Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Root Inc. is an insurtech company using technology, machine learning, and mobile telematics to transform the car insurance industry. The Lead Data Scientist I will develop and maintain telematics pricing and underwriting models while supporting the data engineering and production systems behind them. The role spans the full telematics model lifecycle, including data ingestion, feature engineering, modeling, deployment, monitoring, regulatory support, and cross-functional collaboration.
Responsibilities
- Data Science responsibilities include problem definition, dataset development, feature engineering, statistical modeling, model evaluation, stakeholder validation, regulatory support, and post-deployment monitoring
- Data Engineering responsibilities include building and maintaining reliable modeling datasets, improving data pipelines and transformations, validating data quality and lineage, productionizing models, troubleshooting pipeline and system issues, and improving the reliability and maintainability of the Telematics data ecosystem
- This role requires someone who can work across the full lifecycle of a telematics model—from raw data ingestion through model development, production deployment, monitoring, and ongoing operational support
- The successful candidate will partner closely with Data Science, Data Engineering, Software Engineering, Pricing, Actuarial, Product, and Compliance teams to deliver reliable and measurable business outcomes
- Work closely with Product Management, Pricing and Actuarial teams to ensure alignment and integration between Data science models and Product/Pricing considerations
- Lead innovation by introducing new statistical algorithms and modeling techniques
- Prototype, test, retest and scale approaches
- Adopt and refine modeling best practices, documentation standards, and peer reviews
- The statistical models built should comply with state specific regulatory requirements and constraints
- Providing modeling support, documentation and explainability to state regulators
Skills
- Strong knowledge of statistical modeling and machine learning methods, including GLMs, tree-based models, time-series analysis, feature engineering, model evaluation, resampling, and hyperparameter tuning
- Demonstrated experience building and maintaining production-quality data pipelines, modeling datasets, and data transformations
- Strong programming skills in Python and SQL, including the ability to write, test, review, and maintain production code
- Experience with version control, automated testing, code review, CI/CD, and cloud-based data or machine learning systems
- Experience validating data quality, lineage, completeness, consistency, and schema stability
- Ability to troubleshoot issues across data, application, pipeline, and infrastructure layers
- Experience deploying, monitoring, and maintaining production machine learning models
- Advanced degree in a quantitative discipline (PhD preferred) and/or 5+ years of applying advanced quantitative techniques to problems in industry
- Strong demonstrable knowledge of topics such as statistical modeling, machine learning, and numerical optimization
- Exceptional communicator and storyteller with strong data visualization skills
- Strong programming skills with experience in SQL and Python
- Demonstrated experience building, validating, and applying statistical machine learning methods to real world problems
- Demonstrates ownership mentality, taking initiative to find, prioritize, and be accountable for the highest impact work
- Ability to frame functional problem statements for the next 1-2 months, consistently making good decisions about the right path to follow in a well-defined problem space
- Experience using version control (e.g. Git) and cloud computing (AWS or analogous)
- Familiarity with advanced methods such as neural networks, survival analysis, causal inference, or Bayesian modeling is preferred but not required
- PhD
- Experience in one or more insurance lines (P&C, Life, Health, Specialty)
- Familiarity/understanding of insurance concepts such as Loss ratios, Loss Cost, Claims frequency etc
Benefits
- Eligible for competitive bonus and equity offering
- Root is a “work where it works best” company. Meaning we will support you working in whatever location that works best for you across the US.
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