Lead Data Scientist

Description

At Zego, we know that traditional motor insurance holds good drivers back. It’s too complicated, too expensive, and it doesn't take into account how well you actually drive.

That’s why, since 2016, we’ve been on a mission to change all of that. Our mission at Zego is to offer the lowest priced insurance for good drivers.

From van drivers and gig workers to everyday car drivers, our customers are our driving force — they’re at the heart of everything we do.

We’ve sold tens of millions of policies so far, and raised over $200 million in funding. And we’re only just getting started.

Who we're looking for

We are looking for a Lead Data Scientist, reporting to the Head of Data Science, to be a pivotal contributor to our Core Pricing team. The mission is to build and run a world-class data-science operating model that turns ideas into production-grade pricing and risk models fast, safely, and repeatedly.

Key Responsibilities

Lead the building and scaling of next-generation risk models, overseeing everything from creative feature discovery and advanced modeling to robust pipeline deployment and long-term R&D strategy

Establish a reliable Data Science workflow: clear guard-rails, templates, and documentation across the full project lifecycle

Shorten the idea-to-production cycle: from first data pull to live rate change

Foster a culture of collaborative experimentation: pairing Pricing, Data Science, Machine Learning Engineering & Systems Engineering

Line management and mentorship: manage 2 Data Scientists and mentor members of the team and help them in their development

Define coding standards and best practice, map common processes and establish playbooks for them

Help decide on tooling used during the Data Science project lifecycle

Required Skills

Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Statistics, Mathematics, Actuarial Science, Data Science or related field

Experience: At least 5 years proven experience in insurance pricing and applied ML, including leading projects and people, with a particular focus on Data Science operations

Technical Skills

Python Proficiency: Strong Python programming skills, with experience in developing and maintaining analytics packages and tools. Familiarity with data science libraries such as pandas and scikit-learn

SQL: Proficient in SQL, particularly with cloud data warehouses like Snowflake

Statistical Methodology: In-depth knowledge of GLMs and other machine learning algorithms

Data Tools: Familiarity with cloud-based data platforms (we’re on AWS) and data visualisation tools (Looker, matplotlib, seaborn)

Software Engineering

Experience with version control systems (e.g., Git), CI/CD pipelines, and software development best practices in a data-intensive environment

Ability to balance architecture thinking with heads-down coding

Soft Skills

Excellent communication and project management skills, with a proven ability to work collaboratively across teams and present complex information in a clear, accessible way

Care about documentation, reproducibility, and teaching others “the why” behind decisions

Nice To Have

Exposure to telematics or usage-based insurance data

Experience designing or maintaining MLOps platforms

Hands-on experience with insurance pricing tools like Akur8, Emblem or similar pricing modelling tools

What’s it like to work at Zego?

Joining Zego is a career-defining move. People go further here, reaching their full potential to achieve extraordinary things.

We’re spread throughout the UK and Europe, and united by our drive to get things done. We’re proud of our company and our culture – a friendly and inclusive space where we can lift each other up and celebrate our wins every day.

Together, we’re setting the bar higher, delivering exceptional work that makes a difference. Our people are the most important part of our story, and everyone here plays a role. There’s loads of room to learn and grow, and you’ll get the freedom to ste