Head of data science

About The Role Team ndash; Data Science Working Pattern - Hybrid ndash; 2 days per week in the Vitality London Office. Full time, 37.5 hours per week. What this role is all about: The Head of VitalityLife Data Science is a leadership position in Vitality rsquo;s data science department and is responsible for: Overseeing activities of several junior data scientists / actuaries to ensure proper execution of duties and alignment with the overall vision of the business The creation of new data science capabilities for the business by developing and executing strategies that will enable informed choice making to improve the performance of the business Proactively working with business executives and various departmental heads to provide advanced analytic data modelling systems Designing and launching innovative and complex analytical models, utilising a blend of state-of-the-art and traditional machine learning techniques, which is applied to both structured and unstructured data setsKey Actions Play a leading role in the development and design of the departmental vision, capabilities, infrastructure, and quarterly/annual roadmap for the launch of data science capabilities across VitalityLife Manage and support junior data science team members and oversee all activities ensuring alignment with departmental and business-wide vision and strategies Scope, design, and implement machine learning models to support the numerous initiatives of the business and demonstrate the impact to the bottom line of the business Manage live models (monitoring MLOps and model performance) and taking initiative to refit and calibrate to latest experience to continue to deliver optimal business value Work closely with other Data and Analytics Teams, inclusive of data warehousing and data engineering teams, in creating data science applications through the utilisation of structured and unstructured data, designing optimal data architecture, and experimenting on new machine learning techniques Draft regular reports for senior management on departmental performance and present recommended models and departmental strategies for approval Maintain a deep understanding of the business rsquo;s dynamics and take initiative to conduct exploratory data analyses and experimental designs. Help the business better understand trends and behaviour of customers, and settle on the most suitable strategies to drive business value Drive education and evangelisation of data science throughout the business by communicating the vision and use cases of data science projects Essential Skills needed to fulfil this role: * Qualified Actuary with experience in Life Insurance would be a key advantage Demonstrable working experience in a data science position, preferably working as a Senior Data Scientist. (Candidates without substantial prior data science experience will not be considered) Educated to a degree level in relevant subject (computing, programming, mathematics, statistics, actuarial science, or another technical field) Highly skilled in statistical, modelling and scripting programming languages such as Python and R, or similar, as well as visualisation packages Expert in data management programming such as SQL Experience bringing predictive models into a production environment Possess vast experience and expertise of working with probability and statistics, inclusive of machine learning, experimental design, and optimisation Experience using Gradient Boosting Machines, Random Forest, Neural Network or similar algorithms Proven and successful track record of leading high-performing data analyst teams through the successful performance of advanced quantitative analyses and statistical modelling that positively impact business performance Practical experience of building and implementing machine learning models to solve business problems Able to disseminate business-critical information down the line to ensure proper execution of duties by data scientists in their team Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office tools So, what rsquo;s in it for you? Bonus Schemes ndash; A bonus that regularly rewards you for your performance A pension of up to 12% ndash; We will match your contributions up to 6% of your salary Our award-winning Vitality health insurance ndash; With its own set of rewards and benefits Life Assurance ndash; Four times annual salaryIf you are successful in your application and join us at Vitality, this is our promise to you, we will: Help you to be the healthiest you rsquo;ve ever been. Create an environment that embraces you as you are and enables you to be your best self. Give you flexibility on how, where and when you work. Help you advance your career by playing you to your strengths. Give you a voice to help our business grow and make Vitality a great place to be. Give you the space to try, fail and learn. Provide a healthy balance of challenge and support. Recognise and reward you with a competitive salary and amazing benefits. Be there for you when you need us. Provide opportunities for you to be a force for good in society. Diversity Inclusion We rsquo;re committed to diversity and inclusion because it rsquo;s good for our employees, for our business, and for society. To learn more please visit our Careers page. Vitality rsquo;s approach to sustainability Vitality is a business that drives positive change. We reward people for making and sustaining healthier choices. But healthy people also need a healthy environment. To learn more please visit our Careers page. If we are fortunate in receiving a high volume of quality applications we may need to close this vacancy early