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Root Inc. · 2 weeks ago

Principal Data Scientist I

United States

Full-time

Remote

Lead/Staff

$200K/yr - $270K/yr

10+ years exp

Root Inc. is on a mission to improve the lives of customers by offering better insurance solutions through innovative data and technology. As a Principal Data Scientist, you will lead complex quantitative initiatives, shape modeling strategies, and collaborate across teams to drive impactful research and experimentation.

AccountingAdviceFinancial ServicesProfessional Services

H1B Sponsor Likely

Responsibilities

Pioneer foundational modeling and research initiatives across a range of domains—including pricing, underwriting, agent/partnership strategy, and emerging business areas

Challenge and reshape internal mental models—identify flawed assumptions or outdated conventions in how Root approaches modeling, and guide teams toward clearer, more robust alternatives

Identify when modeling rigor is slipping (e.g., overfitting to internal consensus, inadequate evaluation), and intervene to restore discipline and clarity

Go deep in unlikely places—select messy, ignored, or under-owned parts of the business where modeling could drive transformative value, and take the first real shot at formalizing them

Communicate findings and perspectives clearly and forcefully to diverse audiences, from technical peers to senior executives

Act as a thought partner to senior leadership on modeling strategy, experimentation frameworks, and long-term research architecture

Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment and synergy across departments on a multi-year horizon

Drive adoption of modern best practices in statistical modeling, empirical validation, applied machine learning, and generative AI adoption

Qualification

Statistical modelingMachine learningData science toolingPythonRSQLCloud infrastructureStrategic oversightVerbal communicationWritten communicationCollaboration

Required

Advanced degree (PhD or Master's) in a quantitative discipline such as statistics, economics, applied mathematics, computer science, or a related field

10-15+ years of experience applying advanced statistical and machine learning methods to real-world problems, with a strong track record of impactful and paradigm-altering work

Experience in a Principal or Staff-plus role at a high-performing, analytically mature organization

Demonstrated success launching or leading net-new modeling initiatives, products, or research domains within an organization

Ability to oscillate between strategic oversight and deep individual contributor work as needed

Exceptional ability to reason from both theory and data, and to assess and strengthen the work of others through that lens; a radar for when someone is confidently wrong

Strong verbal and written communication skills, with a proven ability to influence diverse technical and non-technical audiences

Expertise in Python or R, SQL, and modern data science tooling; comfort with cloud-based infrastructure (e.g., AWS, GCP) and scalable modeling workflows

Company

Root Inc.

Glassdoor3.0

Root Inc. is disrupting the archaic, trillion-dollar insurance industry.

Founded in 2015

Bloomington, Indiana, USA

1001-5000 employees

https://www.root.com

H1B Sponsorship

Root Inc. has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)

Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship

Represents job field similar to this job

Trends of Total Sponsorships

2025 (1)

2023 (3)

2021 (11)

2020 (12)