Senior Data Scientist

Hastings Direct; England; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

£5k car allowance

Flexible hybrid working

Annual bonus scheme

Private medical insurance

Life assurance

Income protection

Pension contributions up to 10%

27 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Additional wellbeing programmes

Job summary

A leading UK insurance provider is seeking a Senior Data Scientist to lead projects and develop predictive models for pricing activities. This role involves steering machine learning approaches to derive insights from extensive customer data and is integral to managing and mentoring a small team. Candidates should have strong predictive modelling and Python skills, along with experience in personal lines pricing, to contribute effectively to the company’s data-driven goals. A detailed benefits package and flexible working are offered.

Qualifications

• Experience delivering large model reviews from conception to implementation.
• Ability to present technical ideas to non-technical audiences.
• Application of non-traditional techniques to pricing.

Responsibilities

• Take technical lead on projects creating analytical tools for pricing models.
• Develop models to predict claims outcomes and fraud.
• Identify and analyze new data sources.

Skills

Predictive modelling experience in general insurance pricing

Python development using core data-science libraries

Interest in emerging ML techniques

Strong SQL coding skills

Stakeholder management

Experience in personal lines pricing

Version control with GitHub

Cross-functional teamwork

Job description

Join to apply for the Senior Data Scientist role at Hastings Direct

Location: London / Leicester / Bexhill

Role overview

The Senior Data Scientist will oversee projects and modelling exercises that deliver cutting‑edge data assets and predictive models feeding into Hastings’ pricing activities. Within the combined Actuarial and Data Science team, you will champion machine learning techniques to extract powerful insights from large volumes of customer data and apply them to insurance problems, particularly claims cost modelling. The role includes mentoring a small team of junior members and ensuring commercial value while maintaining fairness.

Key responsibilities

• Take technical lead on projects creating and maintaining analytical tools that support our pricing models.
• Develop best‑in‑class models to predict claims outcomes, fraud, and other KPIs.
• Engineer new rating factors for deployment into rating algorithms and assess their impact.
• Identify, analyse and monetize new data sources.
• Manage and mentor junior technical pricing staff.
• Ensure robustness of models across traditional and non‑traditional types.

Essential skills & experience

• Predictive modelling experience in a general insurance pricing environment, including GBMs.
• Python development using core data‑science libraries.
• Interest in emerging ML techniques and their application to insurance.
• Experience delivering large model reviews from conception to implementation.
• Strong SQL coding skills and data manipulation.
• Stakeholder management and ability to present technical ideas to non‑technical audiences.
• Experience in a personal lines pricing team (motor or home).
• Version control with GitHub and collaborative coding.
• Cross‑functional teamwork with data engineers, actuaries, and risk pricing analysts.
• Application of non‑traditional techniques to pricing.

Interview process

• Recruiter screening call.
• First stage interview – initial intro with hiring leader.
• Second interview – technical panel.
• Third call with hiring leader.

Benefits

Competitive salary, £5k car allowance, flexible hybrid working, annual bonus scheme, private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection, pension contributions up to 10%, 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays, and additional wellbeing programmes.

Hastings Group is an equal opportunities employer which means we treat people fairly. We welcome applications from all suitably skilled persons regardless of gender, age, race, disability, ethnic background, religion/belief, sexual orientation, gender reassignment or marital/family status. Please also note that we have a thorough referencing process, which includes credit and criminal record checks.