Senior Data Scientist

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Location: London / Leicester / Bexhill

Role overview

The Senior Data Scientist will oversee projects and modelling exercises that deliver cutting‑edge data assets and predictive models feeding into Hastings’ pricing activities. Within the combined Actuarial and Data Science team, you will champion machine learning techniques to extract powerful insights from large volumes of customer data and apply them to insurance problems, particularly claims cost modelling. The role includes mentoring a small team of junior members and ensuring commercial value while maintaining fairness.

Key responsibilities

• Take technical lead on projects creating and maintaining analytical tools that support our pricing models.
• Develop best‑in‑class models to predict claims outcomes, fraud, and other KPIs.
• Engineer new rating factors for deployment into rating algorithms and assess their impact.
• Identify, analyse and monetize new data sources.
• Manage and mentor junior technical pricing staff.
• Ensure robustness of models across traditional and non‑traditional types.

Essential skills & experience

• Predictive modelling experience in a general insurance pricing environment, including GBMs.
• Python development using core data‑science libraries.
• Interest in emerging ML techniques and their application to insurance.
• Experience delivering large model reviews from conception to implementation.
• Strong SQL coding skills and data manipulation.
• Stakeholder management and ability to present technical ideas to non‑technical audiences.
• Experience in a personal lines pricing team (motor or home).
• Version control with GitHub and collaborative coding.
• Cross‑functional teamwork with data engineers, actuaries, and risk pricing analysts.
• Application of non‑traditional techniques to pricing.

Interview process

• Recruiter screening call.
• First stage interview – initial intro with hiring leader.
• Second interview – technical panel.
• Third call with hiring leader.

Benefits

Competitive salary, £5k car allowance, flexible hybrid working, annual bonus scheme, private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection, pension contributions up to 10%, 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays, and additional wellbeing programmes.

Hastings Group is an equal opportunities employer which means we treat people fairly. We welcome applications from all suitably skilled persons regardless of gender, age, race, disability, ethnic background, religion/belief, sexual orientation, gender reassignment or marital/family status. Please also note that we have a thorough referencing process, which includes credit and criminal record checks.

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