Data Scientist

Ageas; Eastleigh; Remote; GBP 40,000 - 80,000

Job description

Job Title: Data Scientist

Location: Remote with c. Quarterly travel to team events

Salary: Competitive/Dependent on Experience

Data Scientist (open to Data Scientists, Senior Data Scientists, and Lead/Principal Data Scientists)

Insurance is a dynamic industry, offering fantastic opportunities for Data Scientists to tackle a variety of different challenges, using diverse data sources, analytical and modelling techniques.

Ageas is a large Motor and Household insurer, meaning we play a key role in helping ordinary people protect their lifestyles and livelihoods when the worst happens. We have lots of data to work with and a wide variety of complex problems to solve.

Data Science at Ageas

Our Data Science team supports teams across the business to answer interesting questions such as:

1. How can we identify fraudulent claims and disrupt organised crime?
2. How much does it cost to repair a car after an accident or fix a home after a weather event?
3. How can we best leverage Deep Learning and Generative AI models to maximise the potential of vast amounts of unstructured data, including calls, documents, and images?
4. How do dynamic events (e.g., inflation, heatwaves, storms) and long-term trends (e.g., climate change, digitalisation) impact our business and our customers?
5. How can we understand our customers better than anyone else so that we can consistently deliver what they want?

At Ageas, we are investing in our core capabilities that make us even smarter and help us win in our chosen markets - that's our people and our technology. By joining our rapidly developing Advanced Analytics and Data Science Team as a Data Scientist, you will become an integral part of this strategic journey.

Our team already draws talent from a diverse range of backgrounds, and we pride ourselves on producing innovative, insightful, and impactful work for collaborative stakeholders from across the business. The team is well respected within the business, emphasising thought leadership, innovation, insight and responsible practices.

Leadership and Innovation:

Enhancing Insight:

1. Digging beneath the surface and being proactive in asking questions to our stakeholders and of our data
2. Explaining analytics and model predictions to instil confidence in end-users
3. Develop systems and techniques with a view to re-purposing them elsewhere for greater returns
4. Demonstrating thought leadership and highlighting opportunities to deliver our 'AI first' strategy
5. Engaging with senior leaders around the business to understand their challenges and opportunities
6. Embracing 'the art of the possible'
7. Demonstrate practical applications through time-boxed 'hackathons' for innovative use cases

Transparency:

1. Clear communication and explanations of Data Science techniques
2. Working closely with operational teams to identify how to deliver impactful solutions to maximise benefits
3. Taking a responsible and ethical approach to reduce and manage risks

Who are we looking for?

We have great opportunities available for self-motivated individuals who are looking for their first role after leaving university or, equally, for those already progressing well in their data science career and looking for a new challenge. This position offers the opportunity to learn and develop skills across multiple different areas of data science, including Generative AI. You will also help drive innovation, making sense of new and developing techniques for the wider business.

In particular, we are looking for:

1. Innovative and creative thinkers with knowledge of core data science techniques (e.g., clustering, classification, regression) and who can demonstrate initiative in tackling complex problems.
2. Keen coders with a demonstrable ability to realise their ideas; some knowledge of Python is essential, including the use of fundamental data science libraries (e.g., Pandas, NumPy, Sci-kit-Learn). You may also have experience with Deep Learning models (libraries including PyTorch, Transformers) and usage of GenAI.
3. Highly numerate and analytical problem-solvers, with a Degree, Masters or PhD in a mathematical, scientific, or computational field
4. Strong communicators with the ability to simplify and communicate complex technical ideas to the wider business
5. Happily curious individuals with an evident willingness to learn new things, revisit old problems in new ways, and tackle new problems from scratch

Throughout your work, you will need to think about data ethics and responsible AI, to make sure that we provide customers with the services that they need and help to protect them from unfair or harmful outcomes.

At Ageas we offer a wide range of benefits to support you and your family inside and outside of work, which helped us achieve Top Employer status in the UK.

1. Flexible Working - Smart Working @ Ageas gives employees flexibility around location (as long as it's within the UK) and, for many of our roles, flexibility within the working day to manage other commitments, such as school drop offs etc. We also offer all our vacancies part-time/job-shares. We also offer a minimum of 31 days holiday (inc. bank holidays) and you can buy and sell days.
2. Supporting your Health - Dental Insurance Health Cash Plan, Health Screening, Will Writing, Voluntary Critical Illness, Mental Health First Aiders, Well Being Activities - Yoga, Mindfulness.
3. Supporting your Wealth - Annual Bonus Schemes, Annual Salary Reviews, Competitive Pension, Employee Savings, Employee Loans.
4. Supporting you at Work - Well-being activities, yoga, mindfulness sessions, Sports and Social Club events and more...
5. Benefits for Them - Partner Life Assurance and Critical Illness cover.
6. Getting Around - Car Salary Exchange, Cycle Scheme, Vehicle Breakdown Cover.
7. Get some Tech - Deals on various gadgets including Wearables, Tablets and Laptops.
8. Supporting you back to work - Return to work programme after maternity leave

About Ageas:

We're one of the largest car and home insurers in the UK. Our people help Ageas to be a thriving, creative and innovative place to work, which is echoed in the service we provide to over four million customers.

As an inclusive employer, we encourage anyone to apply. We're a signatory of the Race at Work Charter and Women in Finance Charter, a Stonewall diversity champion and a Disability Confident Employer (which means interviews are guaranteed for applicants with a disability who meet the minimum role criteria). For more information please see Ageas Everyone.

Our aim is to have great people everywhere in our business and we're always looking for outstanding people to join us. Most roles across Ageas allow a proportion of your time to be spent working from home and we're open to discussing flexible working, including full-time, part-time or job share arrangements.

To find out more about Ageas, see About Us.

Want to be part of a Winning Team? Come and join Ageas.