Lead Data Scientist - Insurance

Lead Data Scientist

Guardian is on a transformation journey to evolve into a modern, forward-thinking insurance company committed to enhancing the wellbeing of its customers and their families. We've recently onboarded a Chief Data & Analytics Officer (CDAO) to guide this transformation and lead the Enterprise Data and Analytic Office (EDAO). This role presents a distinctive opportunity to collaborate with the CDAO and the Head of Data Science, actively contributing to Guardian’s ongoing evolution.

Guardian’s EDAO spearheads a culture of data insights across Guardian, facilitating the successful realization of our strategic initiatives. Our core activities encompass creating business value from our data and analytic products. Key responsibilities include data lifecycle management, insight development, and data product delivery. We are a team of data analysts, data product owners, data engineers, data scientists and most importantly, data business leaders. Our solutions and actions are critical to Guardian’s revenue growth, risk management and customer experience.

Guardian is seeking Tech Lead with a strong background in production ready AI/ML solutions. In this role as Lead Data Scientist, your responsibilities will include developing advanced data science solutions, leveraging machine learning and artificial intelligence, to drive enterprise-wide innovation across various business lines and Guardian products. You'll collaborate with senior executives on high-impact high-visibility projects to deliver AI/ML solutions that will be market-tested and deployed to make a real difference to risk management and Guardian's overall financial performance. Successful candidates bring expertise in insurance and financial services, a passion for applying cutting-edge ML and AI insights, and the ability to design and implement data science capabilities that foster growth, competitive advantage, and customer satisfaction.

Key Responsibilities

• Build and lead a high performing group of data scientists
• Stay current with developments in ML and AI innovations, industry trends, challenges, and potential market opportunities
• Lead and mentor other team members
• Manage business stake holders from ideation to deployment and aftercare
• Support use case development that includes initial data exploration, project/sample design, reception, and processing of data, performing analysis and modeling to creation of final report/presentation
• Utilizing advanced statistical and AI/ML techniques to create high-performing predictive models and creative analyses to address business objectives and partner needs
• Packaging of model/solution and deployment in cooperation with Data Engineers and MLOps
• Implement new statistical or other mathematical methodologies as needed for specific models or analysis.
• Propose innovative ways to look at problems through using data mining and data visualization
• Work with stakeholders throughout the organization to identify opportunities for leveraging company data to drive business solutions.
• Present information using data visualization techniques; communicate results and ideas to key decision makers.
• Ensure data accuracy and consistent reporting by performing regular data quality control, prepare and maintain reports, and troubleshoot data anomalies
• Consistent accuracy and thoroughness in performing work assignments
• Attend industry conferences to stay current on industry trends, challenges, and potential market opportunities
• Contribute to standardization of Data Science tools, processes, and best practices

• You are passionate about cutting-edge technology and keen on applying new AI/ML algorithms and approaches.
• You are analytically driven, intellectually curious, and experienced leading the development and implementation of data and analytic solutions to solve challenging business problems. 
• You enjoy leading and managing a team of data scientist to crack hard to solve problems with AI/ML and seeing it deployed in-market and generating value for Guardian.
• You enjoy collaborating with a multi-disciplinary team including data engineers, business analysts, software developers and functional business experts and business leaders.
• You have demonstrated track record of managing data science teams and working with business leaders.

• PhD with 6+ years of experience, Master's degree with 8+ years of experience, or Bachelor's degree with 10+ years of experience in Computer Science, Engineering, Applied mathematics or related field
• 7+ years of hands-on ML modeling/development experience
• 2+ Years experience working within Insurance Industry
• Knowledge of Individual Markets or Direct to Consumer Insurance experience is a major plus.
• Extensive experience in deep learning models including Large Language Models (LLM) and Natural Language Processing (NLP)
• Knowledge of a variety of machine learning techniques (clustering, decision tree, bagging/boosting artificial neural networks, etc.) and their real-world advantages/drawbacks.
• Demonstrated track records in experimental design and executions
• Hands-on experience with data wrangling including fuzzy matching and regular expression, distributed computing and applying parallelism to ML solutions
• Strong programming skills in Python
• Solid background in algorithms and a range of ML models
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work and collaborating cross-functionally with Product, Engineering, and other disciplines at both the leadership and hands-on level
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities with superb attention to detail
• Proven leadership in providing technical leadership and mentoring to data scientists and strong management skills with ability to monitor/track performance for enterprise success

• Hybrid: Three days a week in our offices in New York, NY, Bethlehem, PA, Holmdel, NJ, Pittsfield, MA or Boston, MA.

Salary Range:

The salary range reflected above is a good faith estimate of base pay for the primary location of the position. The salary for this position ultimately will be determined based on the education, experience, knowledge, and abilities of the successful candidate. In addition to salary, this role may also be eligible for annual, sales, or other incentive compensation.

Our Promise

At Guardian, you’ll have the support and flexibility to achieve your professional and personal goals.  Through skill-building, leadership development and philanthropic opportunities, we provide opportunities to build communities and grow your career, surrounded by diverse colleagues with high ethical standards.

Inspire Well-Being

As part of Guardian’s Purpose – to inspire well-being – we are committed to offering contemporary, supportive, flexible, and inclusive benefits and resources to our colleagues. Explore our company benefits at www.guardianlife.com/careers/corporate/benefits. Benefits apply to full-time eligible employees. Interns are not eligible for most Company benefits.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Guardian is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, creed, religion, sex, affectional or sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, marital status, disability, military or veteran status, or any other classification protected by applicable law.

Accommodations

Guardian is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. Guardian also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified job applicants (and employees) to accommodate the individual's known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless doing so would create an undue hardship. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact [email protected].

Current Guardian Colleagues: Please apply through the internal Jobs Hub in Workday.