Data Scientist

Aviva plc; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 100,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Annual bonus eligibility

Retirement savings plan

Health benefits

Career development opportunities

Job summary

Aviva Canada is seeking a Data Scientist to join the Commercial Auto Data Science team. You will contribute to the full model lifecycle—from ideation and development through deployment, monitoring, and continuous improvement—on high-impact initiatives like claims prediction and pricing insights.

You will collaborate with Pricing and business teams, leverage modern analytics tools, and drive innovations that enhance customer experiences and decision-making.

Qualifications

• MSc in a related field is required; PhD is preferred.
• Minimum 3+ years of model development with large datasets.
• 3+ years Python programming with software engineering practices.

Responsibilities

• Transform sophisticated datasets into actionable conclusions and recommendations.
• Develop machine learning and statistical solutions for pattern recognition.
• Lead end-to-end data science projects for Commercial Auto Pricing from planning to deployment and monitoring.
• Contribute to modelling best practices and improve reproducibility.
• Maintain a growing set of data mining tools, frameworks, and approaches.
• Communicate insights and practical recommendations to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Support model monitoring and validation to detect performance shifts.

Skills

Python programming

Data science

Machine learning

Education

Master's degree (MSc)

PhD preferred

Tools

Snowflake

Job description

Experience Aviva Together, we are Aviva. Our values — Care, Commitment, Community, and Confidence — guide how we show up for each other and for our customers. Individually, they’re words. Together, they define who we are. At Aviva Canada, we put people first, our employees, our customers, and our communities. We’re proud of a culture built on care, inclusion, and collaboration, where your voice matters and your growth is supported. We’re not just about insurance; we’re about making a real difference by protecting what matters most.

The Opportunity Join a team of data scientists and engineers using advanced analytics and machine learning to solve real business challenges. As part of the Commercial Auto Data Science team, you'll build models and data-driven solutions that improve customer experiences, support business decisions, and drive innovation across the organization. As a Data Scientist, you'll contribute to the full model lifecycle, from ideation and development through deployment, monitoring, and continuous improvement. You'll work on high-impact initiatives such as claims prediction, customer journey optimization, pricing insights, and automation, partnering closely with business and technology teams. Supported by experienced colleagues and mentorship, you'll have opportunities to grow your technical expertise while applying cutting-edge tools and techniques to projects that impact millions of customers. As the insurance industry continues to evolve, you'll help shape the future of data science and innovation at Aviva.

What you’ll do:

• Transformation of sophisticated datasets into meaningful conclusions & recommendations.
• Develop innovative solutions for pattern recognition using machine learning and statistical approaches.
• Partner closely with Pricing and work on the data science projects end-to-end for Commercial Auto Pricing, from project planning through data processing, model training, model acceptance, and post implementation monitoring.
• Contribute to modelling best practices and improve the quality and reproducibility of the team’s work.
• Maintenance of a growing set of data mining tools, frameworks & approaches
• Communicate practical recommendations based on insights/model results.
• Support model monitoring and validation, including identifying performance deterioration, portfolio shifts, and emerging segment behavior.

What you’ll bring:

• An educational background in computer science or engineering, math, statistics, physics or a related field.
• A minimum of an MSc is required, and PhD is preferred.
• 3+ years of experience with model development and working with large datasets. This can include experience from any industry or academia (post-doc experience).
• 3+ programming experience in Python with a good grasp of software engineering standard methodologies such as code-reusability, modularity, use of reports, etc.

What makes you stand out:

• Experience with Snowflake.
• A growth mindset with versatile skills and ability to work through problems from first principles.
• A portfolio of projects that demonstrate your ability to draw inferences from data. This includes participation within the broader data science community, including Kaggle competitions or any personal projects with open data.
• A can-do teammate willing to roll up their sleeves and do whatever is needed to move projects forward. That means, at times you will wear different hats and be a project manager, developer, modeler and chief communicator of solutions.
• Outstanding communication skills and ability to translate and communicate complex algorithms to non-technical individuals.
• Someone who understands that it is not enough just to have a phenomenal algorithm but meaningful to build an agreement for the solution from different partners. The best problems in the industry are yet to be articulated. We need someone who is creative, self-motivated and can lead projects independently.

What you’ll get:

• The salary band for this position ranges from $100,000 to $120,000. Please note that individual salary is determined by factors such as job-related knowledge, skills and experience, as well as internal equity.
• Compelling rewards package including base compensation, eligibility for annual bonus, retirement savings, share plan, health benefits, personal wellness, and volunteer opportunities.
• Hybrid flexible work model.
• Outstanding career development opportunities.
• We’ll support your professional development education.
• Competitive vacation package with the option to purchase 5 extra days off per year.
• Employee-driven programs focused on gender, LGBTQ+, origins, diversity, and inclusion.
• Corporate wellness programs to support our employees’ physical and mental health.
• Employee discount on home and auto insurance (where applicable).

Aviva Canada may use AI (Artificial Intelligence) tools to assist us throughout the recruitment process to screen, assess or select applicants for a position. Aviva Canada welcomes applications from all qualified individuals and has a process in place to provide accommodations for persons with disabilities at all stages of the hiring process and during employment. If you require an accommodation during the interview or hiring process, please contact your Aviva Talent Acquisition Partner so that an appropriate accommodation can be arranged.

We help our 19.5 million customers to save for the future and manage the risks of everyday life. To give these customers the best possible products and service we know we must make Aviva the most attractive choice for talented, entrepreneurial people with diverse backgrounds and an evolving range of expertise and insight. So, we’re passionate about helping our 23,000 people to do the best work of their lives, to enable them to make a positive difference to the lives of our customers.