Who are we?

Western National Insurance Group is a private mutual insurance company with over 120 years of experience serving customers' property-and-casualty insurance needs in the Midwestern, Northwestern, and Southwestern United States. Known as “The Relationship Company®,” we define success as a measure of the relationships we’ve built over time. In everything that we do, we know that delivering a friendly and helpful interaction makes for a better experience for everyone involved. That’s the power of “nice”. At Western National, nice is something we work to bring to every person and organization with whom we partner and serve.

Does this opportunity interest you?

Western National is seeking a Data Scientist III to join our team! Western National Insurance Group reserves the right to fill this position at a level above or below the level included in this posting. 

The individual in this role will have the opportunity to develop statistical models that create predictions of future policy and claim outcomes and operates as a data science subject matter expert.

What are the responsibilities and opportunities of this role?

• Develops pricing models using internal and external data sets and utilizes knowledge and skillset to interpret and optimize model results and translate the output into a delivery format that can be accessed and understood by the model users. 
• Creates project plans for developing new predictive model(s) and ensures the team follows the project plan as intended. 
• Communicates project status to key stakeholders.
• Creates property-and-casualty insurance models and works very efficiently with minimal rework.
• Understands business line rating methodologies and has a thorough understanding of existing predictive models by looking for opportunities to improve our rating sophistication.
• Uses domain knowledge and internal data knowledge to extract, clean, and validate internal data for the use of modeling. 
• Performs feature engineering to transform data into more meaningful predictive features.
• Seeks out new data elements from internal and external sources. 
• Works with data vendors and tests out their data validity and predictive power.
• Develops tools to monitor production models based on loss performance, usage, system performance, and data drift. 
• Manages and communicates model results to stakeholders on a regular basis.
• Documents model development process for technical and non-technical audiences.
• Communicates clearly with business partners to explain the model methodology and output and helps troubleshoot issues and / or questions from business partners. 
• Mentors and develops Data Scientists I / II.
• Seeks approval on beginning new projects and provides regular updates to leadership and project stakeholders.
• Works with data vendors to test new variables and perform retro analysis.
• Consistently acts according to our customer experience standards, including responding quickly, maintaining a positive attitude, building rapport, demonstrating empathy, managing the customer’s expectations, using the proper communication channel for the situation, and taking ownership to ensure the customer’s issue is resolved.
• Performs special projects and other duties as assigned.

What are the must-have qualifications for a candidate?

• Advanced understanding of assigned insurance lines and internal underwriting and claims processes.
• Strong presentation skills and the ability to present to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Attention to detail skills by ensuring validity of data and results. 
• Ability to take ownership of mistakes and creates solutions that prevent similar mistakes.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to prioritize work to meet project deadlines.
• Advanced knowledge of coding languages (SQL, Python, R, etc.) and the ability to explore and learn new tools and languages to help improve the team’s technical abilities.
• Strong familiarity with data visualization and reporting tools, such as Tableau, BI Desktop, SSRS, and SAS.
• Bachelor’s degree required, master’s degree in data science or related field preferred.

What will our ideal candidate have?

• Five or more years of experience in data science, actuarial science, and / or data analysis. 
• Intermediate understanding of the various insurance lines within commercial and personal lines.

Compensation overview

The full hiring range for this role is $100,100 - $150,200, annually. However, the base pay offered may vary depending on the job-related knowledge, skills, credentials, and experience of each candidate as well as other factors such as the scope and location of the role. Candidates looking for compensation outside of the posted range are encouraged to apply and will be considered based on their individual qualifications and / or may be considered for other positions.

Culture and Total Rewards

Western National has long been known as “The Relationship Company®” and caring for our employees is part of that relationship commitment. We value connectiveness, empowerment, and accountability, and we believe that our employees are our biggest asset. 

Currently ranked as the 41st largest private company by revenue in Minnesota (Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal), Western National has earned accolades year-over-year as an employer of choice and garnered multiple awards for wellness in the workplace. Western National has also been named a Top Workplace by the Star Tribune for the past four consecutive years. In addition, the Group is consistently recognized as a Ward’s 50 property-and-casualty insurance company for its outstanding financial results.

Western National offers full-time employees a significant Total Rewards Package, including:

• Medical insurance plan options and other standard employee benefits, including dental insurance, vision benefits, life insurance, disability insurance, and more!
• Health Savings Accounts (HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• 401(k) Plan (participants are eligible for 100% matching on the first 6% of their contributions)
• Wellbeing Program, including onsite fitness studio
• Paid Time Off – including holiday, vacation, and volunteer
• 100% company-paid tuition reimbursement for approved job-relevant coursework and access to The Institutes (Risk and insurance education)
• Paid parental leave
• Bonus opportunities

Western National believes in supporting balance between work and life by providing a flexible work environment, which includes a variety of hybrid and remote work arrangements designed to balance individual, job, department, and company needs. 

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.

Western National provides employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.