Research Scientist, IBM Research Africa

About the role

IBM Research Africa, with labs in Nairobi and Johannesburg, is hiring Research Scientists in AI, healthcare informatics, agricultural intelligence, financial inclusion, and climate adaptation. The lab publishes in top venues (NeurIPS, ICML, AAAI, KDD) and develops technology aligned with African development needs. Application deadline 31 August 2026.

Responsibilities

• Lead independent and collaborative research projects in your area of expertise.
• Publish in top peer-reviewed conferences and journals.
• Partner with African ministries, NGOs, and corporates on real-world technology deployments.
• File patents and contribute to IBM’s intellectual property portfolio.
• Mentor PhD interns from African and global universities.
• Represent IBM Research Africa at academic and industry conferences.

Requirements

• PhD in Computer Science, Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or related field.
• Strong publication record at top venues in your research area.
• Hands-on coding ability in Python and standard ML/data science tooling (PyTorch, TensorFlow, scikit-learn).
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate across disciplines and institutions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication in English.

Nice to have

• Research experience focused on African development contexts (health, agriculture, climate, financial inclusion).
• Prior industry research experience.
• Open source contributions or active GitHub.

How to apply

Open the IBM Research Africa page at the apply link, navigate to careers, and submit through IBM’s recruitment portal. Provide CV, three to five publications, research statement, and three reference letters. Technical interviews and research talk follow. Closing date 31 August 2026.