Senior Underwriter/Data Scientist – London

Company: Descartes
Apply for the Senior Underwriter/Data Scientist – London
Location: City of Westminster
Job Description:

Reporting to the Underwriting Manager & Director of Descartes UK, you will be a key contributor to the development and deployment of climate risk models for the pricing, underwriting and monitoring of weather‑related parametric policies for corporates and public entities.

Responsibilities

  • Collaborate with the business team and brokers to understand client needs and risk transfer challenges to successfully underwrite new business and renew accounts.
  • Conduct thorough analyses for product design and coverage structuring in order to meet the needs and expectations of the clients.
  • Improve and develop pricing models in order to model the risk, underwrite policies for corporates and public entities, and monitor the portfolio performance and accumulation.
  • Contribute to insurance proposal and underwriting documentation in order to finalise policies for corporate clients and public entities worldwide.
  • Operate in the London market, leading discussions and projects with brokers and partners.
  • Collaborate with various divisions of Descartes in order to sustain the growth of the portfolio (e.g. R&D teams, Legal, Operations, Risk Management).
  • Technical & Business Leadership: help both the underwriting strategy and the review of the work conducted by Underwriting Data Scientists, providing guidance on technical modeling matters & business requirements.

Qualifications

  • Graduated from a leading academic institution with a degree in mathematics, statistics, data science, physics or related.
  • 4 years of significant experience minimum (post‑graduation) in data science or related.
  • As a plus: track record of experience in leading a (small) team and managing business projects.
  • As a plus: prior experience in structuring, pricing & underwriting parametric insurance covers for climate risks.

Skills

  • Proficiency in Python (e.g. pandas, scikit-learn).
  • Strong background in statistics and mathematics, showing clear understanding of probabilities.
  • Eye for quality, autonomous and attention to detail.
  • Fluency in English (written and verbal communication) is required.
  • Good level of one additional language (e.g. Chinese, French, Italian, German, Spanish…) is a plus.

Mindset

  • Interested in insurance industry and climate risks modeling.
  • Strong team spirit.
  • Ability to work under pressure.
  • Eagerness to solve complex problems and technical challenges.
  • Rigorous, creative and meticulous mind.
  • Strong desire to learn and acquire responsibility.
  • Results oriented with the ability to work in a fast‑paced and multi‑cultural environment.

Benefits

A competitive salary, bonus and benefits.

At Descartes Underwriting, we cherish value of diversity whatever it may be. We are committed to fighting against all forms of discrimination and for equal opportunities. We foster an inclusive work environment that respects all differences. With equal skills, all our positions are open to people with disabilities.

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Posted: July 9th, 2026