Discovery – Health| Data Science Lab
Technical Lead – AI Enablement Squad
About Discovery
Discovery’s core purpose is to make people healthier and to enhance and protect their lives. We seek out and invest in exceptional individuals who understand and support our core purpose, and whose own values align with those of Discovery. Our fast-paced and dynamic environment enables smart, self-driven people to be their best. As global thought leaders, Discovery is passionate about innovating in order to not only achieve financial success, but to ignite positive and meaningful change within our society.
About Data Science Lab
The Group Data Science Lab (DS Lab) is expanding, and we’re looking for talented individuals to join our growing team. Our global team collaborates with partners such as Discovery Health Digital, Quantium, Risk Intelligence, and renowned institutions like the London School of Economics (LSE). Working across diverse areas—including digital, clinical, wellness, and behavioral themes—we harness terabytes of structured and unstructured data using a modern big data architecture. The DS Lab also embraces a forward-thinking approach, identifying new data sources and opportunities and leveraging the Vit.AI platform, we create scalable, fit-for-purpose solutions that serve the business well into the future.
About AI Enablement
The AI Enablement team is the engineering engine that transforms cutting-edge data science into tangible value for our members and business. We bridge experimental AI and robust, enterprise-scale production systems, enabling scalable, reliable, and efficient AI solutions.
Key Purpose
The AI Enablement Squad Technical Lead is a senior hands‑on leader responsible for translating cutting‑edge data science into robust, scalable, production‑grade AI systems. The role provides deep technical leadership across the productionisation of machine learning and LLM solutions, with a strong emphasis on advanced Python engineering, sound software and systems architecture, and engineering excellence.
This role is accountable for technical design, implementation quality, and architectural integrity across AI-enabled systems, working closely with data scientists, engineers, and platform teams. The role acts as a technical authority and mentor, guiding engineering decisions, reviewing critical code, and supporting the growth of junior and mid-level technical team members.
The position involves hands-on ownership of the end-to-end technical lifecycle—from system and data pipeline design, through build, testing, deployment, and production monitoring. Success in this role requires architecting and implementing maintainable, resilient, and scalable systems, integrating effectively with existing enterprise platforms, and ensuring alignment with Group development, security, and governance standards.
Key outputs
The successful applicant will be responsible for but not limited to the following job functions:
Areas of responsibility may include but not limited to
Hands on Technical Leadership & Mentorship
Production Python & Systems Architecture
MLOps / LLMOps & Operational Excellence
Cross functional Technical Collaboration
Technical Influence & Enablement
Personal Attributes
The successful candidate would need to have the following competencies:
Skills
Education and Experience
The following requirements are Essential:
The following requirements are advantageous:
EMPLOYMENT EQUITY
The Company’s approved Employment Equity Plan and Targets will be considered as part of the recruitment process. As an Equal Opportunities employer, we actively encourage and welcome people with various disabilities to apply.
Imagine a world where people live healthier, more enhanced and protected lives… A world in which each organisation is a powerful influencer and responsible corporate citizen, committed to being a force for social good. As a leading innovator in healthcare, wellness, insurance, investments, financial and life planning, Discovery works ceaselessly to make this vision a reality.
Fuelled by our passion for enhancing lives and our desire to innovate, Discovery consistently sets global standards, creating shared value through shared intellectual capital. A testament to this is our Vitality programme, which is both a platform to incentivise people to live healthier lives as well as a channel through which shared value is delivered.
We are a proudly South African-born, global company with health, life and short term insurance operations in South Africa and the United Kingdom, and a presence in Germany, France, the United States, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, China and Japan through our Global Vitality Network. We uphold our promise of shared value by being a positive disruptor that focusses on bringing about sustainable change in the lives of the people and communities we serve across the globe.
Our Vitality Shared-Value Insurance model has received international recognition, including being ranked 17th in Fortune’s index of 51 companies “changing the world” in August 2015, and named a leading health innovator at the World Economic Forum in January 2017.
Our values of leadership, honesty, innovation and fairness act as our compass, directing our business practices to take advantage of every opportunity while looking for ways to dazzle clients.
With an unwavering commitment to being the best shared value insurance organisation in the world, Discovery is a powerful force for social good.
