Data Scientist

DATA SCIENTIST

(Payclass 10; T1 contract for 2 years)

CENTRE FOR INTEGRATED DATA & EPIDEMILOGICAL RESEARCH (CIDER)

FACULTY OF HEALTH SCIENCES

UCT, through the HPI–UCT Digital Health Partnership, is seeking a skilled and motivated Data Scientist to be seconded to the Provincial Health Data Centre (PHDC) and the growing portfolio of digital health and routine health data research it supports. The successful candidate will play a key role in onboarding and training researchers requiring access to the PHDC’s Secure Data Environment, while contributing to the development and strengthening of the data infrastructure that enables high-quality health research. This position forms part of the long-standing partnership between UCT’s Centre for Integrated Data and Epidemiological Research (CIDER) and the PHDC and offers an opportunity to contribute to impactful research and the advancement of digital health in the Western Cape.

The post would suit someone with a strong technical background in data engineering, data architecture and software development, with a view to applying their skills to health data and research. The ideal candidate will be comfortable working with secure and sensitive data, developing and supporting data pipelines and web applications, and collaborating with researchers and technical teams in a fast-changing environment.

Key responsibilities include:

• Support the onboarding of researchers to the PHDC Secure Data Environment.
• Provide training and technical support to researchers using the Secure Data Environment.
• Develop, maintain and support data pipelines using Databricks or similar platforms.
• Develop and maintain web applications and associated data services.
• Apply secure coding, access control and data privacy principles when working with sensitive patient-level data.
• Support data integration, processing and transformation using Python, Apache Spark and SQL.
• Contribute to monitoring, audit logging and CI/CD processes.
• Work collaboratively with technical teams, researchers and other stakeholders to support digital health research projects.
• Contribute to the ongoing development and improvement of the PHDC’s data infrastructure.

Requirements for the post:

• A Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Software Development, Engineering or a related field.
• A minimum of 4 years’ experience in data engineering, data architecture or a related field.
• Experience supporting data pipelines in Databricks or similar platforms.
• Experience developing and/or maintaining web applications.
• Proficiency in Python, particularly for data engineering, and Flask.
• Knowledge of Apache Spark fundamentals and SQL.
• Knowledge of data security, privacy and access-control principles.
• Understanding of CI/CD fundamentals, monitoring and audit logging.
• Experience with cloud platforms.
• Working knowledge of HTML, JavaScript and CSS.
• Strong analytical thinking and problem-solving skills, with the ability to work effectively in a fast-changing environment and adapt to changing requirements.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work collaboratively and respectfully as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• A high level of integrity, discretion and commitment to data confidentiality, particularly when working with sensitive patient-level data.

The following would be advantageous:

• Honours’ degree would be advantages
• Experience with health information systems and health data;
• Experience with analytical programming languages such as Stata, R or Scala; and
• Research experience and/or Master’s-level postgraduate studies.

For detailed information about this post, please view the position description on the following link: (View)

The 2026 annual cost of employment is between R661 967 and R778 783. This post is a two-year appointment on condition of satisfactory progress and available funding.

To apply, please visit the UCT Careers site View (For Internal Applicants) and View (For External Applicants) to create a candidate profile and to submit your application.

Please complete/attach the following to your profile before submitting your application:

• A letter of motivation, outlining how your expertise aligns with the position's requirements
• A detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV).
• Copy of your qualifications and ID.
• Three referee names which must include their title and name, position details, relationship with you, their e-mail address and telephone number.

An application which does not comply with the above will be regarded as incomplete and might not be considered. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and maybe required to undergo competency assessments. References may be requested by UCT at any stage of the selection process.

Enquiries about the application process are to be addressed to Mrs Tracy Moore at tracy.moore@uct.ac.za

Please do not send or submit job applications/CVs via this e-mail.

Telephone: 021 650 5405 Website:

Reference number: ID1591 Closing date: 10 November 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

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.