Data Scientist 2

At Root, we’re on a mission to improve the lives of our customers by offering better insurance solutions. We challenge ourselves to think differently in order to reimagine insurance to make it smarter, more equitable, and a better experience for all.

We strive to “unbreak” the archaic insurance industry by using data and technology in innovative new ways. We believe we must be steadfast in our commitments to research, experimentation, and disciplined data-driven decision making in order to build products our customers love.

The Opportunity

We believe that a disruptive insurance company must have a principled quantitative framework at its foundation. At Root, we are committed to the rigorous development and effective deployment of modern statistical machine learning methods to problems in the insurance industry.

A Data Scientist II at Root is responsible for the end-to-end development of statistical methods and algorithms. This includes taking high-level business challenges, translating them into a concrete, quantitative framework, and guiding solutions from R&D into production. Data Scientists typically work on cross-functional teams, regularly engaging with the members of various departments including Product, Actuarial, Marketing, and Engineering.

The Actuarial Research team partners closely with Actuarial, Lifetime Value (LTV), and Forecasting to standardize key assumptions that inform Root’s profitability goals and to recommend business actions that support those targets. To advance this work, we are looking for a Data Scientist II to enhance how Root incorporates external factors—such as historical weather and economic data—as well as internal business decisions into profitability assessments. This role will also focus on developing conversion and retention models, enabling the team to anticipate customer response to proposed actions and ensure that recommended changes support both financial and customer outcomes.

Salary Range: $116,664 - $145,830 (Bonus and LTI Eligible)

Root is a “work where it works best” company, meaning we will support you working in whatever location that works best for you across the US.

How You Will Make an Impact

• Develop statistical and machine learning models to assess how pricing and business decisions influence policyholder conversion and retention.
• Quantify the impact of external factors—such as economic conditions and weather events—on profitability, customer behavior, and market dynamics.
• Integrate Root’s internal business actions (e.g., rating and underwriting changes) into profitability frameworks to enable more accurate performance projections.
• Communicate insights from complex analyses in clear, actionable terms to cross-functional stakeholders, ensuring alignment and effective decision-making.
• Take ownership of problem domains and continuously refine quantitative solutions to ensure they are robust, scalable, and impactful over time.

What You Will Need to Succeed

• Advanced degree in a quantitative discipline (Master’s or PhD preferred) and 2+ years of experience applying advanced quantitative techniques, ideally in the insurance industry
• Strong programming skills with experience in SQL and Python
• Demonstrates ownership mentality, taking initiative to find, prioritize, and be accountable for the highest impact work
• Strong communication and data storytelling skills, with the ability to visualize insights and clearly explain complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Ability to frame functional problem statements for the next 1-2 months, consistently making good decisions about the right path to follow in a well-defined problem space
• Preferred but not required:
• • Experience using version control (Git) and cloud computing (AWS)
  • Familiarity with elasticity models and related econometric techniques

As part of Root's interview process, we kindly ask that all candidates be on camera for virtual interviews. This helps us create a more personal and engaging experience for both you and our interviewers. Being on camera is a standard requirement for our process and part of how we assess fit and communication style, so we do require it to move forward with any applicant's candidacy. If you have any concerns, feel free to let us know once you are contacted. We’re happy to talk it through.

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