ABOUT DESCARTES UNDERWRITING

Descartes was born out of the conviction that the ever-increasing complexity of risks faced by corporations, governments and vulnerable communities calls for a renewed approach in insurance. Our team brings together industry veterans from the most renowned institutions (AXA, SCOR, Swiss Re, Marsh, Aon, ...) and scientists on top of their field to bring underwriting excellence. After 5 years of existence, Descartes has secured a leading position in parametric insurance for weather and climate-related risks utilizing machine learning, real-time monitoring from satellite imagery & IoT. After a successful Series B raise of $120M USD, we launched Descartes Insurance, a 'full stack' insurer licensed to underwrite risk by the French regulator ACPR. With a growing corporate client base (350+ and counting), our diverse team is headquartered in Paris and operates out of our 13 global offices in North America, Europe, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan. Descartes is trusted by a panel of A-rated (re)insurers to carry out its activities.

ABOUT YOUR ROLE

As part of the Product & Program team, we're looking for an individual to take on the combined roles of Value Analyst and Product Owner, alongside other team members who similarly fulfill these two responsibilities. This pivotal position entails quantifying the impact of our technology initiatives and effectively communicating their value to key stakeholders, while also serving as the bridge between stakeholders and the development team, ensuring alignment with business objectives and maximizing value delivery.

The role is two-fold:

PRODUCT OWNERSHIP

As a member of the Product team, responsible for developing software applications for users within or outside the Descartes organization:

• You understand and know our users: to be their voice, you exchange very regularly with them to detect and scope needs from operations, finance, underwriting, R&D, business development teams;
• You define the project roadmap & manage backlog priorities for the development team;
• You actively drive delivery by crafting User Stories, presenting them to developers, and rigorously monitoring and testing developments to ensure optimal value delivery to our user;
• You guarantee smooth communication with users, tracking bug resolution and sharing a transparent product backlog.

TECHNOLOGY VALUE ANALYSIS

As a member of the Data, Software and DevOps department (DSD), responsible for providing the Descartes organization with innovative technology solutions in Software Engineering, DevOps, Data Engineering, IT & Fullstack:

• You collaborate with all DSD teams to understand & highlight project value and design indicators aligned with business objectives to share the performance and contribution of the team;
• With Descartes’ finance team as client, you design frameworks to assess the financial impact of technology projects and initiatives of the DSD team;
• You explore industry best practices in valorizing technology teams performance through metrics and analytics, and experiment solutions tailored to Descartes’ DSD team needs.

ABOUT YOU

EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS

• Completed a master’s degree from a leading Engineering school or Business school with a specialization in Data Analytics or/and Engineering sciences or/and Risk management or/and operations;
• 2-3 years’ experience in a similar position or in a consulting/strategy position in a fast-paced environment;
• Proven experience in or with a technology or IT environment is required;
• Previous experience in insurance is valued but not mandatory.

SKILLS

• Good interpersonal skills & ability to work with different profiles;
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to convey complex technical information in a clear and compelling manner;
• Curiosity & basic understanding of the best practices and technical landscape of the entire development software lifecycle (Cloud technologies, CI/CD…);
• Familiarity with project management methodologies and technology development processes;
• Fluent in French and English.

WHY JOIN DESCARTES UNDERWRITING?

• Opportunity to work and learn with teams from the most prestigious schools and research labs in the world, allowing you to progress towards technical excellence;
• Commitment from Descartes to its staff of continued learning and development (think annual seminars, training etc.);
• Work in a collaborative & professional environment;
• Be part of an international team, passionate about diversity;
• Join a company with a true purpose – help us help our clients be more resilient towards climate risks;
• A competitive salary, bonus and benefits;
• You can benefit from a punctual home office days.

At Descartes Underwriting, we cherish value of diversity whatever it may be. We are committed to fighting against all forms of discrimination and for equal opportunities. We foster an inclusive work environment that respects all differences.

With equal skills, all our positions are open to people with disabilities.