Lead Data Scientist (f|m|d) | 100% | Hybrid working model | Zurich Switzerland

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SMG Swiss Marketplace Group is hiring a Lead Data Scientist for its Real Estate unit in Zurich, a 100% hands-on senior role with clear technical leadership in a cross-functional agile team. You will design and implement data science and ML use cases across the portfolio including homegate.ch and immoscout24.ch, own and evolve in-house models (inventory classification, predictions, recommendations, fraud detection), and drive Generative AI initiatives from concept to production and monitoring. Success hinges on deep experience with data pipelines, data lineage and quality, deployment, retraining, and monitoring, plus Python and SQL mastery. Tips: tailor your CV to show production-grade programs, leadership impact, and measurable business outcomes; prepare concrete case studies; highlight collaboration, English fluency, and comfort with a hybrid Swiss workplace.

Company Description

Welcome to SMG Swiss Marketplace Group!

SMG is a pioneering network of online marketplaces and a leading European digital company that simplifies people’s lives with forward-looking products.
We operate leading marketplaces across real estate, automotive, general classifieds, and finance & insurance. We’re driven by our values: Better Together, Aim High, and Act Responsibly.
 

Job Description

Meet the team! 

At SMG, our strength lies in our people. Meet some of the team members with whom you could work:

• Dmytro Yurchenko - Senior Machine Learning Engineer - LinkedIn
• Marina Novikova - Data Scientist - LinkedIn
• Vukasin Vasiljevic - Machine Learning Engineer - LinkedIn
• Marcel Schumacher - Data Product Manager - LinkedIn

As a Lead Data Scientist at Swiss Marketplace Group's Real Estate Business Unit, you will contribute to the data hub for the leading real estate platforms in Switzerland, which includes homegate.ch and immoscout24.ch, among others. You will be part of a cross-functional, agile data team with an open mindset and teammates who enjoy learning new skills and sharing theirs.

The Lead Data Scientist will be responsible for developing and implementing data science solutions that drive business growth and innovation. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in building data science, machine learning, and generative AI use cases.  The Lead Data Scientist is a senior-level position strongly focused on technical leadership (100% hands-on) and opens a path to a technical career track.

About The Position

• You will design and implement data science and machine learning use cases to bring value to our users and solve business challenges
• You will be the tech lead for data-science projects and teams to align with business needs and deliver value
• You will provide technical guidance, suggest best practices, and drive team agreements related to best practices
• You will perform exploratory data analysis on large and complex datasets to identify patterns, trends, and relationships, and ultimately generate high-quality data and relevant hypotheses
• You will lead implementations of Generative AI use cases, from conceptualization & experimentation to implementation and monitoring
• You will develop and apply ML/AI techniques and best practices for reliable, scalable, and ethical data-driven solutions
• You collaborate with stakeholders to understand the specific objectives and goals of projects, and aid in designing a formal way of evaluating the systems’ performance against these
• You will write, review, and debug code for complex projects and lead solution development and alignment
• You will own and further develop our in-house models in many different areas, such as inventory classification, predictions, recommendations or fraud detection
• You will report directly to the Head of Data Engineering & Science

Qualifications

What will you bring to the ride? 

• 5+ years of experience in building data science projects
• Deep understanding of data science pipelines, including data ingestion, feature engineering, model training, deployment, and monitoring
• Experience with data lineage, data transformation, data modelling, data storage, data access, and data quality assessment techniques is essential for effective model development and productionalization
• Experience working with a high volume of heterogeneous data
• Strong programming in Python (and preferably also SQL) and data modelling skills
• Experience with bringing models to a production environment (deployment, retraining, experiment tracking )
• Successful track records of productionizing machine learning models
• Capable of investigating, familiarising, and mastering new data sets quickly
• Ability to work well/synergise with different teams and to deal with ambiguity
• Attention to detail in complex environments
• Strong dedication to driving change with a positive can-do attitude
• A proactive approach to learning and finding solutions outside the direct area of competence
• Fluency in English, both written and verbal
• Eager to keep up to date and leverage the latest ML technologies in a broad and challenging business environment
   

Additional Information

What do we offer? 🤝

• 6 weeks of holidays per year (plus option to buy 10 extra)
• 40-hour work week with flexitime (capped at 45 hours)
• A hybrid work setup with flexibility to work remotely
• Generous parental leave: 18 weeks for maternity and 6 weeks for paternity/adoption
• SBB Half-Fare Card and first-class travel between SMG offices in Switzerland
• Gender-neutral pay and transparent career paths
• Choose your gear: Mac or Windows laptop, and iPhone, Samsung, or Pixel mobile
• An inclusive and innovative environment where your voice matters

Recruitment Process 
We believe hiring is a two-way street, where both parties get to know each other. Here's what you can expect:

• Initial Screening Call with a recruiter
• Hiring Manager interview
• Technical Assessment / Case Study
• Team Fit Meeting

Apply Now! We are looking forward to getting to know you!
To take advantage of this opportunity, please send us your detailed CV in English and feel free to include any supporting documents that will help us understand why you are the perfect fit.

#LI-Hybrid

About Us

SMG Swiss Marketplace Group is a pioneering network of online marketplaces and a cutting-edge digital company that simplifies people’s lives with innovative products.
SMG Swiss Marketplace Group provides customers with the best tools to meet their life decision needs. The portfolio includes Real Estate (ImmoScout24, Homegate, Flatfox, Immostreet.ch, alle-immobilien.ch, home.ch, Publimmo, Acheter-Louer.ch, CASASOFT, IAZI), Automotive (AutoScout24, MotoScout24), General Marketplaces (anibis.ch, tutti.ch, Ricardo) and Finance & Insurance (FinanceScout24, moneyland.ch).

Disclaimer

SMG Swiss Marketplace Group primarily engages with candidates directly. We do not accept unsolicited resumes or candidate profiles from recruitment agencies unless we have specifically requested their assistance for particular roles. Any submissions made without a prior request from our Talent Acquisition team will not be acknowledged or considered. We appreciate the understanding and cooperation of recruitment agencies in respecting this policy.