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

Due to rapid growth we are seeking to expand our Data Science team, either across our Underwriting or our R&D functions. At the core of our company’s strategy, your missions will focus on making direct contributions to the development of new climate models or forecasting tools.

If you join the Underwriting team, your key missions will include:

• Improving or developing new algorithms, new risk models and products for our B2B client;
• Identifying, implementing and deploying new statistical and machine learning methods to differentiate Descartes from its competitors;
• Participating in the development of Descartes’ technological platform;
• Collaborating with the business team to understand client needs and issues to further strengthen our technical excellence;
• Taking on management responsibilities as both you and the company develop;
• Participating in our R&D sessions;
• Working autonomously and pragmatically to make appropriate technical decisions.

If you join the R&D team, your key missions will include:

• Improving or developing new models to improve our understanding of climate risks with a special focus on wildfires or floods;
• Conducting research on the modelling of climate risks and machine learning methods;
• Identifying new and innovative ideas and testing state-of-the-art methods from scratch based on recent research articles;
• Collaborating with the underwriting and business teams to ensure our products are efficiently integrated into the underwriting process and meet our client’s needs;
• Working autonomously and pragmatically to make appropriate technical decisions.

ABOUT YOU

EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS

Underwriting Data Scientist:

• Masters student in computer science, applied mathematics, statistics or meteorological studies ;
• Ideally a previous experience (long-term internship) in data science or climate modelling;
• Proficient in statistics, applied mathematics and machine learning methods ;
• Capable of building high-performance algorithms;
• Proficiency in Python (e.g. scikit-learn).

R&D Data Scientist:

• Research-oriented Master’s Degree or PhD in physics, applied mathematics, or meteorological studies;
• Multi-disciplinary curriculum, with strong skills in statistics, applied mathematics and machine learning methods;
• Ideally a previous experience in climate modelling or data science;
• Proficiency in Python.

LANGUAGES

• Fluency in English (written and verbal communication) required ;
• Good command of one additional language (e.g. Chinese, French, Italian, German, Spanish…) is valued.

MINDSET

• Interested in weather and natural perils modelling (wildfires, hail, tsunamis, earthquakes etc);
• Strong team spirit and ability to work under pressure;
• Highly motivated, able to meet deadlines set;
• Strong desire to learn and commitment to the organization’s mission;
• Results oriented, high energy, with the ability to work in a dynamic and multi-cultural environment;
• Motivated to help improving businesses’ and communities’ resilience to climate change;
• Eagerness to work in an international environment.

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.

RECRUITMENT PROCESS 

• Step 1: HR Interview with our Talent Recruiter
• Step 2: Technical online test
• Step 3: Remote technical interview with a Data Scientist
• Step 4: In-person team interview to meet our Data Scientist team and discover our offices (held remotly if you are abroad)