Sr. Analyst, Geographic Information Systems

Definity is the parent company to some of Canada’s most long-standing and innovative insurance brands, including Economical Insurance, Sonnet Insurance, Family Insurance Solutions, and Petline Insurance. Our ambition is to be one of Canada’s leading and most innovative property and casualty insurers. We can’t do that without our people, so we embrace and encourage a culture that’s collaborative, ambitious, rewarding, and empowering.

We offer a flexible, hybrid work experience where employees work from the office and virtually depending on the type of work they are doing and who they are working with. Bring your true self and be a part of our journey. It’s better here.

Definity is seeking an initiative-taking and experienced GIS Analyst to join our growing team. The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of geospatial technologies and a passion for applying these skills to analyze climate and weather data for property insurance risk assessment. This role will be instrumental in developing and maintaining maps and models that inform underwriting decisions and support our company's commitment to accurate risk assessment in a changing climate. Accountable for ensuring that our infrastructure mapping process provides a crucial data layer for risk modeling, underwriting, and claims handling, to ensure more accurate pricing and timely respond to insurance events.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain geospatial datasets related to climate, weather, and property risk. This includes integrating data from various sources such as weather stations, climate models (e.g., CMIP6), satellite imagery, and property databases.
• Leverage LiDAR, aerial imagery, and GIS software to create precise mapping of home and property infrastructure for accurate risk assessment for our P &C insurance products.
• Create and update maps and visualizations depicting climate risk factors (e.g., flood risk, wildfire risk, hurricane vulnerability) at different spatial scales.
• Develop and implement geospatial analysis techniques to assess property vulnerability to climate-related hazards. This includes utilizing spatial statistics, modeling techniques, and other analytical methods.
• Integrate GIS data with property information systems to provide comprehensive risk assessments for individual properties.
• Collaborate with underwriting and actuarial teams to provide data-driven insights and support informed decision-making.
• Develop and maintain documentation for geospatial data and analysis processes.
• Keep abreast on the latest advancements in GIS technology, climate science, and property insurance risk modeling.
• Participate in the development and implementation of new GIS tools and workflows.
• Assist in the training of other team members on GIS software and techniques.
• Create detailed mapping of critical infrastructure like buildings, roads and transportation networks, utilities and geographic features surface as terrain, flood plans and other nature feature in support of the assessment of risk damage from natural disasters like floods, wildfires, and landslides.
  
  
  

Qualifications

• Undergraduate college diploma or degree in Geography, GIS, Environmental Science, or a related field.
• 3 to 5 years of experience in GIS analysis, with a focus on spatial modeling and data integration.
• Proven experience working with geospatial data related to climate, weather, and natural hazards.
• This role requires strong communication skills in English (fluency) for collaboration with our internal teams.
• Strong understanding of GIS software (e.g., ArcGIS, QGIS), including spatial analysis tools and geoprocessing techniques.
• Experience working with various data formats (e.g., shapefiles, rasters, databases).
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python (with relevant geospatial libraries like GeoPandas) is highly desirable.
• Knowledge of statistical modeling techniques and their application to spatial data is a plus.
• Excellent data visualization and communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a team.
• Understanding of the property insurance industry and risk assessment principles is preferred.
• Experience with catastrophe modeling software.
• Familiarity with climate change projections and their implications for the insurance industry.
• Experience with cloud-based GIS platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure).
  
  
  

Interested in this role, but don't meet every requirement? We encourage you to apply! We know from experience that a candidate doesn't need 100% of the qualifications listed to bring incredible value to our team. We're actively seeking diverse backgrounds and perspectives to help us make insurance better. At Definity, inclusion, diversity, and equity aren't just "nice to have" — they're essential to our success.

What's in it for you?

• Hybrid work schedule for most roles
• Company share ownership program
• Pension and savings programs, with company-matched RRSP contributions
• Paid volunteer days and company matching on charitable donations
• Educational resources, tuition assistance, and paid time off to study for exams
• Focus on inclusion with employee groups, support for gender affirmation surgery, access to BIPOC counsellors, access to programs for working parents
• Wellness and recognition programs
• Discounts on products and services
  
  
  

Actual salary for the role may vary depending on work location of the successful candidate and other factors including but not limited to, skills, education, experience, working conditions and the local labour market.  In addition to base pay, eligible employees may participate in various incentive plans which are paid out at the discretion of the company and subject to individual and company performance.

Go ahead and expect a lot — you deserve it.

It's better here — but don't take our word for it. Definity was named by Great Place to Work as one of the Best Workplaces in Canada for women, for youth, and for inclusion.

Our inclusive work environment welcomes diversity and supports accessibility. If you require accommodation at any time during the recruitment process, please let us know by contacting [email protected].

Background checks

This role requires successful clearance of background checks (including criminal checks and leadership references).