Insights & Analytics Director - North America

This is your opportunity to join AXIS Capital – a trusted global provider of specialty lines insurance and reinsurance. We stand apart for our outstanding client service, intelligent risk taking and superior risk adjusted returns for our shareholders. We also proudly maintain an entrepreneurial, disciplined and ethical corporate culture. As a member of AXIS, you join a team that is among the best in the industry.

At AXIS, we believe that we are only as strong as our people. We strive to create an inclusive and welcoming culture where employees of all backgrounds and from all walks of life feel comfortable and empowered to be themselves. This means that we bring our whole selves to work.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristic, including age, color, disability, ethnicity, gender identity, marital status, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any basis prohibited by the laws that govern its operations.

How does this role contribute to our collective success?

Data, analytics and AI are critical enablers of AXIS' strategic ambitions. The Head of Insights & Analytics – North America will lead the delivery of insights, analytics and AI solutions that support North American underwriting teams in making better, faster and more informed decisions.

This role is accountable for translating business priorities into impactful data products, analytics solutions and AI-enabled capabilities that improve underwriting performance, portfolio management, risk selection, operational efficiency and customer outcomes.

As the senior Insights & Analytics leader aligned to the North America business, you will act as a strategic partner to underwriting leadership, ensuring that data and AI investments are focused on measurable business value. You will also play a critical leadership role in delivering AI-enabled underwriting transformation initiatives, including oversight of the AI components of AXCEED and other key initiatives within the North American strategic portfolio.

You will serve as the primary interface between North American business stakeholders and the broader Data & Analytics organisation, ensuring that priorities are aligned, solutions are fit-for-purpose, and value is realised.

What will you do in this role?

Lead North America Insights & Analytics Delivery

• Own the delivery and value realisation of the North America Insights & Analytics portfolio.
• Act as the primary Data & Analytics partner to North American underwriting leadership teams.
• Develop a deep understanding of underwriting strategy, operational challenges and growth objectives.
• Translate business opportunities into actionable analytics, AI and data product initiatives.

Deliver Measurable Business Value

• Ensure all initiatives are linked to clear business outcomes and success measures.
• Drive adoption of analytics and AI solutions across underwriting teams.
• Champion evidence-based decision making through effective use of data and insights.

Lead AI and Advanced Analytics Solutions

• Provide business leadership and oversight for AI-enabled underwriting initiatives.
• Partner with Data Scientists, AI Engineers, Architects and Technology teams to industrialise and scale AI capabilities.
• Ensure AI solutions are aligned to AXIS governance standards, risk appetite and responsible AI principles.
• Promote practical and value-focused use of AI across the North America underwriting function.

Build Strong Business Partnerships

• Establish trusted relationships with North America underwriting leaders and key stakeholders.
• Act as a trusted advisor on insights, analytics, AI and data-driven decision making.
• Facilitate alignment between business priorities and enterprise Data & Analytics strategy.

Lead and Develop High Performing Teams

• Provide leadership to North America-aligned Insights & Analytics team members.
• Create an environment that promotes collaboration, innovation, continuous improvement and accountability.
• Develop team capability across insights, analytics and AI disciplines.
• Foster knowledge sharing and reuse across the wider Insights & Analytics community.

Improve Ways of Working

• Drive adoption of agile and product-oriented delivery practices.
• Ensure solutions are scalable, sustainable and maintainable.
• Promote reuse of data products, models and analytics capabilities.
• Foster a culture of experimentation, learning and continuous improvement.

Success Measures

Success in this role will be measured through:

• Business Impact
• Demonstrable improvement in underwriting effectiveness, portfolio performance and operational efficiency resulting from delivered solutions.
• Quantifiable business value generated through insights, analytics and AI initiatives.
• Stakeholder Satisfaction
• Strong business partner satisfaction and trust.
• Insights and analytics capabilities becoming embedded within day-to-day underwriting decision making.
• Portfolio Delivery
• Successful execution of North America strategic portfolio commitments.
• Delivery of agreed outcomes, benefits and value targets.
• Team Performance
• High levels of engagement, capability development and retention.
• Strong collaboration across the wider Data & Analytics function.
• Innovation and Modernisation
• Increased adoption of AI-enabled capabilities.
• Improved speed, quality and scalability of insights and analytics delivery.

About you:

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.

What you need to have:

Experience

• Significant experience leading analytics, business intelligence, data science or AI teams. A minimum of 10 years’ experience in analytics, business intelligence, data science or AI, including at least 3 years leading teams within complex organisations.
• Experience partnering closely with insurance underwriting or specialty insurance business functions. A minimum of 3 years’ experience in the insurance or reinsurance industry, partnering closely with underwriting or specialty insurance business functions.
• Demonstrated success delivering business value through analytics and AI initiatives.
• Experience leading at least two cross-functional transformation or strategic delivery programmes.
• Proven record of influencing senior stakeholders and executive leadership teams.
• Experience operating within agile delivery environments.
• Experience directly managing a team of at least 6 people, including team leads or senior individual contributors.

Knowledge & Technical Expertise

• Strong understanding of insights, analytics, data science, AI and data product delivery.
• Knowledge of modern AI and machine learning capabilities, including generative AI applications.
• Understanding of underwriting processes, portfolio management and insurance analytics.
• Strong appreciation of responsible AI, governance and risk management principles.
• Ability to identify the most appropriate solution for a business problem, whether traditional reporting, advanced analytics, predictive modelling or AI.

Leadership Capabilities

• Strategic thinker with strong commercial acumen.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Strong people leadership and coaching capability.
• Ability to bring clarity and direction in complex environments.
• Comfortable balancing strategic priorities with delivery execution.

What we prefer you to have:

• At least 3 years’ experience in North American specialty or commercial insurance underwriting analytics.
• Experience deploying AI or machine learning solutions into production in an underwriting or portfolio management context.
• Education: An advanced degree in a relevant field (e.g., Data Science, Statistics, Business Analytics, Computer Science, or similar) is highly desirable, or equivalent professional experience.

Role Factors:

Be in the office 3 days per week

What we offer:

For this position, we currently expect to offer a base salary in the range of $180,000 to $200,000 (NY), 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.