Prudential’s Chief Data Office is seeking a Vice President, Principal Data Scientist and Head of Accelerated Underwriting Data Science to lead teams of data scientists developing the firm’s accelerated underwriting models used to underwrite billions of dollars of premium annually.  The This role  will report into the Chief Data Scientist, US Businesses.  

This person will own the design and development of Prudential’s accelerated underwriting strategy, including leading the design, development, and adoption of accelerated underwriting models for Individual Life, Group Life, Group Associations and Annuities.  This highly visible role with be responsible for driving adoption of the firm’s accelerated underwriting strategy by senior business leaders, including division presidents, and for identifying new opportunities to reduce costs and increase revenue by using machine learning and statistical modeling for underwriting. 

The successful candidate must have strong business acumen, a track record of developing large scale machine learning solutions that deliver significant business value, breadth and depth of expertise in probability, statistics and machine learning, the ability to drive business relationships, a strategic and technical mindset and the ability to lead and grow analytical teams. 

Responsibilities: 

• Lead teams from project scoping to final solution in a cross-business capability dedicated to using machine learning and advanced statistical modeling to solve complex business problems.  

• Grow and maintain relationships with senior executives in business lines, initially focusing on business leaders in Group Insurance; Group Associations; and Individual Life. Build in-depth knowledge of the business success drivers, industry trends, regulatory issues and competitive marketplace to develop value added business solutions. 




• Drive knowledge and application of machine learning and data science across the organization. Be a thought leader and evangelist to drive adoption and knowledge at all levels of Prudential. 




• Develop pragmatic approaches to solving key complex business problems through data analysis, predictive modeling and machine learning techniques. Ability to bring the right data technique to solve the problem in an explainable manner to the business. 




• Lead verbal and written communications with colleagues and business partners at all levels to clearly articulate the findings of analytical models and assist in driving solutions. 




• Advise on implementation of advanced data analytics models with effective and practical short- and long-term actionable solutions within the businesses. 

• Build the data and technical environment at Prudential by bringing new technologies and techniques to create efficient process around data extraction, aggregation and analytics. 




• Contribute to the transformation of the culture at Prudential from a product-centric to a customer-centric orientation, especially by improving the data and analytics environment overall. 




• Initiate and manage strategic external partnerships to supplement internal advanced data analytics capabilities, as desired. 




• Drive new business initiatives from start to finish, including identifying new opportunities to use data science to drive measurable business outcomes; building successful business cases; and garnering financial support from the organization to support the development of new models / programs. 
   

Skills/Qualifications: 

• PhD in Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science, Economics or a related field 




• 10+ years of direct experience in Data Science / Advanced Analytics with at least two years of experience leading large-scale machine learning programs 




• Superior communication and persuasion skills; talent for storytelling, visualization and creating insights from data to deliver practical recommendations for business action 




• Track record of using advanced statistical modeling and machine learning to drive significant cost savings and / or incremental revenue for large enterprises, preferably in the insurance industry 




• Consultative nature, with a proven track record of using data to provide actionable business results 




• Proven relationship building and collaboration skills; ability to influence and drive outcomes in large, matrixed and complex organizations 




• Experience managing teams of data scientist and analytical professionals 




• Accustomed to managing multiple teams on different projects. Experience managing projects, budgets and schedules to successful completion 




• Prior experience with building custom statistical models, analyzing unstructured data, and/or machine learning highly desirable 




• Entrepreneurial spirit, persistence, and resilience; comfort with and ability to thrive on and drive change while navigating ambiguity 




• Financial services industry experience a plus 

Prudential Financial, Inc. of the United States is not affiliated with Prudential plc. which is headquartered in the United Kingdom.

Prudential is a multinational financial services leader with operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Leveraging its heritage of life insurance and asset management expertise, Prudential is focused on helping individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth. The company's well-known Rock symbol is an icon of strength, stability, expertise and innovation that has stood the test of time. Prudential's businesses offer a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds, asset management, and real estate services.

We recognize that our strength and success are directly linked to the quality and skills of our diverse associates. We are proud to be a place where talented people who want to make a difference can grow as professionals, leaders, and as individuals. Visit www.prudential.com to learn more about our values, our history and our brand.

Prudential is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, genetics, disability, marital status, age, veteran status, domestic partner status , medical condition or any other characteristic protected by law. 

The Prudential Insurance Company of America, Newark, NJ and its affiliates.

Note that this posting is intended for individual applicants. Search firms or agencies should email Staffing at staffingagencies@prudential.com for more information about doing business with Prudential.

PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES:
If you need an accommodation to complete the application process, which may include an assessment, please call (800) 433-8960, prompt 4 or email accommodation.h&w@prudential.com.

Please note that the above number and email are solely for individuals with disabilities requesting an accommodation.  If you are experiencing a technical issue with your application or an assessment, please email careers@prudential.com to request assistance.