Senior Data Science Advisor

Desjardins; Mississauga; On-site; CAD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Vacation 4 weeks

Defined benefit pension

Group insurance

Telework equipment

Wellness reimbursement

Job summary

Desjardins is seeking a senior data science advisor to lead complex predictive modelling and AI initiatives for property and casualty insurance. You will partner with business units, integrate multiple data sources and apply advanced analytics to optimize operations and decision making.

You will guide model development, ensure deployment, monitor performance and provide training to stakeholders. A strong foundation in statistics, ML, Python/R and SAS/SQL is essential, along with English fluency

Qualifications

• Six years of actuarial or data science experience with predictive modeling and spatial analysis.
• French language knowledge required for Quebec positions; strong English proficiency required.
• Proficiency in at least one analytics language (Python or R) and one data manipulation language (SAS or SQL).
• Strong grounding in statistics and machine learning methods (regression, trees, ensembles, clustering, neural networks).
• Experience with leading data science libraries for ML, NLP, spatial analysis, visualization.

Responsibilities

• Explore and assess diverse data sources; prepare enriched datasets for modelling.
• Lead initiatives with business partners to operationalize solutions.
• Develop and optimize models and segmentations to meet business needs.
• Design and implement analytical processes, scripts and reusable tools.
• Translate findings into actionable recommendations for strategic decisions.
• Draft modelling guidelines and provide documentation and training.
• Identify opportunities to improve data management and tooling.

Skills

Python

R

SQL

Machine learning

Spatial analysis

Statistics

Leadership

English

French

Education

Bachelor's degree in statistics / mathematics / actuarial sciences

Master's degree or PhD in quantitative field

Tools

SAS

SQL engines

Job description

As a senior data science advisor, you provide the data needed to make business decisions, develop solutions and services adapted to business issues and operational process optimization research. You lead business partners on projects to develop models tailored to a wide range of business needs and on complex strategic initiatives related to advanced analytics and artificial intelligence. You help solve business issues with a high level of conceptual and operational complexity, particularly in the field of claims management, which necessitates the exploration of multiple data sources, as well as the ability to analyze and understand the property and casualty insurance industry in a comprehensive and detailed way. You interact with many colleagues, partners and clients from a wide range of fields to understand and communicate issues and influence decision making. More specifically, you will be required to:

• Explore and assess various structured and unstructured data sources, determine their relevance and quality and prepare enriched modelling datasets by leveraging statistical and actuarial expertise along with feature engineering techniques in connection with a broad range of complex predictive modelling initiatives
• Analyze client and partner business needs, generate hypotheses and lead initiatives, taking into account the specifics of their operationalization and ensuring coordination during the rollout
• Use advanced statistical, machine learning and artificial intelligence methods to use data, and develop and optimize models and segmentations that meet business needs
• Design, develop and implement analytical processes, scripts and reusable tools to support data preparation and analysis, as well as the development, evaluation, deployment, monitoring and maintenance of highly complex analytical models
• Translate analytical findings into clear, actionable recommendations to inform strategic decision-making and foster innovation across business units
• Draft modelling guidelines and methods, ensuring that the models will meet specifications and perform optimally. Help develop documentation and prepare and deliver training to support sound change management
• Identify opportunities to improve rules and systems, anticipate underlying impacts of changes and make improvements to data management tools

What we offer*

• Competitive salary and annual bonus
• 4 weeks of flexible vacation starting in the first year
• Defined benefit pension plan that provides predictable, stable income throughout retirement
• Group insurance including telemedicine
• Reimbursement of health and wellness expenses and telework equipment
• Benefits apply based on eligibility criteria.

What You Bring To The Table

• Bachelor’s degree in statistics, mathematics, actuarial sciences or a related field
• A minimum of six years of relevant experience in actuarial or data science, including the development of predictive models and spatial analysis
• Please note that other combinations of qualifications and relevant experience may be considered
• Academic specialization in a quantitative field (such as a certificate, master’s degree or PhD)
• Knowledge of French is required for positions in Quebec
• Advanced proficiency of English due to the nature of the duties or work tools or because the position involves interactions with English-speaking partners, members and/or clients
• Expertise in at least one data analytics programming language (Python or R) and one data manipulation language (SAS or SQL)
• Strong command of statistical approaches and machine learning methods, including regression, decision trees, ensemble learning techniques (for example, random forests and gradient boosting), clustering and neural networks
• Practical knowledge of leading data science libraries (machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing, spatial analyst, visualization)

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility

At Desjardins, we believe in equity, diversity and inclusion. We're committed to welcoming, respecting and valuing people for who they are as individuals, learning from their differences, embracing their uniqueness, and providing a positive workplace for all. At Desjardins, we have zero tolerance for discrimination of any kind. We believe our teams should reflect the diversity of the members, clients and communities we serve.

If there's something we can do to help make the recruitment process or the job you're applying for more accessible, let us know. We can provide accommodations at any stage in the recruitment process. Just ask!

Job Family

Data (FG)

This position is actually vacant.

Desjardins uses tools that incorporate artificial intelligence functionalities to screen or assess applicants as part of the recruitment process for this position.

Action oriented, Complexity, Customer Focus, Differences, Innovation, Interpersonal Savvy, Nimble learning.