Senior Natural Catastrophe Specialist, Vulnerability (80-100%)

Swiss Re seeks a Senior Natural Catastrophe Specialist in Zürich to enhance catastrophe modeling and vulnerability quantification for physical and economic risk assessment.

This position focuses on improving the accuracy of vulnerability quantification within catastrophe models. The specialist applies advanced engineering principles to help the organization make confident decisions regarding natural perils and their associated physical and economic impacts.

Responsibilities

• Improve the modeling of vulnerability for natural catastrophes, including insured losses related to buildings, contents, and business interruption.
• Evaluate how specific building attributes and regional construction methods influence vulnerability and potential financial losses.
• Examine claims data to empirically create and validate vulnerability curves used for loss estimation.
• Develop deep expertise in natural catastrophe risk and modeling, sharing insights with internal teams and external partners.
• Partner with underwriting, portfolio steering, and risk management groups to convert vulnerability findings into practical business decisions.

Requirements

• At least three years of professional or academic background in catastrophe modeling or risk assessment.
• Strong foundation in creating, calibrating, and validating vulnerability models for buildings and infrastructure to predict losses from natural disasters.
• Master’s or Doctorate degree in civil engineering or a closely related technical discipline.
• Robust analytical and programming capabilities, particularly with Python, Matlab, or R, along with experience in statistical methods.

Nice to have

• Prior experience with catastrophe modeling within the reinsurance or insurance sector.
• Knowledge of emerging areas such as climate change adaptation, uncertainty quantification, data centers, business interruption, and social inflation.
• Experience applying artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques to damage assessment, claims analysis, and vulnerability estimation.
• Competence in using GIS software and managing structured databases.

What the company offers

• A base salary ranging from 130,000 CHF to 194,000 CHF for full-time employment.
• Eligibility for a performance-based annual bonus.

About the company

Swiss Re stands as one of the globe’s leading providers of reinsurance, insurance, and other risk transfer solutions. The organization specializes in anticipating and managing risks stemming from natural catastrophes, climate change, and cybercrime. Its success is driven by an inclusive culture that values fresh perspectives, innovative thinking, and the authentic expression of its employees, alongside a strong commitment to sustainability.

• The company fosters an inclusive environment that encourages diverse viewpoints and innovative ideas.
• Employees are supported in bringing their authentic selves to work and are encouraged to pursue a passion for sustainability.