Lead Data Scientist

At Admiral our purpose is to help more people look after their future. Always striving for better together. We are passionate about using data and machine learning to help look after our customers and staff and make a positive impact. Our progressive culture, core values, and commitment to diversity and inclusion has created a working environment where people share ideas, aren’t afraid to speak up and change things, and above all, feel valued.

As a Lead Data Scientist, you will work on some of the most challenging and high value problems as well as supporting a talented team of Data Scientists in their development. The problems you work on could range from structured data problems through to natural language processing. You will also work with the Head of Data Science and other Lead Data Scientists to help set the direction of the department and shape our ways of working.

The role will be within Admiral’s UK insurance business, primarily working with our Customer, Claims, and Text Analytics teams. From appropriate product recommendations and analysing customer feedback, to fraud detection and optimising claims processes, there are plenty of opportunities to improve a customer's experience with machine learning. You’ll also be working closely with the other data science teams in the department, who specialise in risk and retail pricing, and other like-minded individuals across the UK and international businesses.

The role is a Part-Time role with exact weekly hours to be agreed as part of the recruitment process. We are very flexible on how hours are worked whether that’s over a 5-day week or a shorter working week.

About you

We are looking for someone with a passion for data science who is eager to drive forward the use of machine learning and advanced analytics. You will be business focussed, understand the accuracy vs time and value trade off and have a track record of delivering valuable models to the business.

We are looking for a highly skilled person that loves to take on the latest challenge and is happy to read, research and train on whatever is thrown at them, this could include problems on unstructured data, anomaly detection, image recognition, NLP, etc.

You should be comfortable in a culture where decision making is evidenced-based and reliant on rigorous analysis.

Responsibilities

• Be an advocate for Data Science within Admiral and drive forward our use of machine learning throughout the business.
• Develop, analyse, and oversee the implementation of advanced statistical and machine learning models.
• Advise data scientists on different approaches and techniques. Challenge the team to think broadly and stretch our capabilities in AI and ML through effective guidance and training.
• Work closely with the Head of Data Science, Subject Matter Experts and Senior Managers to understand and solve problems by asking the right questions and delivering appropriate solutions.

Desirable skills and experience

• 4+ years’ experience working in Data Science or a relevant field.
• Commercial experience using supervised learning techniques such as decision trees, GLMs, random forests or gradient boosted ensembles.
• Proficient in relevant languages such as Python & R.
• Exceptional numerical ability and creative thinker / problem solve.
• Ability to initiate and drive projects to completion with minimal guidance.
• Excellent communication skills with technical and non-technical audiences and a desire to work within a fast paced, dynamic team environment.

Salary, Benefits and Work-Life Balance

We do not have a set salary for this position, as it will be dependent on the successful candidate’s experience. We are happy to see CVs from all candidates who meet the requirements and will be happy to discuss the remuneration package.

At Admiral, we are proud to be a diverse business where we put our people and customers first. We have great benefits to ensure employees have a great work-life balance; it's one of the reasons we’re consistently voted one of the Sunday Times Best Big Companies to Work For in the UK. We want you to have an element of freedom to define a working lifestyle that supports this, so accommodate flexible hours wherever possible.

All colleagues will receive 33 days holiday (including banks holidays) when they join us, and this will increase with length of service, up to a maximum of 38 days (including bank holidays). You also have the option to buy or sell up to five days of annual leave in addition to your allocation.

We are proud supporters of Women in Data®.  Connect, engage and belong to the largest free female data community in the UK – visit: www.womenindata.co.uk to join our community.