical leadership within the AI engineering team.
* Mentor engineers and data scientists through code reviews, design guidance, and knowledge sharing.
* Help define engineering standards, frameworks, and reusable components for future AI projects.
What Makes This Role Special?
This isn't a research lab or a prototype-only environment.
You'll be working in a company where AI systems actually ship, scale globally, and impact real customers every day.
You'll also benefit from:
* A brand-new Cape Town office campus
* On-site gym and wellness facilities
* A global technology team spanning multiple continents
* High-impact AI initiatives with executive sponsorship
* A culture that encourages experimentation and bold thinking
* The opportunity to shape AI strategy at scale
What We're Looking For:
Experience:
You're an experienced AI or ML engineering leader who has built and deployed real systems.
Ideally you have:
* Around 10+ years of experience in machine learning engineering, data science, or software engineering
* A track record of delivering AI solutions into production environments
* Experience leading technical delivery for complex AI initiatives
* Exposure to working with cross-functional teams such as product, marketing, or operations
* Experience in areas like personalisation, optimisation, recommendation systems, or conversational AI
Technical Skills
Strong candidates typically bring experience with:
* Python and SQL
* Machine learning frameworks such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, or scikit-learn
* Data platforms and modern analytics environments
* Cloud platforms such as Azure, AWS, or GCP
* APIs and service-based architectures
* MLOps practices including CI/CD, experiment tracking, and model monitoring
* Generative AI technologies and LLM integration
You're comfortable making architecture decisions and guiding others through technical trade-offs around cost, performance, reliability, and risk.
Mindset
We're looking for someone who:
* Thrives in ambiguous, fast-moving environments
* Is practical and focused on real outcomes rather than theoretical perfection
* Can explain complex ideas clearly to non-technical stakeholders
* Leads through collaboration rather than hierarchy
* Is passionate about responsible and ethical AI
What Success Looks Like
Within your first six months, you'll likely have:
* Delivered multiple AI pilots and at least one production solution
* Helped shape the roadmap for AI initiatives in a major business domain
* Built reusable frameworks that accelerate future AI development
* Demonstrated measurable business impact from deployed models
* Elevated engineering standards across the AI team
Why Cape Town?
This role is based full-time in Cape Town, working from a modern office designed to bring engineers, product teams, and business leaders together in one collaborative environment.
You'll join a growing technology hub supporting global operations while enjoying one of the world's most vibrant cities - famous for its natural beauty, culture, and outdoor lifestyle.
If you're excited about building AI systems that operate at global scale - and doing it from a world-class office environment in Cape Town - we'd love to hear from you.
