Data Science & AI Delivery Lead

About the role

The Data Science & AI Delivery Lead plays a key leadership role within the team, acting as the deputy to the Head of Data Science & AI Delivery and ensuring the smooth day-to-day running of AI delivery operations.

Responsibilities

• Own the operational running of AI delivery workstreams, ensuring the team is focused, unblocked, and delivering against priorities.
• Act as the primary point of escalation when the Head of is unavailable.
• Directly manage the design, build, test, and deployment of AI solutions across multiple concurrent projects, ensuring quality and timely delivery.
• Provide technical guidance on solution design, model selection, and architecture decisions, ensuring the team is taking the right approach for each use case.
• Review code and technical outputs to maintain quality standards, and contribute hands-on to Python-based development when needed, particularly during critical delivery phases or proof-of-concept work.
• Support the design and delivery of Generative AI solutions, including RAG architectures, prompt engineering, and integration with Azure AI services (e.g., Azure OpenAI, Azure AI Search).
• Ensure robust MLOps practices are followed, including model versioning, testing, deployment pipelines, and monitoring of deployed solutions for performance and drift.
• Champion engineering best practices across the team, including code review standards, documentation, version control (Git), and a clear separation between experimentation and production-ready code.
• Collaborate with AXIS's Business Technology Solutions for solution architecture and delivery, and with the Program Office for planning deliveries, providing timelines, cost estimates, and status updates.
• Work closely with Data Engineering to ensure data pipelines and lakehouse structures support AI delivery needs.
• Partner with the Head of Data Science & AI Delivery in leading and developing a growing team of Data Scientists and AI Engineers, fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration, and continuous learning.
• Mentor and coach team members through hands-on pairing, structured code reviews, and knowledge-sharing sessions on emerging techniques and tools.
• Support the Head of in tracking the project pipeline, estimating costs (including cloud compute and API consumption), and managing resource allocation to ensure the team is effectively deployed against priorities.
• Stay current with the rapidly evolving AI landscape, including new foundation models, open-source frameworks, vector databases, orchestration tools (e.g., LangChain, Semantic Kernel), and evaluation methodologies. Bring new ideas to the team and lead proof-of-concept development to assess feasibility and value.
• Represent the Head of Data Science & AI Delivery in meetings, steering groups, and stakeholder forums as required, ensuring continuity of leadership and communication.
• Attend your local office at least three (3) days per week to meet and build relationships with colleagues and the wider business.
• Engage in company activities to grow your network and build a strong team culture.

Requirements

We encourage you to bring your own experience and expertise to the table so, while there are some qualifications and experiences we need you to have, we are open to discussing how your individual knowledge might lend itself to fulfilling this role and help us achieve our goals.

• Demonstrable experience delivering AI/ML solutions in a professional environment, with a track record of taking projects from concept through to production.
• Strong technical knowledge, including proficiency in Python and experience with core data science and ML libraries (e.g., scikit-learn, pandas, PyTorch or TensorFlow).
• Practical experience with Databricks, including MLflow for experiment tracking and model management, and Spark-based data processing.
• Familiarity with Generative AI concepts and tooling, including working with LLMs, prompt engineering, RAG patterns, and vector search.
• A solid understanding of MLOps principles, including CI/CD for models, automated testing, and monitoring of deployed solutions.
• Cloud platform experience, preferably Azure, including services such as Azure OpenAI, Azure Machine Learning, or Azure AI Search.
• Experience managing or leading technical delivery teams, with a track record of fostering a positive, high-performing team culture.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to translate complex technical concepts for business stakeholders.
• Strong project management skills, including resource estimation, progress tracking, and meeting deadlines in a fast-paced, multi-priority environment.
• A proactive, problem-solving mindset with the ability to operate independently and step up into a leadership vacuum when needed.

Qualifications

• Experience with advanced NLP techniques beyond prompt engineering, including fine-tuning and evaluation frameworks for generative models.
• Experience working in the (re)insurance industry, with an understanding of underwriting, claims, or actuarial data.
• Knowledge of responsible AI practices, including bias detection, explainability, and fairness testing.

Skills

• Python programming.
• Data processing and analysis using Databricks and Spark.
• Generative AI concepts and tooling, including working with LLMs, prompt engineering, RAG patterns, and vector search.
• MLOps principles, including CI/CD for models, automated testing, and monitoring of deployed solutions.
• Cloud platform experience, preferably Azure, including services such as Azure OpenAI, Azure Machine Learning, or Azure AI Search.
• Project management skills.
• Communication and collaboration skills.
• Leadership and mentoring skills.
• Problem-solving and decision-making skills.

Benefits

For this position, we currently expect to offer a base salary in the range of $175,000 - $200,000 USD (New York, NY), $110,000 - $130,000 CAD (Halifax, Nova Scotia). Your salary offer will be based on an assessment of a variety of factors including your specific experience and work location. In addition, you will be offered competitive target incentive compensation, with awards based on overall corporate and individual performance. On top of this, you will be eligible for a comprehensive and competitive benefits package which includes medical plans for you and your family, health and wellness programs, retirement plans, tuition reimbursement, paid vacation, and much more.

Pay

For this position, we currently expect to offer a base salary in the range of $175,000 - $200,000 USD (New York, NY), $110,000 - $130,000 CAD (Halifax, Nova Scotia).

Schedule

Your schedule will typically require you to attend your local office at least three (3) days per week to meet and build relationships with colleagues and the wider business.