Principal Catastrophe Scientist

Mercury Insurance; Brea (CA); Remote; USD 126,000 - 247,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player seeks a Principal Catastrophe Scientist to drive advanced catastrophe risk analyses and modeling. This role involves leveraging industry-standard platforms and proprietary methods to inform strategic business decisions. The ideal candidate will have a Ph.D. and extensive experience in catastrophe modeling, capable of leading multiple projects and collaborating with diverse teams. Join a company dedicated to helping others reduce risk and navigate unexpected events, offering a supportive environment that values growth and diversity. If you are ready to make a significant impact in the insurance industry, this opportunity is for you.

Benefits

Competitive compensation

Flexibility to work from anywhere

Paid time off

Incentive bonus programs

Medical, dental, vision, life, and pet insurance

401(k) retirement savings plan with company match

Engaging work environment

Promotional opportunities

Education assistance

Health and wellbeing resources

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in catastrophe modeling and analytics required.
• Ph.D. preferred in fields related to environmental sciences or quantitative research.

Responsibilities

• Lead analytics using catastrophe models to analyze perils like wildfires and hurricanes.
• Develop actionable insights for pricing, underwriting, and reinsurance strategies.

Skills

Catastrophe modeling software

Data analysis

Quantitative skills

Communication skills

Critical thinking

Problem-solving

Programming languages (Python, SQL)

Education

Ph.D. in analytical concentration

Equivalent combination of education and experience

Tools

Verisk-AIR

RMS-Moody's

Python

SQL

NumPy

Pandas

SciPy

Dask

PySpark

Job description

Overview

Position Summary:

The Principal Catastrophe Scientist is responsible for advanced catastrophe risk analyses, leveraging both industry-standard platforms—such as Verisk (AIR), RMS (Moody’s), and others—and the development of proprietary modeling approaches. The successful candidate will participate in strategic planning and will plan priorities for and manage multiple project streams in partnership with the Sr. Director of Climate and Catastrophe Science. This role requires deep expertise in hazard modules and event sets, including large catalogs of simulated natural hazard footprints that define magnitude, location, path, and probability of occurrence.

This individual will contribute to and lead the development of actionable insights that inform pricing, underwriting, and reinsurance strategies. The role demands a highly analytical and technically skilled professional who can independently contribute to and also direct multiple priorities and projects to meet Mercury’s standard of excellence in catastrophe modeling analytics.

Collaboration is key; as the Principal Catastrophe Scientist, you will partner with Actuaries, Research and Development, State Product Management, Underwriting, and other stakeholders to translate catastrophe risk assessments into effective business decisions.

Geo-Salary Information

State specific pay scales for this role are as follows:

1. $126,294 TO $246,043 (CA, NJ, NY, WA, HI, AK, MD, CT, RI, MA)
2. $114,843 TO $223,675 (NV, OR, AZ, CO, WY, TX, ND, MN, MO, IL, WI, FL, GA, MI, OH, VA, PA, DE, VT, NH, ME)
3. $103,332 TO $201,308 (UT, ID, MT, NM, SD, NE, KS, OK, IA, AR, LA, MS, AL, TN, KY, IN, SC, NC, WV)

The expected base salary for this position will vary depending on a number of factors, including relevant experience, skills, and location.

Responsibilities

Essential Job Functions:

1. Lead and contribute to analytics that leverage state-of-the-art catastrophe models and the development of proprietary methods to analyze perils such as wildfires, urban conflagrations, fire-following earthquakes, severe convective storms, and hurricanes.
2. Ensure delivery of real-time risk analytics and detailed loss estimates, including footprint analyses to assess event impact.
3. Lead and contribute to the refinement of model assumptions by adjusting event frequency, vulnerability curves, and loss scaling to incorporate proprietary insights and market expertise.
4. Partner with internal teams—including Actuaries, Research & Development, State Product Management, and Underwriting—to integrate catastrophe model output into pricing, underwriting, and reinsurance workflows.
5. Lead and contribute to the enhancement of catastrophe modeling frameworks and improvement of overall risk quantification for application in pricing, underwriting, and reinsurance workflows.
6. Develop reports, presentations, and data visualizations to effectively communicate findings to technical and non-technical teammates.
7. Lead and contribute to the evaluation and comparison of third-party models, refining event catalogs and developing custom solutions to ensure up-to-date and comprehensive risk assessment.
8. Ensure that the team remains at the forefront of industry advancements, including improvements in event simulation, hazard footprint resolution, and catastrophe modeling methodologies.

Qualifications

Education:

Minimum: Ph.D. or equivalent combination of education and experience is required with an emphasis in analytical concentration such as applied environmental sciences, math, statistics, economics, finance, quantitative research, etc.

Preferred: Ph.D. with an emphasis in analytical concentration such as applied environmental sciences, math, statistics, economics, finance, quantitative research, etc.

Experience:

Minimum: 10-Years + Ph.D. or equivalent combination of education and experience

Preferred: 15-Years + Ph.D.

Knowledge and Skills:

Minimum:

1. Expertise with catastrophe modeling software such as Verisk-AIR, RMS-Moody's or other platforms.
2. Expertise analyzing complex data sets and interpret model outputs to assess catastrophe risks.
3. Expert quantitative skills for calculating metrics like Average Annual Loss (AAL), Exceedance Probability (EP), Value at Risk (VaR), Tail Value at Risk (TVaR), and other standard measures.
4. Expert communication skills for presenting complex model results to non-technical teammates.
5. Proven ability to lead adaptation to new models, technologies, and methodologies in a rapidly evolving field.
6. Ongoing expertise on the latest scientific research, modeling techniques, and industry trends.
7. Highly motivated and driven individual with excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Preferred:

1. A strong foundation in environmental sciences such as meteorology, hydrology, geophysics, or geology.
2. Expertise in programming languages and tools like Python, SQL, NumPy, Pandas, SciPy, Dask, PySpark, etc.
3. Expertise with simulation techniques, stochastic modeling, probabilistic methods, geospatial analysis, and machine learning.
4. Extensive experience in applying advanced quantitative methods to measure and analyze insurance catastrophe risk.
5. Expertise in catastrophe risk management including rating, underwriting, and reinsurance.
6. Up-to-date knowledge of emerging climate change trends and their potential impacts on the insurance industry.

About the Company

Why choose a career at Mercury?

At Mercury, we have been guided by our purpose to help people reduce risk and overcome unexpected events for more than 60 years. We are one team with a common goal to help others. Everyone needs insurance and we can’t imagine a world without it.

Our team will encourage you to grow, make time to have fun, and work together to make great things happen. We embrace the strengths and values of each team member. We believe in having diverse perspectives where everyone is included, to serve customers from all walks of life.

We care about our people, and we mean it. We reward our talented professionals with a competitive salary, bonus potential, and a variety of benefits to help our team members reach their health, retirement, and professional goals.

Learn more about us here: Mercury Insurance Careers

Perks and Benefits

We offer many great benefits, including:

1. Competitive compensation
2. Flexibility to work from anywhere in the United States for most positions
3. Paid time off (vacation time, sick time, 9 paid Company holidays, volunteer hours)
4. Incentive bonus programs (potential for holiday bonus, referral bonus, and performance-based bonus)
5. Medical, dental, vision, life, and pet insurance
6. 401 (k) retirement savings plan with company match
7. Engaging work environment
8. Promotional opportunities
9. Education assistance
10. Professional and personal development opportunities
11. Company recognition program
12. Health and wellbeing resources, including free mental wellbeing therapy/coaching sessions, child and eldercare resources, and more

Mercury Insurance is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

Pay Range

USD $126,294.00 - USD $246,043.00 /Yr.