R&D Data Scientist - Intern

ABOUT DESCARTES UNDERWRITING

Descartes Underwriting was founded to address the growing complexity of risks faced by corporations, governments, and vulnerable communities, calling for a renewed approach to insurance. Our team combines industry veterans from AXA, SCOR, Swiss Re, Marsh, Aon, and other leading institutions with top-tier scientists to deliver underwriting excellence. After five years, Descartes has secured a leading position in parametric insurance for weather and climate-related risks, leveraging machine learning and real-time monitoring from satellite imagery and IoT. Following a successful Series B raise of $120M, we launched Descartes Insurance, a full-stack insurer licensed to underwrite risk by the French regulator ACPR. With a growing corporate client base (400+ and counting), our diverse team is headquartered in Paris and operates from 18 global offices in North America, Europe, Australia, Singapore, 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 expanding our R&D team and are looking for R&D Data Scientist Interns (end of studies).

The R&D team aims to develop new and innovative models using state-of-the-art research to help the Underwriting team serve clients efficiently and reliably over a six-month to three-year timeframe. These roles will allow you to gain knowledge of the insurance industry and emerging risks (natural catastrophes, cyber, etc.), while collaborating closely with other internal teams (Software, Operations, Legal, and Commercial) and our external partners.

At the core of our company’s strategy, your missions will focus on:

• Improving and/or developing new models to enhance our understanding of climate risks;
• 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 clients’ needs;
• Working autonomously and pragmatically to make appropriate technical decisions.

Your missions will evolve in the future as Descartes is growing fast and many exciting projects are waiting for you. It’s a unique opportunity to take a closer look inside a fast-growing scale-up with huge ambitions!

ABOUT YOU

EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS

• Student from a research-oriented master’s degree in applied mathematics, physics, climate or meteorological studies;
• Ideally a previous professional experience (internship) in Data Science or climate modelling.

SKILLS

• Keen interest in climate-related topics;
• Highly skilled in statistics, probabilities, applied mathematics and machine learning methods;
• Eye for quality and attention to detail;
• Fluency in English (written and verbal communication) is required;
• Proficiency in Python (e.g. pandas, scikit-learn);
• 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.);
• Excellent team player able to work under pressure and respect deadlines;
• 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 improve businesses’ and communities’ resilience to climate change.

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 toward technical excellence;
• Work in a collaborative and 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 toward climate risks;
• Attractive remuneration according to profile, meal vouchers, 60% transport reimbursement.

At Descartes Underwriting, we cherish the 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: At-home technical online test (GitHub repository)
• Step 3: Remote technical interview with a Data Scientist
• Step 4: In-person team interview to meet our team and discover our offices (held remotely if you are abroad)