Lead Data Scientist

Optum is a global organization that delivers care, aided by technology to help millions of people live healthier lives. The work you do with our team will directly improve health outcomes by connecting people with the care, pharmacy benefits, data and resources they need to feel their best. Here, you will find a culture guided by inclusion, talented peers, comprehensive benefits and career development opportunities. Come make an impact on the communities we serve as you help us advance health optimization on a global scale. Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together.

UnitedHealth Group is a leading health care company serving more than 100 million people worldwide. The organization is ranked 7th among Fortune 500 companies with 2019 annual revenue of ~242 BN $ driven by a strong, dedicated and inspired team of 325K employees located globally with diverse talents and background, building our United culture. UHG serves its customers through two different platforms – UnitedHealth Care (UHC) and Optum. UHC is responsible for providing healthcare coverage and benefits services, while Optum provides operations, analytical and technology enabled health services across healthcare ecosystem. India operations of UHG are aligned to Optum.

Payment Integrity & Provider Analytics team is responsible for driving analytical solutions and research to help transform UHC and Optum ‘s solutions across Payment Integrity, Healthcare Fraud, Waste, Abuse, Provider Network, Provider Operations etc. using Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Big Data and Cloud Processing. Payment Integrity and Provider Operations are two key areas of our business impacting how we pay claims and manage medical costs to pay the right amount for the right service, and how do we become preferred partners for our providers by offering seamless business experience and interactions.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Leadership & Mentorship: Guide and mentor a team of data scientists, fostering a collaborative and innovative environment
• Project Management: Oversee the planning, execution, and delivery of complex ML, AI, and generative AI projects, ensuring alignment with business objectives
• Advanced Analytics: Utilize advanced ML, AI, and generative AI techniques to analyze large datasets and extract actionable insights
• Strategic Collaboration: Work closely with stakeholders across departments to understand their needs and translate them into data-driven solutions
• Model Development: Design, develop, and implement predictive models, algorithms, and generative AI systems to solve business problems
• Innovation: Drive the adoption of cutting-edge ML, AI, and generative AI technologies within the organization
• Data Governance: Ensure data integrity, quality, and security across all analytics processes
• Continuous Improvement: Stay updated with the latest industry trends and technologies, and integrate them into the team’s practices
• Comply with the terms and conditions of the employment contract, company policies and procedures, and any and all directives (such as, but not limited to, transfer and/or re-assignment to different work locations, change in teams and/or work shifts, policies in regards to flexibility of work benefits and/or work environment, alternative work arrangements, and other decisions that may arise due to the changing business environment). The Company may adopt, vary or rescind these policies and directives in its absolute discretion and without any limitation (implied or otherwise) on its ability to do so

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s in CS or related field. Master’s or Ph.D. in Data Science, Statistics, Computer Science, or a related field
• Certifications: Relevant certifications in machine learning, AI, or generative AI
• 12+ years of experience in data science, with a proven track record of leading successful ML, AI, and generative AI projects
• Experience in the specific industry (e.g., finance, healthcare, technology) relevant to the organization
• Experience working at the intersection of data science and other fields such as computer vision, natural language processing, or robotics
• Familiarity with advanced tools and technologies such as Kubernetes, Docker, and cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) for deploying ML and AI models
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python, R, and SQL; experience with big data technologies like Hadoop and Spark; expertise in ML frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch) and generative AI models (e.g., GANs, transformers)
• Proven solid background in statistical analysis, machine learning, AI, and generative AI
• Demonstrated ability to lead and mentor a team, manage projects, and collaborate with stakeholders
• Proven excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to convey complex concepts to non-technical audiences
• Proven solid problem-solving skills, creativity, and the ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with international teams & Consulting experience
• Change management experience, Conflict resolution skills & Public speaking experience
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines & Security expertise
• Knowledge of data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI, D3.js)
• Familiarity with emerging technologies (e.g., blockchain, quantum computing, edge computing)
• Understanding of optimization techniques (e.g., linear programming, integer programming)
• Proficiency in additional programming languages (e.g., Java, Scala, Julia)

At UnitedHealth Group, our mission is to help people live healthier lives and make the health system work better for everyone. We believe everyone–of every race, gender, sexuality, age, location and income–deserves the opportunity to live their healthiest life. Today, however, there are still far too many barriers to good health which are disproportionately experienced by people of color, historically marginalized groups and those with lower incomes. We are committed to mitigating our impact on the environment and enabling and delivering equitable care that addresses health disparities and improves health outcomes — an enterprise priority reflected in our mission.