Hastings Direct is a UK-based digital general insurance provider serving more than 2.7 million customers with car, van, bike, home, and pet insurance. Its business combines product manufacturing and distribution, supported by pricing, fraud management, customer relationship management, and digital marketing capabilities. Hastings Direct also works closely with major price comparison websites and has a workforce of more than 3,400. For job seekers, its careers profile reflects a large, digitally focused insurance organisation with opportunities connected to insurance operations, technology, marketing, and customer service.
Senior Data Scientist | Hastings Direct | London Hybrid
Lead predictive modelling initiatives and guide a data science team at Hastings Direct. Help strengthen pricing capabilities for the company’s four-million-customer UK digital insurance business.
Description
- Own predictive modelling projects from initial problem definition through development, validation, production integration and ongoing monitoring
- Develop a strong command of Hastings Direct’s systems, processes and technology to improve team effectiveness
- Source, evaluate and prepare new data features based on predictive value, stability, interpretability and their effect on customer pricing outcomes
- Create and champion reusable, maintainable and reproducible modelling tools, pipelines and development practices
- Manage a small team of data scientists while supporting their technical growth
- Help colleagues produce consistently high-quality work
- Partner with senior leaders to influence the data science strategy
- Find ways to strengthen modelling capabilities, processes and team practices
- Help establish best-practice standards for modelling, software development, testing, documentation and deployment
Requirements
- Strong knowledge of predictive modelling and machine learning methods, including linear and gradient-boosted models
- Proven track record of delivering data science solutions that informed business decisions and produced measurable commercial value
- Advanced SQL skills for extracting, transforming and preparing data for predictive modelling
- Hands-on Python experience with machine learning libraries for building and integrating data science products
- Experience with Git for version control and collaborative software development
- Confidence leading technical conversations, influencing senior stakeholders and explaining complex analytical ideas clearly
- Collaborative experience working across multidisciplinary teams
- Experience assessing and reviewing the technical output of other data scientists
- Experience with Azure Machine Learning Studio or a comparable cloud machine learning platform is desirable
- Experience with Snowflake or a similar cloud data platform is desirable
- Experience leading, supporting or mentoring junior colleagues is desirable
- Experience applying data science or predictive modelling in general insurance is desirable
- Ability to complete recruitment screening, introductory and technical or competency case-study stages
- Willingness to complete credit and criminal record checks during the referencing process
Benefits
- Competitive salary determined by experience
- Car allowance
- Annual salary reviews
- Flexible hybrid working split between the office and home
- Annual 4Cs performance bonus
- Private medical insurance
- Life assurance worth four times salary
- Income protection provided at no additional cost
- Pension contributions matched up to 10%
- Retail and Hastings product discounts and cashback
- Independent mortgage advice with no fees
- Access to financial wellbeing support
- Thrive mental health app
- 24/7 colleague assistance programme
- In-house mental health first aiders
- Support groups and a dedicated mental health support team
- 27 days of annual leave plus bank holidays
- Ability to buy or sell one contracted week
- Healthcare cashback plans
- Dental plans
- Discounted health assessments
- Cycle to work scheme
- Technology schemes
- Discounted and free onsite facilities
- Social events during the year
- Training and development opportunities
- Recognition and rewards