Punjab Oil Mills Limited seeks a dedicated Data Collection, Integration & ML Associate to join its initiative in building a data-driven forecasting platform for the palm oil market. This role involves hands-on work in gathering and refining global datasets that support accurate short- and medium-term market decision-making. The associate collaborates closely with the project lead to clean data, develop ingestion pipelines, and create machine learning-ready time-series features essential for baseline forecasting models. Comfort with Python programming, utilizing public APIs, and handling structured datasets is crucial for transforming raw data into actionable insights. In this position, the associate will focus on ensuring data quality, consistency, and accessibility by structuring data efficiently and documenting all processes clearly. Although this role does not include managing a team, it requires excellent communication skills and attention to detail to maintain transparency and reproducibility within the project. The work arrangement is flexible and allows for remote or hybrid engagement over a 3 to 6-month renewable contract, emphasizing adaptability and self-driven execution.

Responsibilities

• Collect and update datasets routinely from verified global sources related to the palm oil market.
• Develop and maintain structured, well-documented data tables that facilitate seamless ingestion and downstream use.
• Write and optimize data ingestion scripts that extract data from public APIs and other formats such as CSV and JSON.
• Cleanse and standardize time-series data to ensure accuracy and alignment across varying data sources.
• Prepare and engineer features from raw data for integration into machine learning models supporting forecasting tasks.
• Support baseline forecasting experiments by providing prepared datasets and insights derived from data analysis.
• Document all data sources, transformation procedures, and results comprehensively to support traceability and project knowledge sharing.
• Collaborate closely with project leads to understand evolving data needs and adjust methodologies accordingly.
• Employ strong Python skills, especially using pandas and related libraries, to automate data processing steps effectively.
• Utilize SQL knowledge to query databases and support data validation and integration efforts as needed.
• Apply basic machine learning concepts to aid feature preparation, even when not directly building models.
• Maintain high standards of data quality and consistency to support reliable forecasting and analysis.
• Communicate progress and challenges clearly through written reports or presentations to project stakeholders.
• Adapt to flexible working hours and remote or hybrid environments to ensure project milestones are achieved.