AVP, Data Science

MetLife, Inc.; Cary (NC); Hybrid; USD 190,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401(k) with company match

Paid time off

Job summary

MetLife, Inc. is seeking a high-impact AVP, Data Science to lead enterprise AI initiatives across global businesses.

You will oversee Applied Data Science and Enterprise AI Capabilities, guide a team of 6-8 data scientists and ML engineers, and partner with regional leaders to scale adoption beyond pilots with strong governance and risk controls. The role emphasizes product-minded leadership, responsible AI in a regulated environment, and driving measurable business outcomes at scale.

Qualifications

• Senior technical leader with 10 years of experience delivering data science, ML, and AI solutions.
• Strong proficiency in statistical modeling, ML, and generative AI.
• Applied technology transformation delivery with measurable business outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Lead delivery of data science, ML, and AI solutions across key business areas from problem definition to deployment and monitoring.
• Partner with senior leaders to identify and execute high-impact AI use cases tied to growth and efficiency.
• Apply a product approach to AI solutions: define users, adoption, and value measures up front.

Skills

Data Science Leadership

ML/AI

Stakeholder Management

Product Mindset

Leadership

Education

Master's degree preferred

Tools

MLOps/AIOps

Cloud ML Platforms

Job description

Description and Requirements

The Team You Will Join
At MetLife, data isn’t just a tool – it is a catalyst for growth. As part of our Data & Analytics organization, you’ll unlock trusted insights that drive bold decisions, power personalized customer experiences, and deliver lasting business impact. We’re building the future of data – one that’s governed responsibly, engineered for scalability, and designed for growth. When you join us, you’re not just supporting the business – you’re empowering it. Let’s transform insight into impact and data into action, together.

The Opportunity
The AVP, Data Science is a senior leader within MetLife’s Enterprise Data Science & AI function, reporting to the Head of Data Science & AI, and is responsible for driving the delivery and enterprise adoption of data science, machine learning (ML), and generative AI solutions across the company’s global businesses and functions. The AVP oversees two areas, Applied Data Science and Enterprise AI Capabilities, and leads a team of 6-8 data scientists and ML engineers.
The AVP partners with business leaders and regional data officers to identify and deliver high-value use cases that support growth, profitability, and operational efficiency, and ensures solutions scale beyond pilots into production, where they are adopted and monitored. In parallel, the AVP builds reusable, production-grade AI capabilities, with the standards and practices that help regions move faster, with more consistency and quality, working closely with data engineering, technology, risk, and governance partners.
MetLife has a strong foundation in data science and a clear opportunity to turn it into enterprise-wide impact. The AVP is a change leader as much as a technical leader: a hands‑on expert in statistical modeling, ML, and generative AI who earns credibility with experienced data scientists and regional leaders, leads through influence in a federated, global organization, and brings a product mindset focused on user experience and tangible business impact. The AVP balances innovation and creative problem solving with operational rigor and responsible AI in a regulated environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of data science, ML, and AI solutions across key business areas, from problem definition through deployment and ongoing performance monitoring, with accountability for adoption and measurable business impact.
• Partner with business leaders and regional data officers to identify, prioritize, and execute high-impact AI use cases tied to growth, profitability, and operational efficiency.
• Apply a product approach to AI solutions: define users, adoption, and value measures up front, deliver a strong user experience, and ensure solutions are used, supported, and improved after launch.
• Apply advanced statistical modeling, ML, and generative AI techniques to complex business problems, choosing the right method for each decision and translating insights into clear, actionable recommendations.
• Drive experimentation and innovation through pilots and proofs of value, with a clear path to scale successful solutions across the enterprise or stop those that do not earn adoption.
• Collaborate with data engineering, technology, and platform teams to build and scale enterprise‑grade MLOps / AIOps capabilities, including model development, deployment, and monitoring.
• Promote the reuse and standardization of models, data assets, and AI components across regions and teams to improve speed, consistency, and quality.
• Contribute to the Data Science & AI Center of Excellence and communities of practice: share best practices, standards, and reusable tools, and encourage knowledge sharing and adoption of modern approaches across regions.
• Partner with risk, legal, and governance teams so that AI solutions meet regulatory, ethical, and data protection requirements, and build to model governance standards for performance monitoring, fairness, transparency, and reliability.
• Lead, coach, and develop a high‑performing team of data scientists and ML engineers, focused on delivering impact in production, and foster a collaborative, high‑accountability culture of continuous learning, innovation, and results.
• Serve as a trusted partner to the Head of Data Science & AI: help shape priorities and the roadmap, represent the function with regional leaders and business partners, and communicate progress, value, and risks to senior stakeholders.

Required Qualifications

• Senior technical leader with 10 years of significant experience delivering data science, ML, and AI solutions, and expert‑level proficiency in statistical modeling, ML, and generative AI.
• Familiarity with MLOps / AIOps and modern technology stacks, including the model lifecycle (deployment, monitoring, retraining), cloud ML platforms, and evaluation of generative AI.
• Applied technology transformation delivery with measured business outcomes, including moving solutions from pilot to scaled production.
• Strong product mindset, with an orientation to user experience and tangible business impact, balanced by innovation and creative problem solving.
• Strong (4 years) people leadership experience: coaching, developing, and leading a team effectively.
• Skilled in stakeholder management, with the ability to communicate with and influence senior business and technology leaders across a complex, global environment.
• Degree in a quantitative or technical field required; Master’s degree preferred.

Preferred Qualifications

• Model governance experience, and delivering AI/ML solutions in a regulated industry such as insurance or financial services.
• Experience operating at global Fortune 500 scale and complexity.

Location Expectation: This is a hybrid rolerequiring a minimum of 3 days per week in office.
The expected salary range for this position is $190,000 – $230,000. This role may also be eligible for annual short‑term incentive compensation and stock‑based long‑term incentives. All incentives and benefits are subject to the applicable plan terms.

Benefits We Offer
Our U.S. benefits address holistic well‑being with programs for physical and mental health, financial wellness, and support for families. We offer a comprehensive health plan that includes medical/prescription drug and vision, dental insurance, and no‑cost short‑and‑long‑term disability. We also provide company‑paid life insurance and legal services, a retirement pension funded entirely by MetLife and 401(k) with employer matching, group discounts on voluntary insurance products including auto and home, pet, critical illness, hospital indemnity, and accident insurance, as well as Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and digital mental health programs, parental leave, paid time off, paid holidays, volunteer time off, tuition assistance and much more! For more information regarding MetLife’s U.S. benefits, please

About MetLife
Recognized on Fortune magazine’s list of the “World’s Most Admired Companies”, Fortune World’s 25 Best Workplaces™, as well as the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For®, MetLife, through its subsidiaries and affiliates, is one of the world’s leading financial services companies; providing insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management to individual and institutional customers. With operations in more than 40 markets, we hold leading positions in the United States, Latin America, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.
As part of our New Frontier strategy, MetLife is building an AI‑enabled, people‑centered future. We’re looking for people who bring curiosity, adaptability, and a growth mindset as we use AI to enhance how we serve customers, support communities, and evolve the way work gets done. At MetLife, AI is a responsible partner that supports human judgment, creativity, and continuous improvement while helping us build trust, inclusion, and long‑term value.
Our purpose is simple – to help our colleagues, customers, communities, and the world at large create a more confident future. United by purpose and guided by our core values – Win Together, Do the Right Thing, Deliver Impact Over Activity, and Think Ahead – we’re inspired to transform the next century in financial services. At MetLife, it’s #AllTogetherPossible . Join us!
MetLife is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All employment decisions are made without regards to race, color, national origin, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital or domestic/civil partnership status, genetic information, citizenship status (although applicants and employees must be legally authorized to work in the United States), uniformed service member or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law (“protected characteristics”).
If you need an accommodation due to a disability, please email us at [email protected]. This information will be held in confidence and used only to determine an appropriate accommodation for the application process.
MetLife maintains a drug‑free workplace.
This posting is for a current vacancy and is anticipated to remain open for at least 90 days from the listed posting date.

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