ML Engineer

Redefined; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A major insurance provider in Manchester is seeking a Data Exploration and Innovation Manager to lead initiatives that leverage data assets for enhancing pricing models and strategic decisions. This role offers a competitive salary, an annual bonus, and 28 days of annual leave. Candidates should possess strong statistical and data manipulation skills, be proficient in R and Python, and have a degree in a related discipline. The position allows for flexible working arrangements, requiring at least two days in the office each week.

Benefits

Competitive annual salary

Annual company & performance-based bonus

Contributory pension scheme

Life Assurance

Private medical cover

28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays

Opportunity to buy/sell extra leave

Wellbeing services & resources

AXA employee discounts

Qualifications

• Strong expertise in statistical modelling and data manipulation within insurance contexts.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure, meet strict deadlines, and maintain accuracy.
• Proven experience in planning and prioritising tasks while leading a team.

Responsibilities

• Identify and develop innovative features and insights from internal data sources.
• Lead design, testing, and deployment of new data‑driven features.
• Collaborate with data engineering teams for scalable production environments.

Skills

Statistical modelling

Data manipulation

R

Python

Communication skills

Influencing skills

Numerical skills

Education

Degree in a related discipline

Job description

Description

It's an exciting time in our Pricing and Analytics department here at AXA UK. Our transformation programme has recently been relaunched, aligned to AXA Retail's new Pricing and Analytics strategy. We're investing in growing our department in size and capability across our IT systems, analytical toolset and learning and development. We'd love to hear from motivated people who can help us deliver our commitments to our business, our customers, and our people.

Within AXA Retail we're looking for a Data Exploration and Innovation Manager. You'll lead initiatives that leverage internal data assets and innovative techniques to develop features and insights that enhance pricing models and strategic decision-making. You'll explore, experimenting with, and optimise internal data to generate high-value features that improve model performance and business outcomes.

At AXA we work smart, empowering our people to balance their time between home and the office in a way that works best for them, their team and our customers. You'll work at least two days a week (40%) away from home, moving to three days a week (60%) in the future. Away from home means either attendance at one of our office locations, visiting clients or attending industry events. We're also happy to consider flexible working arrangements, which you can discuss with Talent Acquisition.

What you'll be doing:

• Identify and develop innovative features and insights from internal data sources to enhance business value.
• Lead the end-to‑end design, testing, and deployment of new data‑driven features.
• Collaborate with data engineering teams to operationalize features within scalable production environments.
• Maintain and ensure the quality, consistency, and accessibility of internal data assets.
• Develop and implement strategies for data cataloguing, lineage, and documentation to facilitate data exploration and reuse.
• Work with IT and data platform teams to build robust, scalable data pipelines supporting analytical initiatives.
• Apply advanced analytical techniques such as spatial analysis, text mining, and interaction features to uncover hidden opportunities.
• Partner with cross‑functional teams including pricing, underwriting, fraud, and claims to understand data needs and communicate insights effectively.
• Due to the number of applications we expect to receive for this role, we reserve the right to close this advert earlier than the listed closing date to ensure we're able to effectively manage interest. Therefore, if you're interested in joining us at AXA, please don't hesitate to apply.

What you'll bring:

• Strong expertise in statistical modelling and data manipulation within insurance contexts.
• Proficient in open‑source predictive analytics software such as R and Python for advanced data analysis.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure, meet strict deadlines, and maintain high levels of accuracy and reliability.
• Proven experience in planning, prioritising tasks, and leading team members to achieve goals efficiently.
• Excellent numerical and mathematical skills, with a degree in a related discipline or equivalent proficiency.
• Strong communication, influencing, and relationship‑building skills to collaborate effectively across teams and stakeholders.
• As a precondition of employment for this role, you must be eligible and authorised to work in the United Kingdom.

What we offer:

At AXA UK, we're appreciative of the people who work for us and our rewards package is reviewed regularly to reflect that. You can expect to receive:

• Competitive annual salary dependent on experience
• Annual company & performance‑based bonus
• Contributory pension scheme (up to 12% employer contributions)
• Life Assurance (up to 10 x annual salary)
• Private medical cover
• 28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays
• Opportunity to buy up to 5 extra days leave or sell up to 5 days leave
• Wellbeing services & resources
• AXA employee discounts

To apply, click on the 'apply for this job' button, you'll then need to log in or create a profile to submit your CV. We're proud to be an Equal Opportunities Employer and don't discriminate against employees or potential employees based on protected characteristics. If you have a long‑term condition or disability and require adjustments during the application or interview process, we're proud to offer access to the AXA Accessibility Concierge. For our support, please send an email to [e-mail].

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Who we are:

AXA Retail helps people live the life they love, knowing we've got their back, at home and on the road. Our people are vital to us becoming more digital, faster and easier to access. We're a dynamic team of experts completely committed to making sure our customers 'get back to the good stuff' when the unexpected happens.