Lead Data Scientist. Experience in building data science teams, creating and executing data science strategy, project management, solution design, and technical development. Research expertise in risk and natural hazards, machine learning, and natural language processing.
Experience:
- Lead Data Scientist, Beazley, 2019 - present
- Consultant Data Scientist, Beazley, 2017 - 2019
- Research Scientist, Loughborough University, 2014-2017
- Meteorological & Geospatial Consultant, Vaisala, 2014 - 2016
- GIS Analyst, Vaisala, 2012 - 2014
Education:
- Loughborough University 2014 - 2017 PhD. Geography Department of Geography and the Department of Civil Engineering. In association with British Geological Survey. Funded by NERC
- University of Iceland 2011 BSc. Geophysics (non award sandwich year)
- Coventry University 2008 - 2012 1st Class BSc. Geography & Natural Hazards Department of Geography
Skills & Training:
- Operational Research, Decision Science, Predictive Systems, Early Warning Systems, Risk Analysis, Earth Systems, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing
- Applied Mathematics, Probability Theory, Bayesian Statistics, Monte Carlo, Game Theory, Numerical Simulation, Agent Based Modelling, Network and Graph theory
- University of Leeds Software Carpentry for Environmental Scientists
- Bournemouth University Agent Based Modelling
- Strathclyde University Modelling structure and dynamics in complex networks
- Durham University NESMO - Numerical Modelling for Environmental Sciences
- Cranfield University Understanding and Communicating Environmental Risk Assessment
- Liverpool University Risk & Uncertainty
- Stack Overflow
Tools:
- Python: scikit-learn, numpy, pandas, PyTorch,…
- SQL, Elasticsearch (ELK), Keras, Tensorflow, Spark,…
Publications:
- Comparing threshold definition techniques for rainfall‐induced landslides: A national assessment using radar rainfall. 2018. B Postance, J Hillier, T Dijkstra, N Dixon Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 43 (2)
- Extending natural hazard impacts: an assessment of landslide disruptions on a national road transportation network. 2017. B Postance, J Hillier, T Dijkstra, N Dixon Environmental Research Letters 12 (1)
- Indirect impact of landslide hazards on transportation infrastructure. 2017. B Postance Doctoral Thesis, Loughborough University, ISIN
- Characterising regional landslide initiation thresholds in Scotland, UK using NIMROD c-band precipitation radar and the BGS National Landslide Database. 2016. Postance, Benjamin; Hillier, John; Dijkstra, Tom; Dixon, Neil EGU General Assembly 2016, 17-22 April, Vienna Austria
- Open source big data technologies in earth systems research: prototype hazard early warning system in python and postgres. 2016. Postance, Benjamin Early Career Researchers Award, RDA Plenary 2016, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Tokyo, Japan
- Quantification of Road Network Vulnerability and Traffic Impacts to Regional Landslide Hazards. 2015. Postance, Benjamin; Hillier, John; Dijkstra, Tom; Dixon, Neil EGU General Assembly 2015, 112-17 April, Vienna Austria