Director R&D AI/ML Research
Mercury Insurance · Remote, UNAVAILABLE, US
About this role
## Director, R&D AI/ML Research ### Overview Mercury is seeking a **Director** to lead the **Cross-Line AI/ML Research & Capability** team within **Product Research and Development (R&D)**. This role shapes how research is conducted across multiple lines of business (Private Passenger Auto, Homeowners, Commercial Auto, Commercial Multi-Peril) by building reusable capabilities, modernizing research workflows, and applying AI/ML to accelerate insight generation, model development, monitoring, and product innovation. You’ll partner across **Product R&D**, **Mercury Technology Solutions (MTS)**, **Enterprise Data Science (EDS)**, and other teams to create scalable research tools, establish best practices, and drive adoption of new ways of working that improve speed, rigor, and business impact. ### Responsibilities - Lead cross-line strategy for **AI/ML-enabled research capabilities** supporting product and pricing innovation. - Build and lead a small, high-leverage team focused on: - reusable research tooling - workflow modernization - automated model monitoring - AI-enabled capability development - Partner with Product R&D leaders to identify high-value opportunities to improve research speed, depth, consistency, and scalability. - Execute product research projects. - Collaborate with MTS, EDS, and partners to shape the technical environment for modern research (data pipelines, feature workflows, model monitoring, AI/ML infrastructure). - Design processes and guardrails for **human oversight**, **model quality**, **explainability**, and responsible use of AI-generated outputs. - Improve automation and observability across the research lifecycle (hypothesis generation, model evaluation, monitoring, documentation). - Lead change management so new capabilities are integrated into day-to-day work. - Stay current on AI/ML and research methodology developments; translate promising ideas into practical applications in a regulated insurance environment. - Coach and develop talent in a hybrid environment where people, automation, and AI agents work together. ### Qualifications **Education** - Minimum: Bachelor’s degree in a quantitative field (e.g., data science, engineering, math, statistics, actuarial science, or related) - Preferred: Master’s or Ph.D. in a quantitative field **Experience** - Minimum: - 8+ years in predictive modeling, machine learning, advanced analytics, or related quantitative work - 3+ years in analytics in insurance or financial services - 5+ years people leadership or equivalent experience leading complex cross-functional programs - Preferred: - 10+ years in predictive modeling/ML/advanced analytics - 3+ years developing software or applications - 5+ years in analytics in P&C insurance - 8+ years people leadership or equivalent cross-functional program leadership **Knowledge & Skills** - Strong critical thinking and problem-solving - Excellent business and technical judgment; ability to connect research investments to product/pricing/operational outcomes - Hands-on fluency in **Python** and modern ML frameworks - Demonstrated experience with **GenAI/LLM applications** and **LLM evaluation** (e.g., AI Harness / LLM evaluation) - Track record building/operationalizing analytical tools, models, or workflows used at scale - Ability to lead through influence and work comfortably with ambiguity - Curiosity and fast learning ### Location / Interview - An **in-person interview may be required** during t
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