Taking care of our customers, our communities and each other. That’s the Travelers Promise. By honoring this commitment, we have maintained our reputation as one of the best property casualty insurers in the industry for over 170 years. Join us to discover a culture that is rooted in innovation and thrives on collaboration. Imagine loving what you do and where you do it.
The annual base salary range provided for this position is a nationwide market range and represents a broad range of salaries for this role across the country. The actual salary for this position will be determined by a number of factors, including the scope, complexity and location of the role; the skills, education, training, credentials and experience of the candidate; and other conditions of employment. As part of our comprehensive compensation and benefits program, employees are also eligible for performance-based cash incentive awards.
The primary goal for the first year is to explore and identify promising use cases where quantum computing could provide value in the insurance domain.
Problem Curation and Use Case Identification
• Curate exemplary problems with relevancy to the insurance space and potential for quantum advantage
• Collaborate with business stakeholders to understand pain points in risk assessment, optimization, and decision-making
• Evaluate problems for quantum advantage potential vs. classical sufficiency
• Build a portfolio of insurance use cases ranked by quantum readiness and business value potential
Algorithm Development and Prototyping
• Apply, adapt, and derive quantum algorithms to solve curated insurance problems
• Develop classical-compute reference solutions to establish baselines and provide early business value
• Implement quantum algorithm prototypes using Qiskit and other frameworks
• Design hybrid quantum-classical approaches that leverage strengths of both paradigms
Performance Analysis and Validation
• Analyze algorithm performance through simulations on classical hardware
• Conduct experiments on diverse quantum hardware (simulators and actual quantum computers)
• Distill scaling properties of algorithm candidates
• Estimate potential benefit of future scaled-up versions based on small-scale experimental evidence
• Demonstrate value through clear data visualization, plots, and verifiable evidence
Research and Collaboration
• Identify, research, and realize key advances in relevant areas of quantum computing
• Collaborate within the Applied Research team and with external partners from industry and academia
• Review results and justify selected algorithmic solutions with technical rigor
• Stay current with quantum computing research and emerging techniques
• Contribute to Travelers’ quantum computing knowledge base and technical documentation
Preferred Qualifications
Hands-On Quantum Implementation
• Demonstrated ability to implement and prototype quantum algorithms, not just theoretical understanding
• Experience with IBM Qiskit for quantum circuit design and execution
• Portfolio showing proof-of-concept quantum implementations - GitHub repositories with quantum code strongly preferred
• Ability to translate quantum computing research papers into working code
• Experience conducting experiments on quantum hardware simulators and/or actual quantum computers
Quantum Algorithm Knowledge
• Fundamental understanding of quantum mechanics principles relevant to quantum computing
• Working knowledge of quantum algorithms including:
- QAOA (Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm)
- QAE (Quantum Amplitude Estimation)
- QUBO (Quadratic Unconstrained Binary Optimization) formulations
- VQE (Variational Quantum Eigensolver)
• Understanding of quantum advantage, quantum supremacy concepts, and scaling properties
• Familiarity with quantum error mitigation techniques and current hardware limitations
Research-to-Prototype Execution
• Proven ability to conduct proper research and translate findings into working prototypes
• Experience moving from academic/theoretical concepts to functional code
• Track record of prototyping ideas from research papers or novel approaches
• Ability to curate problems with relevancy to specific domains and evaluate them for quantum advantage potential
• Skill in distilling scaling properties of algorithm candidates
Classical Computing Reference Solutions (70% of work)
• Strong programming skills in Python for prototyping and experimentation (required)
• Experience developing classical-compute solutions that provide business value
• Ability to implement reference solutions using traditional approaches before quantum implementation
• Understanding of when classical approaches are sufficient vs. when quantum may provide advantage
Rigorous Data Analysis and Validation
• Strong foundation in applying proper data analysis techniques
• Ability to demonstrate value through facts, plots, and verifiable evidence
• Experience analyzing algorithm performance through simulations and experiments
• Skill in communicating technical findings with visual and statistical rigor
• Comfortable with both Bayesian and/or Frequentist statistical frameworks
Advanced Analytics and Optimization
• Strong background in optimization algorithms (linear programming, constraint optimization, metaheuristics)
• Experience with machine learning techniques including deep learning and neural networks
• Understanding of how quantum algorithms can complement or enhance classical ML approaches
• Familiarity with hybrid quantum-classical algorithm architectures
Innovative Problem-Solving
• Ability to think outside conventional approaches and connect dots across disparate research areas
• Track record of applying insights from one domain to solve problems in another
• Experience identifying emerging techniques that could address complex challenges
• Demonstrated learning agility - quickly adapting to new tools, frameworks, and techniques
Professional Communication
• Ability to present complex quantum concepts to audiences at various technical levels
• Experience documenting research findings and prototype results clearly
• Skill in explaining “why” behind technical decisions, not just “what” was implemented
• Comfortable collaborating with both technical peers and business stakeholders
Education Credentials
• 2-5 years of professional experience in quantum computing, research, or related field
• Master’s degree in Physics, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, Statistics, or related STEM field (required)
• PhD in Physics, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, or related field (strongly preferred)
• Foundational research or emerging technology exploration experience valued over production deployment experience
Travelers is an equal opportunity employer. We value the unique abilities and talents each individual brings to our organization and recognize that we benefit in numerous ways from our differences.
In accordance with local law, candidates seeking employment in Colorado are not required to disclose dates of attendance at or graduation from educational institutions.
If you are a candidate and have specific questions regarding the physical requirements of this role, please send us an email so we may assist you.
Travelers reserves the right to fill this position at a level above or below the level included in this posting.
To learn more about our comprehensive benefit programs please visit http://careers.travelers.com/life-at-travelers/benefits/.