Junior Data Scientist, 1 year contract

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in South Africa.

📋 Description

• Conduct searches and catalog relevant public, academic, commercial, and partner datasets throughout African countries and regions.

• Download, request, extract, or transcribe data from spreadsheets, reports, APIs, databases, and various other source formats.

• Maintain an organized source register, data inventory, and schedule for updates.

• Liaise with institutions and partners to clarify definitions, obtain missing information, and document permissions.

• Clean, standardize, merge, and restructure datasets using repeatable scripts and documented procedures.

• Reconcile country names, units, currencies, dates, technology classifications, and other coding systems.

• Identify duplicates, gaps, implausible values, and inconsistencies, escalating unresolved issues as necessary.

• Prepare data for publication, visualization, and analysis while preserving raw source files and audit trails.

• Update metadata, data dictionaries, change logs, and quality-control records.

• Generate descriptive statistics, tables, charts, and maps under the guidance of the Senior Data Scientist.

• Conduct literature and source reviews to provide context for quantitative findings.

• Replicate published calculations and verify figures, labels, notes, and citations prior to release.

• Support the development of country profiles, comparative dashboards, data stories, and strategic-analysis assignments.

• Upload and test datasets and content on the platform, reporting user or data issues.

• Assist in maintaining shared repositories, templates, and documentation.

• Participate in training, peer reviews, team planning, and engagement with the broader African data community.

• Utilize AI-assisted tools where appropriate, ensuring outputs are verified against original sources and adhering to unit protocols.

⛳️ Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in statistics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, geography, energy, development studies, or another relevant quantitative field.

• A minimum of 1-3 years of relevant experience, which may include internships, research assistantships, or a strong portfolio of applied projects.

• Proficiency in Python or R and spreadsheets.

• Familiarity with SQL is highly preferred.

• Practical experience in cleaning and analyzing real-world datasets and producing basic visualizations.

• High level of accuracy, organization, and persistence in repetitive or detailed tasks.

• Ability to clearly document sources and methods and to seek assistance when faced with ambiguous data.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English.

• Experience with African public data, energy statistics, development indicators, or geospatial information is advantageous.

• Familiarity with Git, notebooks, APIs, Power BI/Tableau, or web-based visualization tools is desirable.

• Experience in extracting data from PDFs or poorly structured source files is a plus.

• Applicants must possess the legal right to work in the country where they are based.

🏝️ Benefits

• Fixed-term contract for 12 months, with the possibility of renewal based on mutual agreement and project success.

• Remote working options will be considered for candidates located within the African continent.

• Opportunities for training, peer review, team planning, and engagement with the wider African data community.

• Chance to develop expertise in African energy and development data.

• An equitable organization committed to reflecting the diversity of Africa.

• Personal information will be treated confidentially and utilized solely for recruitment purposes.

• Privacy and data security protections in compliance with POPIA.