The African Centre for Cities (ACC) at the University of Cape Town invites applications for a fulltime Senior Data Scientist for a 16-month contract (March 2026 – June 2027) with the possibility of renewal. We are looking for candidates to work as part of the African Mayoral Leadership Initiative (AMALI) Data Programme team, located within the ACC.
ACC was established in 2007 at the University of Cape Town as an urban research institute. The ACC is based in the School of Architecture, Planning and Geomatics in the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, but is interdisciplinary in scope, drawing on expertise on urban issues from across the university.
AMALI focuses on supporting African Mayors in their legacy goals and involves in-depth and ongoing technical and skills support over the course of a calendar year. The AMALI Data Programme specifically focuses on supporting Mayors from African Cities and their executive and data teams in the collection, analysis, and use of data necessary for effective decision making and reporting at a city-scale. The staffing complement of the AMALI Data Programme is currently a Data Programme Lead and five City Data Advisors, and the new position of Senior Data Scientist will be providing additional support to the Programme.
The AMALI Senior Data Scientist role sits at the intersection of data engineering, product development, and applied urban governance, and will involve working closely with the five AMALI City Data Advisors, municipal technical teams, and external partners. The Senior Data Scientist will lead the design, development, and maintenance of scalable data systems, dashboards, and tools to support African cities in evidence-based decision making.
The postholder will integrate systems engineering, coding, and product development to create standardised, high-quality data products for performance tracking, reporting, and decision-making within the AMALI Data Programme. This role will also contribute to generating new knowledge in African city-level systems and technology, documenting and disseminating innovations, best practices, and lessons learned to strengthen city level data ecosystems across the continent.
Closing date: 28 January 2026