"Senior Data Scientist (Contract)"

The African Centre for Cities (ACC) at the University of Cape Town invites applications for a full-time Senior Data Scientist at Payclass 11 level for a 16-month contract (March 2026 – June 2027) with the possibility of renewal. We are looking for candidates to work as part of the African Mayoral Leadership Initiative (AMALI) Data Programme team (see https://amalicities.africa/

for more details), located within the African Centre for Cities (ACC).

ACC was established in 2007 at the University of Cape Town as an urban research institute. The ACC is based in the School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics in the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, but is interdisciplinary in scope, drawing on expertise on urban issues from across the university. AMALI, located within ACC, focuses on supporting African Mayors in their legacy goals and involves in-depth and ongoing technical and skills support over the course of a calendar year. The AMALI Data Programme specifically focuses on supporting Mayors from African cities and their executive and data teams in the collection, analysis, and use of data necessary for effective decision making and reporting at a city-scale. The staffing complement of the AMALI Data Programme is currently a Data Programme Lead and five City Data Advisors, and the new position of Senior Data Scientist will be providing additional support to the Programme.

The AMALI Senior Data Scientist role sits at the intersection of data engineering, product development, and applied urban governance, and will involve working closely with the five AMALI City Data Advisors, municipal technical teams, and external partners. The Senior Data Scientist will lead the design, development, and maintenance of scalable data systems, dashboards, and tools to support African cities in evidence-based decision-making. The postholder will integrate systems engineering, coding, and product development to create standardised, high-quality data products for performance tracking, reporting, and decision-making within the AMALI Data Programme. This role will also contribute to generating new knowledge in African city-level systems and technology, documenting and disseminating innovations, best practices, and lessons learned to strengthen city-level data ecosystems across the continent.

Requirements for the job:

• NQF Level 7 (e.g., Bachelor’s Degree or Advanced Diploma) in Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Science, process engineering or a related field

• At least 5 years’ professional experience in systems engineering, data product development, or similar role

• Ability to design, develop, and maintain interactive dashboards (e.g., Power BI, Tableau, Google Looker Studio, open-source platforms) for diverse user groups

• Strong software engineering and programming skills, with the ability to develop automated pipelines and scalable solutions

• Ability to integrate multiple systems, standardise reporting processes, and implement quality assurance mechanisms

• Ability to support and advise public sector officials, City Data Advisors, and municipal teams on data system choices and implementation

• Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to apply AI/ML techniques for data cleaning, transformation, and visualisation

• Proven ability to work collaboratively in a team and across multi-stakeholder environments, building trust and fostering collegial work cultures

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare technical documentation, user guides, and academic outputs

• Excellent time management and organisational skills, with the ability to work independently in a pressurised and results-oriented environment

• Capacity to design, test, and maintain web-based applications or data input tools that are user-friendly and mobile-accessible

• Ability to provide advice on data governance and ethical handling of sensitive data

Senior Data Scientist (16-month Contract)

African Centre for Cities (ACC)

School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics

Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment

Work Location:

• This position will be based at the University of Cape Town in Cape Town, and may require occasional travel to cities across Africa as required

Salary:

• The 2025 annual cost of employment range is between R499,265 and R933,330

To apply, please e-mail the below documents in a single PDF file to Aaliyah McQuire at aaliyah.mcquire@uct.ac.za

with “AMALI Senior Data Scientist” in the e-mail subject line:

• UCT Application Form (download at http://forms.uct.ac.za/hr201.doc)

• A 1-2-page motivation letter specifying the relevance of experience for the position

• A detailed curriculum vitae

An application which does not comply with the above requirements will be regarded as incomplete and might not be considered. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and may be required to undergo competency assessments.

Telephone: 021 650 7198

Website: www.africancentreforcities.net

Reference number: E25979

Closing date: 28 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 www.uct.ac.za/downloads/uct.ac.za/about/policies/eepolicy.pdf.”

When you apply for a position at UCT, we collect your personal information to assess your application, communicate with you, and coordinate interview logistics. Information such as race, gender, nationality, and disability status is used to support our Employment Equity obligations. We also verify your references, qualifications, conduct criminal and, for certain roles, credit checks. For more information about how the University of Cape Town uses personal information and your rights, please email popia@uct.ac.za

The University reserves the right to extend the closing date for applications if deemed necessary and reserves the right to make no appointment.