Chief Data Officer

About Company At Kshema, we are re-imagining agricultural insurance with the power of Public Cloud, GIS, Remote-sensing and cutting-edge AI-based algorithms to assess, model and price insurance risks for farmers adequately. We are taking the latest advances in Mobile, Geospatial technologies and the web to empower the next generation of agricultural insurance The Opportunity : Kshema is looking for a Chief Data Officer (CDO) who is responsible for overseeing an organization’s data strategy, ensuring data quality, governance, and utilization to drive business decisions and innovation. This role will play a pivotal role in development of a data-driven culture, oversees the integration of advanced analytics, and ensures the integrity, privacy, and security of Kshema’s data. This senior leadership role requires a strategic thinker with deep technical knowledge, business acumen, and a focus on integrating innovative and varied data sources to enhance decision-making across the organization. The CDO will partner with key business stakeholders to ensure that the organization can leverage its data assets effectively for competitive advantage, operational efficiency, faster / accurate decision making and regulatory compliance. Key Responsibilities: Data Strategy and Management

• Design and implement comprehensive data strategy that includes integration of in-house / external data sources, GIS / satellite imagery and aligns with broader organizational goals.
• Develop a scalable and robust data architecture to facilitate data integration, storage, and access. This includes creating data models, selecting technologies, and designing the flow of data across different systems to meet short- and long-term business needs.
• Assess the current organizational data maturity and define the roadmap to identify and implement data catalog, data cleansing, data management and data analytics tools.

• Establish and enforce data governance, security standards, policies, and procedures to ensure data quality, privacy, and compliance.
• Designate data owners and stewards for different departments to ensure that data is managed properly, with clear accountability for data quality, access, and usage.
• Define and implement security measures, ensuring that only authorized personnel can access sensitive data, and that access is granted based on business needs and audited.

• Implement predictive analytics and AI / ML models to improve customer segmentation, pricing optimization, claims / underwriting decision making and risk management.
• Provide actionable insights to business leaders, underwriters, claims managers, and customer experience teams to improve operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.
• Enhance the organization's data visualization capabilities, ensuring that key performance indicators (KPIs) and insights are easily accessible for decision-makers across the business.

• Lead and mentor the data science, analytics, and data management teams, fostering a data-driven culture throughout the organization.
• Collaborate with executive leadership (CEO, COO, CFO, etc.) to ensure data strategies are aligned with business goals.
• Build and nurture relationships with business units (e.g., actuarial, underwriting, claims, marketing, and finance) to ensure alignment on data priorities and business objectives.

• Stay abreast of the latest developments in data technologies, AI, machine learning, and insurtech innovations, applying these advancements to continuously improve the company's data infrastructure and analytics capabilities.
• Drive the adoption of cloud-based data solutions and automation tools to streamline claims processing, underwriting decisions, and other key operational processes.
• Lead efforts to integrate external data sources (e.g., third-party data, IoT, telematics) into the organization's workflows for better risk modeling and customer insights.

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Data Science, Mathematics, Business, or a related field. A master’s degree or MBA is preferred.
• Strong familiarity or hands-on experience with modern data technologies, including but not limited to data modeling and databases (e.g., SQL, NoSQL), cloud-based data / storage platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP), big data solutions (e.g., Hadoop, Spark), data integration (e.g., Apache Nifi), data governance (e.g., alation, collibra), and business intelligence / visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI).
• Proficiency in developing AI / ML tools using programming languages like python, R, Go etc.
• Experience in handling large data sets of structured and unstructured data, images and generating location specific inferences.
• Expertise in working with third-party vendors for data solutions, negotiating contracts, and managing external partnerships.
• Effective at managing cross-functional teams, building a data-driven culture, and influencing stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
• Ability to navigate rapidly changing technology landscapes and drive organizational change related to digital transformation and data management.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to explain complex data concepts to non-technical stakeholders, executives, and external partners.
• Good understanding of generative and agentic AI is a plus.
• Ability to ensure ethical data practices, including maintaining data privacy, eliminating biases in algorithms, and promoting transparency in data usage is a plus.