Director R&D AI/ML Research

Join an amazing team that is consistently recognized for our achievements and culture, including our most recent Forbes award of being one of America's Best Midsize Employers for 2026!

Position Summary:

Mercury is looking for a Director to lead our Cross-Line AI/ML Research & Capability team within Product Research and Development (R&D). This leader will help shape how research is done across lines of business (Private Passenger Auto, Homeowners, Commercial Auto, Commercial Multi-Peril) by building reusable capabilities, modernizing research workflows, and applying AI and machine learning to accelerate insight generation, model development, monitoring, and product innovation.

This is a high-impact leadership role for someone who combines strong insurance and analytics judgment with hands-on understanding of modern AI/ML applications. You will work across Product R&D, Mercury Technology Solutions (MTS), Enterprise Data Science (EDS), and other partners to create scalable research tools, establish best practices, and help teams adopt new ways of working that improve speed, rigor, and business impact.

The right candidate is excited by both strategy and execution. They can set a direction, build a team, influence across functions, and turn emerging technology into practical capability in a regulated insurance environment.

An in-person interview may be required during the hiring process

State specific pay scales for this role are as follows:

$118,078 to $330,661 (NJ, NY, WA, HI, AK, MD, CT, RI, MA)

$118,078 to $330,661 (NV, OR, AZ, CO, WY, TX, ND, MN, MO, IL, WI, FL, GA, MI, OH, VA, PA, DE, VT, NH, ME)

$118,078 to $330,661 (UT, ID, MT, NM, SD, NE, KS, OK, IA, AR, LA, MS, AL, TN, KY, IN, SC, NC, WV)

In CA: Typical hiring range is $201,933 to $280,462

The expected base salary for this position will vary depending on a number of factors, including relevant experience, skills and location.

Essential Job Functions:

• Lead the crossline strategy for AI/ML-enabled research capabilities that support product and pricing innovation across multiple lines of business. 
• Build and lead a small, high-leverage team focused on reusable research tooling, workflow modernization, automated model monitoring, and AI-enabled capability development.
• Partner with Product R&D leaders to identify high-value opportunities to improve research speed, depth, consistency, and scalability. Explore and carry out product research projects.
• Work closely with MTS, EDS, and other partners to shape the technical environment required for modern research, including data pipelines, feature workflows, model monitoring, and AI/ML infrastructure.
• Lead the design of processes and guardrails for human oversight, model quality, explain ability, and responsible use of AI-generated outputs.
• Help establish a more automated and observable research workflow, including opportunities in hypothesis generation, model evaluation, monitoring, and supporting documentation. 
• Guide adoption and change management across teams so new capabilities are used effectively and integrated into day-to-day work. 
• Stay current on relevant AI, machine learning, and research methodology developments, and translate promising ideas into practical applications for Mercury.
• Coach and develop talent in a hybrid environment where people, automation, and AI agents work together to improve outcomes.

Education:

Minimum:

• Bachelor’s Degree in a quantitative field such as data science, engineering, math, statistics, actuarial science, or a related discipline.  

Preferred:

• Master’s or Ph.D. degree in a quantitative field

Experience:

Minimum:

• 8+ years of experience in predictive modeling machine learning, advanced analytics, or related quantitative work.
• 3+ years of experience in analytics in insurance or financial services
• 5+ years people leadership or comparable experience leading complex cross functional programs
• Or equivalent combination of education/experience 

Preferred:

• 10+ years of experience in predictive modeling, machine learning, advanced analytics, or related quantitative work.
• 3+ years of experience in developing software or application
• 5+ years of experience in analytics in P&C insurance
• 8+ years people leadership or comparable experience leading complex cross functional programs

Knowledge and Skills:

• Highly motivated and driven individual with excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Strong business and technical judgment, with the ability to connect research capability investments to product, pricing, and operational outcomes.
• Strong hands-on fluency in Python and modern ML frameworks. Demonstrated experience with GenAI/LLM applications, AI Harness / LLM Evaluation skills/experience
• Track record of building or operationalizing analytical tools, models, or workflows that are used by others at scale.
• Demonstrated ability to lead through influence and comfort with ambiguity
• Demonstrated curiosity and quick learning ability

Why choose a career at Mercury?

At Mercury, we have been guided by our purpose to help people reduce risk and overcome unexpected events for more than 60 years. We are one team with a common goal to help others. Everyone needs insurance and we can’t imagine a world without it.

Our team will encourage you to grow, make time to have fun, and work together to make great things happen. We embrace the strengths and values of each team member. We believe in having diverse perspectives where everyone is included, to serve customers from all walks of life.

We care about our people, and we mean it. We reward our talented professionals with a competitive salary, bonus potential, and a variety of benefits to help our team members reach their health, retirement, and professional goals.

Learn more about us here: https://www.mercuryinsurance.com/about/careers

We offer many great benefits, including:

• Competitive compensation
• Flexibility to work from anywhere in the United States for most positions
• Paid time off (vacation time, sick time, 9 paid Company holidays, volunteer hours)
• Incentive bonus programs (potential for holiday bonus, referral bonus, and performance-based bonus)
• Medical, dental, vision, life, and pet insurance
• 401 (k) retirement savings plan with company match
• Engaging work environment
• Promotional opportunities
• Education assistance
• Professional and personal development opportunities
• Company recognition program
• Health and wellbeing resources, including free mental wellbeing therapy/coaching sessions, child and eldercare resources, and more

Mercury Insurance is an equal opportunity employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.