Principal Data Scientist
Principal Data Scientist

Principal Data Scientist

York Full-Time 48000 - 72000 £ / year (est.) No home office possible
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At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead complex data science projects and mentor junior team members.
  • Company: Join Hiscox, a leader in insurance, driving innovation through data science.
  • Benefits: Enjoy a dynamic work environment with opportunities for growth and collaboration.
  • Why this job: Make a real impact by transforming business challenges into actionable insights.
  • Qualifications: Bachelor's/Master's in a quantitative field and extensive data science experience required.
  • Other info: Be part of a culture that values technical excellence and continuous learning.

The predicted salary is between 48000 - 72000 £ per year.

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As a Principal Data Scientist at Hiscox, you will play a pivotal role as a critical thinker for Hiscox, applying your deep expertise to address our most intricate business challenges and uncover significant opportunities within our data landscape. You will utilise your technical skills and innovative mindset to tackle complex business problems and identify opportunities for growth. Additionally, you will provide ad hoc analysis and develop predictive and prescriptive models to foster a data-driven culture within Hiscox.

You will act as a technical mentor and guide to our team members, fostering best practices, elevating coding standards, and driving advanced analytical techniques across the team. Your ability to translate complex technical findings into clear, actionable insights for diverse stakeholders will be essential, ensuring alignment between our advanced solutions and specific business needs. Operating within a dynamic and evolving environment, you will play a key role in continuously advancing our technical capabilities and ensuring the effective application of data science across the insurance value chain.

The role

As a Principal Data Scientist, you will be an integral part of a dynamic technical team, strategically focused on leveraging data science across our diverse business functions. While your expertise will be pivotal in transforming our underwriting capabilities, your influence will extend across the entire insurance value chain, championing a multi-disciplinary approach to complex problem-solving.

You will lead the end-to-end delivery of our most significant and complex data science initiatives, driving technical strategy, architecture, and best practices. You\’ll be a key driver in defining and upholding technical standards, ensuring the development of robust, scalable, and high-quality solutions that enable fast, impactful delivery to stakeholders. Beyond project leadership, you will act as a crucial mentor and coach, fostering technical growth and expertise among junior and mid-level colleagues, elevating the overall capability of the team. Crucially, you will collaborate extensively with other disciplines to ensure a holistic view is considered, facilitating smooth delivery and maximising business value.

Key Responsibilities:

· Utilise industry standards, emerging methodologies, and empirical research to develop critical business inputs and assist leaders in innovating their approaches.

· Technically lead the end-to-end delivery of our most complex data science initiatives, encompassing:

o Strong understanding of intricate business challenges and translation into technical problem statements.

o Working with diverse datasets, both internal and external.

o Expert application and development of advanced machine learning or statistical modelling techniques to generate actionable insights and deliver measurable impact.

· Provide hands-on technical mentorship and guidance to junior and mid-level data scientists, fostering best practices, elevating technical standards, and cultivating advanced skill development within the team.

· Engage closely with other members of the data and analytics community at Hiscox to deliver value through various analytics techniques, sharing advanced knowledge and driving the adoption of robust analytical capabilities.

· Design, implement and maintain robust technical frameworks for monitoring, evaluating and quantifying the commercial impact and efficiency of data science solutions, ensuring continuous value demonstration.

Person Specification:

To excel as a Principal Data Scientist, you will typically possess:

· Bachelor\’s/Master\’s degree in a quantitative field (e.g., Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Physics, Engineering) or equivalent.

· Extensive professional experience in data science, with a proven track record of technically leading and successfully delivering complex, impactful, and production-grade data science solutions.

· A background in data science within finance or insurance is advantageous but not required.

· Demonstrated capacity for independent, high-quality research and exploratory data analysis, with the ability to develop and apply novel methodologies to solve ill-defined and challenging business problems.

· Proven ability to design, implement, and maintain robust technical frameworks for evaluating commercial impact.

· Proven ability to technically mentor data scientists, fostering best practices, elevating technical standards, and contributing to the overall technical growth of the team.

· Strong understanding and practical experience with Agile development methodologies and software engineering best practices (e.g., version control, comprehensive testing, modular code) relevant to data science product delivery.

· Ability to articulate complex technical findings and methodologies into clear, concise, and actionable insights for diverse audiences, effectively influencing technical and non-technical stakeholders to drive data-driven decision-making and solution adoption.

· Demonstrable experience collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams (e.g., engineering, product, business stakeholders) to translate business challenges into robust technical requirements and ensure seamless delivery.

Key Technical Skills:

· Exceptional proficiency in Python (and R) for data science, coupled with SQL capabilities for data manipulation and extraction.

· Demonstrable mastery in a wide range of machine learning and statistical modelling techniques, from classical linear models and tree-based methods to advanced deep learning architectures.

· Practical experience with, or demonstrable capability for, applications of Generative AI, Large Language Models (LLMs), and related areas such as Natural Language Processing (NLP) or Computer Vision, relevant to business solutions.

· Solid understanding of foundational statistics and experimental design.

· Familiarity with or experience on cloud platforms

Impact and Achievements:

As a Principal Data Scientist, your success will be measured by your ability to:

· Pioneer the development and robust deployment of highly impactful machine learning and AI-driven solutions, directly contributing to significant commercial value, quantifiable business growth, or efficiency gains across the organization.

· Translate complex data science insights into tangible, measurable improvements across critical business processes and key performance indicators, ensuring the real-world adoption and beneficial outcomes of our analytical work.

· Actively elevate the technical maturity and capabilities of the data science team by shaping and implementing industry-leading AI, data, and analytics techniques, methodologies, and engineering best practices.

Work with amazing people and be part of a unique culture

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Principal Data Scientist employer: Hiscox

At Hiscox, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a vibrant work culture that fosters innovation and collaboration. As a Principal Data Scientist, you will not only tackle complex business challenges but also have the opportunity to mentor and grow alongside a talented team, all while contributing to impactful data-driven solutions in the dynamic insurance sector. Our commitment to employee development, coupled with a supportive environment, ensures that your career can flourish as you help shape the future of our data science capabilities.
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Contact Detail:

Hiscox Recruiting Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫

We think this is how you could land Principal Data Scientist

✨Tip Number 1

Network with current and former employees of Hiscox on platforms like LinkedIn. Engaging in conversations about their experiences can provide you with valuable insights into the company culture and expectations for the Principal Data Scientist role.

✨Tip Number 2

Showcase your technical skills by contributing to open-source projects or writing articles on data science topics relevant to the insurance industry. This not only demonstrates your expertise but also highlights your passion for the field.

✨Tip Number 3

Prepare to discuss specific examples of how you've led complex data science initiatives in previous roles. Be ready to explain your thought process, the challenges you faced, and the impact of your solutions on business outcomes.

✨Tip Number 4

Familiarise yourself with the latest trends in machine learning and AI, particularly those applicable to the insurance sector. Being able to discuss these trends during interviews will demonstrate your commitment to staying at the forefront of the industry.

We think you need these skills to ace Principal Data Scientist

Advanced Machine Learning Techniques
Statistical Modelling
Python Programming
R Programming
SQL for Data Manipulation
Generative AI Applications
Natural Language Processing (NLP)
Computer Vision
Data Analysis and Interpretation
Technical Mentorship
Agile Development Methodologies
Software Engineering Best Practices
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Experimental Design
Cloud Platform Familiarity

Some tips for your application 🫡

Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights relevant experience in data science, particularly any leadership roles or complex projects you've managed. Emphasise your technical skills in Python, machine learning, and statistical modelling, as these are crucial for the role.

Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: In your cover letter, explain why you're passionate about data science and how your background aligns with Hiscox's goals. Mention specific examples of how you've tackled complex business challenges and contributed to team growth through mentorship.

Showcase Technical Expertise: Include specific projects or achievements that demonstrate your proficiency in advanced analytical techniques and your ability to translate complex findings into actionable insights. This will show your potential impact on the team at Hiscox.

Highlight Collaborative Experience: Discuss your experience working with cross-functional teams and how you've successfully translated business needs into technical requirements. This is key for ensuring alignment between data science initiatives and business objectives at Hiscox.

How to prepare for a job interview at Hiscox

✨Showcase Your Technical Expertise

As a Principal Data Scientist, you'll need to demonstrate your deep understanding of data science methodologies. Be prepared to discuss specific projects where you've applied advanced machine learning techniques and how they led to measurable business outcomes.

✨Prepare for Problem-Solving Scenarios

Expect to face complex business challenges during the interview. Practice articulating how you would translate these challenges into technical problem statements and outline your approach to solving them using data-driven insights.

✨Highlight Mentorship Experience

Since mentoring is a key part of the role, be ready to share examples of how you've guided junior team members in the past. Discuss the best practices you've instilled and how you've contributed to their technical growth.

✨Communicate Clearly with Diverse Stakeholders

Your ability to convey complex technical findings to non-technical audiences is crucial. Prepare examples of how you've successfully influenced decision-making by translating data insights into actionable recommendations for various stakeholders.

Principal Data Scientist
Hiscox
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