Director Catastrophe Risk Research - Chicago - SageSure

Description

Director Catastrophe Risk Research & Development

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Overview

If you're seeking the stability of a profitable, growing company combined with the entrepreneurial spirit of a startup, we're looking for you. SageSure, a leader in catastrophe‑exposed property insurance, is looking for an experienced and innovative Director of Catastrophe Risk R&D to spearhead our research and development efforts in natural hazard modeling, exposure assessment, and enhancing our internal catastrophe view of risk. This leadership position is crucial in shaping how we evaluate, measure, and respond to catastrophe risk across our property portfolio while integrating the latest advances in science, technology, engineering, and climate analytics.

What you'd be doing

• Define and drive the catastrophe risk research agenda, including model evaluation, development of proprietary views of risk, and enhancement of decision‑support tools for underwriting and portfolio risk management.
• Evaluate and customize third‑party catastrophe models (e.g., Moody's RMS, Verisk), and develop in‑house modeling capabilities.
• Incorporate climate and emerging scientific insights into the catastrophe modeling framework, including scenario analysis and long‑term risk outlooks.
• Leverage exposure, claims, hazard, and socioeconomic data to identify risk trends and inform product development and reinsurance strategy.
• Partner with underwriting, actuarial, reinsurance, and technology teams to ensure R&D outputs meet business needs.
• Translate technical findings into strategic insights for senior leadership and external partners.
• Mentor and grow a team of catastrophe risk research analysts, fostering innovation, scientific rigor, and professional development.

We're looking for someone who has

• Master's or PhD in Earth Science, Atmospheric Science, Civil/Structural Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Statistics, or a related quantitative field.
• 10+ years of experience in catastrophe modeling, risk analytics, insurance/reinsurance, or related applied research fields.
• 3+ years of experience in leading analytical and technical teams with responsibility for research strategy.
• Deep understanding of natural hazards (hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, floods, SCS) and their impacts on the built environment.
• Proficiency with catastrophe models (RMS, AIR, etc.) and their underlying assumptions.
• Experience with programming/data analysis tools (Python, R, SQL) and geospatial tools (GIS, QGIS, ArcGIS).
• Strong background in probabilistic risk modeling, statistics, and simulation techniques.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross‑functional teams and manage complex research programs.
• Exceptional communication skills, capable of conveying technical information to executive and non‑technical audiences.
• Strategic thinker with a proactive and collaborative approach to problem‑solving.

Highly Preferred Candidates Also Have

• Experience in building and evaluating Hurricane/Cyclone risk models, incorporating scientific insights into modeling frameworks.
• Prior experience in a senior cat modeling/R&D role within a global (re)insurer, broker, or model vendor.

Catastrophe Risk R&D

At SageSure, the Catastrophe Risk R&D team is redefining how the industry understands and manages catastrophe risk. We operate at the intersection of science, technology, data, and industry insight, developing a proprietary view of risk that goes beyond traditional models. Our work shapes risk management strategy, capital allocation, and external market positioning, directly influencing how SageSure protects policyholders and partners in catastrophe‑exposed regions.

Join the team that sees risk differently—and proves it.

About SageSure

Named among the Best Places to Work in Insurance by Business Insurance for four years in a row , SageSure is one of the largest managing general underwriters (MGU) focused on catastrophe‑exposed markets in the US. Since its founding in 2009, SageSure has experienced exceptional growth while generating underwriting profits for carrier partners through hurricanes, wildfires, and hail. Available in 16 states, SageSure offers more than 50 competitively priced home, flood, earthquake, and commercial products on behalf of its highly rated carrier partners. Today, SageSure manages more than $1.9 billion of inforce premium and helps protect 640,000 policyholders.

SageSure has more than 1,000 employees working remotely or in‑office across nine offices: Cheshire, Connecticut; Chicago, Illinois; Cincinnati, Ohio; Houston, Texas; Jersey City, New Jersey; Mountain View, California; Marlton, New Jersey; Tallahassee, Florida; and Seattle, Washington.

SageSure offers generous health benefits and perks, including tuition reimbursement, wellness allowance, paid volunteer time off, a matching 401K plan, and more.

SageSure is a proud Equal Opportunity Employer committed to building a workforce that reflects the spectrum of perspectives, experiences, and abilities of the world we live in. We recognize that our differences make us strong, and we actively seek out diverse candidates through partnerships with organizations, institutions and communities that represent various backgrounds. We champion belonging and inclusion for all identities, including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, ability status, gender, and country of origin, striving to create a culture where all individuals feel valued, respected, and empowered to bring their authentic selves to work.

Our nimble, highly responsive culture nurtures critical thinkers who run toward problems and engineer solutions. We relentlessly pursue better outcomes by investing in the technology, talent, and tools that position us to succeed in demanding markets. Come join our team Visit to find a position for you.