Ready to reignite your career and make a real impact?
We understand that career breaks happen for many reasons, and we value the skills and perspectives you bring. This role offers a supportive environment designed to help you transition smoothly and thrive.
As a Catastrophe Risk Researcher within our International Portfolio Analytics (IPA) team, you’ll play a key role in shaping Markel International’s view of risk. You’ll lead projects to evaluate and validate catastrophe models, ensuring our methodologies remain robust, forward-looking, and aligned with industry best practice. Working closely with senior leaders and technical experts, you’ll help deliver insights that support informed underwriting decisions and strong risk management across the business.
About the Team
The International Portfolio Analytics (IPA) team is a dynamic, multi-functional group that operates with creativity, autonomy, and empowerment. Embedded within the underwriting business and represented in senior leadership forums, the team supports all divisions of Markel International. Our core focus spans:
- Portfolio Management
- Pricing Transformation
- Advanced Analytics
- Catastrophe & Exposure Management
Within IPA, the Catastrophe & Exposure Management Team delivers a comprehensive suite of analytical services—from pre-bind assessments to portfolio-level analysis and reporting. Our mission is to enable consistent underwriting profitability and superior financial outcomes through high-quality, data-driven insights.
What You’ll Do
Explore opportunities to strengthen our risk view and modelling practices, including:
- Working closely with leadership to shape Markel International’s catastrophe risk strategy.
- Leading projects to evaluate and validate models and methodologies, including hazard, vulnerability, and financial modules.
- Identifying and delivering model improvements and adjustments.
- Producing clear, robust technical documentation to support decision-making.
- Supporting the rollout of new models and updates, ensuring smooth adoption by the business.
- Staying ahead of developments in catastrophe risk research, industry trends, emerging risks, and analytical techniques.
- Building strong relationships across internal teams and external stakeholders, including technical leads within IPA.
Your Key Responsibilities
- Drive model evaluation and validation projects to maintain a robust view of risk.
- Partner with the team to deepen technical understanding and foster a research-driven culture.
- Document methodologies and ensure clarity for stakeholders.
- Facilitate workshops and meetings to share insights and influence decisions.
- Support governance processes and ensure compliance with regulatory frameworks.
- Contribute to continuous improvement and innovation across the Catastrophe & Exposure Management function.
What We’re Looking For
- Proven experience in catastrophe modelling validation and research; multi-class exposure is beneficial.
- Familiarity with industry-standard models (Verisk preferred).
- Coding skills including SQL (TSQL/Dynamic SQL), Python; R is optional.
- Experience in statistical modelling, uncertainty quantification, and data science techniques.
- Track record of research publication or industry thought leadership.
- Understanding of regulatory frameworks (Lloyd’s, PRA) and reporting requirements.
- Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.
- Excellent organisational skills to manage projects and meet deadlines.
Why Join Us?
- A collaborative, forward-thinking team that values creativity, autonomy, and fresh perspectives.
- Opportunities to influence Markel’s risk strategy and deliver industry-leading analytics.
- Access to cutting-edge tools, data, and research to shape best practice.
- Support for your professional growth, including mentoring and technical development.
- Flexible working options to help you balance work and life while making a real impact.
What’s in it for you?
We’re open to flexible working requirements for all of these roles and offer benefits & support such as:
- 25 days’ holiday (pro‑rated for the FTC)
- Private medical cover for you and your family
- Private dental insurance
- Worldwide travel insurance
- Pension scheme
- Vitality wellbeing benefits
- My Family Care for emergency childcare and eldercare
- High street discounts and reduced gym memberships
Are you ready to play your part?
Choose ‘Apply Now’ to fill out our short application, so that we can find out more about you.
Markel celebrates the value of a diverse workforce that brings experience and expertise from a wide variety of backgrounds and life circumstances. Whatever your background, if you feel you meet the requirements of this role then we want to hear from you. We are also happy to consider candidates who are looking for flexible working patterns.
We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.
We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided with all reasonable accommodations to be able to participate in the job application or interview process and to perform essential job functions if successful. Please contact us via email at rec@markel.com or call us at 0161 507 5827 to request any accommodations that may be needed. This includes any alternative formats of any documents or information on how to apply offline.
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