Catastrophe Risk Modeling Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Who are we?

A strategic and trusted insurance partner, Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI), provides a broad range of commercial property, casualty and specialty insurance coverages and outstanding service to customers and brokers around the world. Part of Berkshire Hathaway’s insurance operations, we bring our solutions to market with our stellar brand name, top-rated balance sheet, and the expertise of our global team of professionals, who exude excellent capabilities and strong character.

We are a values-based organization where respect, integrity, excellence, collaboration, and passion define who we are and how we do business. We value diversity of backgrounds, experience, and perspectives and strive to foster an inclusive environment that enables all our team members to bring their best selves to work. We are one team committed to building a culture where every teammate has the opportunity to contribute and be recognized. Want to be part of the team building the finest property, casualty and specialty lines insurance company in the world?

Learn more about our unique culture https://bhspecialty.com/career/ and history https://bhspecialty.com/who-we-are/.

Job Opportunity:

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI) has an exciting opportunity for Data Scientist / Senior Data Scientist to join the Catastrophe Engineering and Analytics (CAT E&A) team. CAT E&A is an innovative and versatile technical team conducting catastrophe risk research and development and providing complex quantitative metrics that inform underwriting decisions across multiple lines of business.

The successful candidate will be responsible for identifying and applying cutting-edge data science techniques to build a better view of the risk for multiple perils. You will work across functional areas and perils within the team, supporting the development of models for various natural catastrophes, natural hazards, building vulnerability, and man-made risks such as cyber, casualty, among others. In addition, you will conduct in-depth evaluation of vendor models, research and develop internal views of exposure and risks, consult on account-specific risk analyses, and develop internal tools to facilitate account underwriting decision-making and other related activities.

• Evaluate and develop insights into large and diverse data sets from claims, hazard models, structural analysis, geospatial sources, and various other public/proprietary datasets.
• Develop and maintain expertise in advanced data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence techniques, and their application to understanding risk.
• Work with domain experts across teams and perils to enhance our use of available data.
• Propose and execute innovative solutions to insurance problems that directly impact BHSI underwriting decisions.

• Advanced degree (Master's or Ph.D.) in Statistics, Actuarial Science, Applied Mathematics, Data Science, Engineering, or other equivalent quantitative discipline.
• Strong academic foundation in probability theory, statistical inference, stochastic processes, and Bayesian statistics.

• Deep expertise in probability models commonly used in insurance (e.g., frequency–severity models, GLMs, loss distributions).
• Strong applied statistics skills for:
  • Risk modeling
  • Predictive analytics
  • Pricing & underwriting analytics
  • Catastrophe exposure analysis
• Proficiency in statistical and machine learning techniques, including:
  • Regression (GLM, GAM, GAMMs)
  • Time-series forecasting
  • Gradient boosting, random forests, and other tree-based models, neural networks models
  • Clustering and segmentation
  • Bayesian methods
• Hands‑on experience with key programming tools:
  • Python (NumPy, pandas, scikit‑learn; PyTorch/TensorFlow a plus)
  • R (actuarial/statistical packages)
  • SQL for data extraction and manipulation
  • Familiarity with Git and Docker is a plus
• Experience with big data and distributed computing (e.g., Spark, Databricks, AWS/GCP/Azure) is a plus.

• Strong understanding of property & casualty insurance, including:
  • Exposure modeling
  • Loss distributions (e.g., Pareto, lognormal, gamma)
  • Catastrophe risk concepts and tail modeling
  • Portfolio risk aggregation, reinsurance structures, and risk metrics (AAL, PML, TVaR)

• Ability to work with large structured and unstructured datasets.
• Expertise in data cleaning, transformation, and feature engineering.
• Experience building automated data pipelines and scalable model workflows.

• Ability to translate complex statistical concepts into actionable business insights.
• Experience communicating results clearly to actuaries, underwriters, executives, and non‑technical stakeholders.
• Strong documentation and model governance discipline.

• Curious, analytical thinker with strong problem‑solving ability.
• Ability to work independently in ambiguous problem spaces.
• Collaborative mindset — comfortable partnering with actuaries, underwriters, portfolio managers, and engineers.

• A competitive package and exciting growth opportunities for career‑oriented teammates.
• A dynamic, action oriented, and thoughtful environment centered on always doing the right thing for our customers, teammates, and our other stakeholders.
• A purposely non‑bureaucratic organization that embraces simplicity over complexity and emphasizes individual excellence in a team framework.
• Benefits that support your life and well‑being, which include:
  • Comprehensive Health, Dental and Vision benefits
  • Disability Insurance (both short‑term and long‑term)
  • Life Insurance (for you and your family)
  • Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance (for you and your family)
  • Flexible Spending Accounts
  • Health Reimbursement Account
  • Employee Assistance Program
  • Retirement Savings 401(k) Plan with Company Match
  • Generous holiday and Paid Time Off
  • Tuition Reimbursement
  • Paid Parental Leave

The base salary range for this position in Atlanta, GA, Boston, MA, or San Ramon, CA is $100,000 to $160,000, along with annual bonus eligibility. Total compensation for a candidate is determined by their relevant skills, location, and experience. We value our teammates – both their capabilities and character – as demonstrated by our amazing culture.

NOTE: Compensation will be commensurate with experience. This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Team Member may perform other related duties as negotiated to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.