AI Development Lead

(Part-Time, Job-Share and Full-Time)

Location: Flexible/hybrid/home working

The opportunity:

Data is at the core of Zurich's digital transformation. We are looking for an innovative, visionary, hands-on AI expert who possesses the passion and experience to take a leading role in AI and ML at Zurich. Using machine learning, natural language processing (NLP), computer vision and robotics, you will help improve business outcomes and drive innovation.

We are looking for someone proficient in using AI/ML to solve business problems, and who is also passionate about people, enjoying mentoring and supporting colleagues to do the same. You will focus on the development of AI and ML solutions, while proactively supporting the team in delivering for the business. A successful candidate will understand and explain the art of the possible, leveraging cutting-edge techniques and knowing when to best apply them, while being comfortable with ambiguous problems and building solutions to them. You will enjoy this aspect, the process of solving a problem the business may find difficult to articulate and will be someone happy working with stakeholders who may not share your technical expertise.

This is an excellent opportunity to take advantage of emerging AI trends to make a real-world difference. To do this we are looking for an individual with a passion for innovative AI technology and who wants to work with a team of talented data scientists, engineers and consultants to design and develop the next generation of our data solutions. You will join a passionate and supportive team who are developing multiple high-impact ML solutions, and who share your enjoyment of all things ML.

Key Responsibilities:

You will take a key role in our digital transformation redefining the way we work, our solutions and our enterprise platforms.

As AI development lead, your main responsibilities will involve:

• Lead in prototyping ML/AI solutions while working with colleagues to make these ready for production, leveraging cloud tools and MLOps workflows using CI/CD and automated testing.
• Stay on top of current developments in AI/ML and assess their relevance to Zurich, including the potential ethical impacts, and help the team stay informed.
• Understand company challenges and how integrating AI capabilities can help create solutions. Work to solve business problems using ML/AI, in situations where the requirements may be ambiguous.
• Collaborate with colleagues to identify and prioritize key areas of our business where AI solutions can drive significant business benefit
• Ensure high ethical standards are set and maintained when using ML/AI at Zurich.
• Provide technical guidance and inject advanced AI capabilities into PoCs, MVPs etc. in close collaboration with colleagues. Be a mentor to colleagues working on their problems, proactively suggesting solutions
• Translate technology to business users, to motivate and excite them to use and apply AI technology. Act as an advocate for AI/ML in the business, communicating our work to stakeholders and emphasizing its business value
• Act as a thought leader on AI for Zurich and a point-of-contact for designing advanced AI/ML solutions, who the team and business will look to for support.

Your skills and experience:

• Experience in applying leading AI methods to practical and comprehensive technology solutions. Will have worked on end-to-end machine learning solutions in a commercial environment which have gone into production, with a focus on leading the development part of the process and supporting colleagues.
• Proven expert and thought leader in the area of ML, DL, and/or NLP. Comfortable working with various data types including big data, text data and documents (e.g. XML, JSON).
• Experience using Microsoft Azure cloud services and Python to prototype and deliver machine learning solutions in a commercial environment, as part of an end-to-end solution, working within CI/CD and MLOps practices.
• Experience using Databricks and Spark with Python
• Passion for mentoring and supporting colleagues in AI/ML best-practice.
• Exceptional communication skills, including the ability to articulate complex data issues and gain support from internal and external and executive stakeholders
• Strong analytical, structured and interdisciplinary way of thinking and working, including the ability to think creatively with data and being comfortable with complex and ambiguous problem-solving
• Comfortable working in a business environment where stakeholders will not have all of the answers, understanding the need to be practical and to deliver for the business
• Ability to think proactively and 'join the dots' across a complex landscape to see the bigger picture.
• An understanding of the importance of team culture, and a demonstrable ability to act as a role model to maintain a culture of curiosity, support and honesty.

Nice to have:

• Knowledge of SQL and R
• Experience with AWS cloud services to deliver machine learning solutions
• Experience in mentoring or teaching
• Master's degree or PhD in Physics, Mathematics, Data Science or Computer Science or related equivalent.

The reward:

As well as a salary of £65,000 -£75,000 we also offer an excellent lifestyle benefits package which includes -

• 12% pension
• London weighting allowance

• 25 days holiday plus an additional 3 volunteering days
• Annual company bonuses
• Contribution to medical cover
• Discounted technology offers

• Virtual GP appointments
• Discounted gym membership,
• Free flu jab
• Discounted gadget insurance

At Zurich, we will consider requests for flexible working on hiring. Many of our employees work flexibly in many different ways, including part-time, flexible hours, job share, an element of working from home or compressed hours. Please talk to us at the interview about the flexibility you may need.

Who we are:

With about 55,000 employees serving customers in more than 170 countries we aspire to become the best global insurer as measured by our shareholders, customers and employees. If you're interested in working in a dynamic and challenging environment for a company that recognises and rewards your creativity, initiatives and contributions - then Zurich could be just the place for you. The success of our business is built on the contributions of our highly talented employees - people who work every day to position us at the forefront of the insurance industry. We, therefore, look to hire great people and we encourage those people to give their best.

You'll feel the support of being part of a strong and stable company. A long-standing player in the insurance industry, we make every effort to address the career development needs and plans of our employees to ensure their success in the future.

Further information:

At Zurich, we are proud of our culture. We are passionate about Diversity and Inclusion. We want you to bring your whole self to work we have a diverse mix of customers and we want our employee base to reflect that.

Our diversity and inclusion initiatives are creating an environment where everyone feels welcome regardless of protected characteristics.

With the above in mind, we accept applications from everyone regardless of your background, beliefs or culture however we especially welcome applications from women, people from ethnic minorities, people with a disability and people who are LGBT+ as these groups are currently under-represented in our organisation.

We are committed to continuous improvement and we offer access to a comprehensive range of training and development opportunities. Zurich is passionate about supporting employees to help others by getting involved in volunteering, charitable and community activity through the Zurich Community Trust.

So make a difference. Be challenged. Be inspired. Be supported, and Love what you do. Work for us. #LI-Hybrid