Data Lead

Full Time | Leopard | New York, NY / Hybrid | Data (Science/Engineering) Lead

Leopard is an early-stage B2B insurtech startup currently seeking a full-time Data (Science/Engineering) Lead to help us modernize the life insurance and annuities markets as the first dedicated member of our data team. You will work closely with our CTO and engineering team to build and grow our policy management platform and deliver our clients data-driven analytics and AI-enabled workflows. If you are passionate about using state-of-the-art AI to deliver transformative products, excited to be an early part of our journey bringing data and analytics to insurance distribution, and want to contribute to a high-performing team with unlimited room for growth, then this is the perfect opportunity for you.

Note: While the role will primarily focus on hands-on research and development to start, we are open to candidates who prefer to frame the role on the management track and can discuss title and level as appropriate

In your first six months at Leopard, you will:

• Build and enhance our data pipelines using a combination of Node and Python on AWS, with a focus on accuracy and reliability
• Conduct research studies involving predictive modeling and prompt engineering, working with our CTO and engineering team to ensure we are maximizing our use of LLMs and other AI technologies in the platform
• Develop our initial work processes and success metrics for our data team to enable its contribution to our feature roadmap and further growth in 2025
• Stay up-to-date with continued developments in AI/ML, NLP, and related areas of research, ensuring Leopard remains on the cutting edge of using these tools to build products and workflows that revolutionize the insurance industry

A little about you:

• Have 7-10+ years of experience in a variety of data roles, ideally including data engineering, data science, and/or data analytics
• Strong analysis skills using Python/Numpy/Pandas, complemented with some development experience in Python, Javascript, or similar to build reliable, cloud-based data pipelines
• Professional experience with prompt engineering and LLMs
• Experience leading and mentoring data professionals and/or building a data team from the ground up
• Owned projects end-to-end and delivered them by hitting key milestones 
• Have great communication skills; you work well with others, and you care more about solving the problem than coming up with the best solution yourself 
• Earned a Bachelor’s degree in Data Science, Computer Science, or Mathematics or have an equivalent combination of education and work experience
• Are (or can be) located in or around the New York area, with the ability and desire to work in our office (near Lincoln Center) at least 1-2x per week

Extra Points:

• Experience in, or familiarity with, the life insurance industry 
• Early-stage startup experience
• Professional working proficiency in Spanish

Salary range:

The base salary range for this role is $175,000 - $225,000. The base salary range represents the anticipated low and high end of the salary range for this position. Actual salaries may vary and may be above or below the range based on various factors, including but not limited to work location, experience, and expected performance. The range listed is just one component of Leopard’s total compensation package for employees. Other rewards may include equity awards and other long and short-term incentives. In addition, Leopard provides a variety of benefits to employees, including health insurance coverage, a 401K program, paid holidays, and encouraged paid time off (PTO).

About Leopard:

Leopard is an early-stage insurance technology startup looking to revolutionize the life insurance and annuity markets. We’ve developed technology that makes it easy for insurance brokers and financial advisors to find best-fit coverage for their clients on an ongoing basis, but that’s just the start. Our mission is to build a data business that fundamentally changes the way life and annuities products are sold. Leopard is backed by The D.E. Shaw Group, one of the largest hedge funds in the United States, known for its quantitative rigor. Founded in 2023, Leopard is headquartered in New York, New York. For more information about Leopard, visit www.theleopard.com.

At Leopard, we are committed to hiring diverse talent from different backgrounds and as such, it is important for us to provide an inclusive work environment for all. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender identity, age, religion, sexual orientation, veteran or disability status, or any other protected class. As an equal-opportunity employer, we encourage and welcome people of all backgrounds to apply.