Job Title: Senior Data Scientist
Location: London / Leicester / Bexhill
Company: Hastings Direct
Hastings Direct is a digital insurance provider with a clear strategy to become the best and biggest player in the UK market. The company has made huge investments in technology, pricing, data and analytics over the past few years, nurturing a culture of people growth and commercial focus.
Role Overview
The Senior Data Scientist will oversee projects and modelling exercises that deliver cutting‑edge data assets and predictive models feeding into Hastings’ market‑leading pricing activities. Working within a combined team of Actuaries and Data Scientists, the role champions machine learning techniques to leverage powerful insights from vast amounts of customer information. The Senior Data Scientist influences the development of claims cost models, manages a small team, and mentors junior members in the delivery of advanced models.
Key Responsibilities
- Take technical lead on projects that create and maintain analytical tools to support technical models and serve as the foundation for premium calculations.
- Develop best‑in‑class models to predict claims outcomes, fraud, and other KPIs.
- Engineer powerful new rating factors to be deployed into rating algorithms and assess their impact and value.
- Identify, analyse and monetize new data sources.
- Manage and mentor more junior members of the Technical Pricing team.
- Ensure robustness of models across both traditional and non‑traditional model types.
Essential Skills & Experience
- Experience in predictive modelling, including GBMs, in a General Insurance pricing environment.
- Proficiency in Python and main Data Science libraries.
- Interest in emerging ML techniques and their applications to insurance.
- Experience delivering large model reviews from initial modelling to implementation.
- Strong SQL coding skills and data manipulation comfort.
- Stakeholder management and communication skills, presenting technical ideas to non‑technical audiences.
- Experience in a Personal Lines pricing team (motor or home).
- Experience using GitHub for version control and collaboration.
- Willingness to work cross‑functionally with Data Engineers, Data Scientists, Actuaries and Risk Pricing Analysts.
- Experience applying non‑traditional techniques to pricing.
Interview Process
- Recruiter screening call.
- First stage interview – Initial introduction with hiring leader.
- Second interview – Technical panel.
- Third call with hiring leader.
Benefits
- Competitive salary plus £5k car allowance.
- Flexible hybrid working arrangement.
- Competitive bonus scheme – eligible for the annual 4Cs performance bonus.
- Physical wellbeing – private medical insurance (PMI) as part of Band 4 benefits.
- Financial wellbeing – life assurance cover, income protection, matched pension contributions up to 10%, discounts, cashback, free mortgage advice and financial wellbeing support.
- Mental wellbeing programme – Thrive mental health app, employee assistance programme, in‑house mental health first aiders, support groups.
- Additional perks – 27 days annual leave + bank holidays (with option to buy or sell a week), health care cashback plans, dental plans, discounted health assessments, cycle to work and tech schemes, free onsite facilities, social events.
Hastings Group is an equal opportunities employer; we treat people fairly and 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. Applications will be subject to a thorough referencing process, including credit and criminal record checks.
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