Underwriter Data Scientist

ABOUT DESCARTES UNDERWRITING

Descartes was born out of the conviction that the ever-increasing complexity of risks faced by corporations, governments and vulnerable communities calls for a renewed approach in insurance. Our team brings together industry veterans from the most renowned institutions (AXA, SCOR, Swiss Re, Marsh, Aon, ...) and scientists on top of their field to bring underwriting excellence. After 5 years of existence, Descartes has secured a leading position in parametric insurance for weather and climate-related risks utilizing machine learning, real-time monitoring from satellite imagery & IoT. After a successful Series B raise of $120M USD, we launched Descartes Insurance, a 'full stack' insurer licensed to underwrite risk by the French regulator ACPR. With a growing corporate client base (400+ and counting), our diverse team is headquartered in Paris and operates out of our 18 global offices in North America, Europe, Australia, Singapore and Japan. Descartes is trusted by a panel of A-rated (re)insurers to carry out its activities.

ABOUT YOUR ROLE 

Due to rapid growth, at the core of our company's strategy, we are seeking to expand our Underwriting team with an Underwriter Data Scientist - Industrial Risks.

Upstream, our R&D team aims at developing new and innovative models thanks to state-of-the-art research to help the Underwriting team meet with efficiency and reliability their profitable growth targets.
On the market-facing side, Underwriting teams take action subsequently in modeling, structuring and pricing insurance covers to deliver insurance products to both public sector and corporate clients through their corporate brokers in a few days timeframe.

This role allows you to gain knowledge of the insurance industry, all while collaborating closely with other internal teams (Software, Operations, Legal and Commercial) and our external partners and in particular corporate insurance brokers in Europe.

As an Underwriter Data Scientist, your key missions will include:

• Participating in the development of Descartes' technological platform to differentiate Descartes from its competitors (models and pricing tools);
• Being responsible for technical documentation, underwriting authority and governance audit trail, and insurance contracts redaction or analysis;
• Conducting structuring work, risk analysis and issuing insurance proposal for public sector and corporate clients, in France and the European Economic Area;
• Discussing business opportunities with brokers to understand client needs and improve our product offering;
• Maintaining and expanding our broker network in France and the European Economic Area – this involves frequent commercial interactions, visits and participation to forums and events;
• Working autonomously and pragmatically to make appropriate technical decisions with attention to details. 

ABOUT YOU 

EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS

• Graduated from an Engineering school or Actuarial school with a specialization in computer science, applied mathematics or data science;
• From 2 to 5 years of experience in Underwriting or related (internships or/and apprentice included).

SKILLS

• Proficient in statistics, probabilities, applied mathematics; skills in machine learning methods are a plus;
• Proficient in Python (e.g. pandas, scikit-learn);
• Excellent communication (written and verbal);
• Fluent in French and English (written and verbal communication) is required;
• Good command of German is strongly valued.

MINDSET

• Eager to learn more on the insurance industry;
• Interested in risk modeling with a focus on data-driven methodologies;
• Results oriented with the ability to work in a dynamic and multi-cultural environment;
• Excellent team player with an entrepreneurial mindset;
• Strong desire to learn and commitment to the organization's mission.

WHY JOIN DESCARTES UNDERWRITING ?

• Opportunity to work and learn with teams from the most prestigious schools and research labs in the world, allowing you to progress towards technical excellence; 
• Commitment from Descartes to its staff of continued learning and development (think annual seminars, training etc.) ;
• Work in a collaborative & professional environment ;
• Be part of an international team, passionate about diversity ;
• Join a company with a true purpose – help us help our clients be more resilient towards climate risks;
• A competitive salary, bonus and benefits;
  
• You can benefit from punctual home office days.

At Descartes Underwriting, we cherish the 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.

RECRUITMENT PROCESS

• Step 1: HR Interview with our Talent Recruiter
• Step 2: Remote manager interview
• Step 3: At home technical online test (Github repository)
• Step 4: Remote technical interview
• Step 5: In person team interview to meet our team and discover our offices