Executive Head: VSA Big Data, AI & IA

Skip to main contentCareersDashboardProfileEnglishJoin Talent NetworkSign InSingle PositionIf we can connect, we can create a better future. Join us.View All JobsExecutive Head: VSA Big Data, AI & IAJohannesburg, South Africa This role is no longer accepting applicationsRequisition ID286187Date posted07/05/2026 When it comes to putting people first, we're number 1. The number 1 Top Employer in South Africa. Certified by the Top Employer Institute 2026.Role Purpose/Business Unit: The Executive Head VSA Big Data, AI & IA: Lead Data Scientist is the principal technical authority for data science and AI within Vodacom South Africa. The role steers the design, build and scaled deployment of high-impact AI services across the VSA business, aligned to Vodacom’s three strategic AI impact pillars of Customer Experience (CX), Monetization and Productivity, and to our ambition of becoming an AI-native organisation by 2030.Operating solely within the Vodacom South Africa Big Data team, the incumbent acts as the lead technical expert and hands-on architect: identifying opportunities to make a commercial difference, leading the development of machine learning and AI initiatives end-to-end, and mentoring a high-performing team of data scientists and AI engineers. The ideal candidate is deeply versed in Customer Value Management (CVM) principles, real-time recommender systems, Generative and Agentic AI, and modern MLOps / LLMOps practice.Success in this role requires the ability to build trusted relationships with business stakeholders, translate complex datasets into strategic insight, and deliver business value in close partnership with technology, commercial and analytics teams across VSA.Your responsibilities will include: Technical LeadershipPrincipal technical expert: act as the lead data scientist for Vodacom South Africa, identifying opportunities to make a commercial difference and leading the development of machine learning and AI initiatives to meet business requirements.AI vision and roadmap: set the technical vision, roadmap and delivery priorities for centrally built AI services across the VSA business, aligned to the Group AI strategy, the Vodafone Group GenAI framework and the Tech enablement strategy for AI.Insight translation: translate complex datasets into strategic insights, communicating simply to non-technical audiences and visualising results to create understanding and solution buy-in.Innovation agenda: identify new analytics and AI trends, evaluating and integrating emerging technologies, including agentic AI, multimodal models and real-time decisioning, to maintain Vodacom’s competitive advantage.Thought leadership: serve as a recognised expert in the community, mentoring and advising colleagues on statistical techniques, algorithms, data and responsible AI practice.AI Services Design, Build & ReusabilityReusable AI services: architect and deliver scalable, reusable AI services across CX, Monetization and Productivity that can be rapidly adopted and adapted across VSA business domains, reducing time-to-value and maximising impact.Real-world ML products: develop machine learning and recommender products that solve real business problems, taking account of user needs, the technology landscape and operational constraints.Governance and lifecycle: establish and maintain a unified AI services repository with robust governance, operational frameworks and lifecycle management to ensure compliance, consistency and efficiency.Efficiency at scale: drive tangible efficiency gains through scaled deployment of classical ML, GenAI and agentic AI solutions, in line with Vodacom’s Technology framework.Domain coverage: champion AI best practice across key VSA domains including CVM, Customer Experience, Network, Channels, Enterprise and Supply Chain, ensuring alignment with strategic AI business cases. Value Delivery & Commercial ImpactCommercial targets: work closely with the VSA CVM and commercial teams to deliver against...