Principal Data Scientist – Remote

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.

Optum is looking for an experienced Principal Data Scientist to join its Consumer Experience Digital Product Data Science team. This technical Individual contributor  role involves tackling large-scale data problems and advancing ML/AI practices to address real-world customer challenges. Reporting to the Director of Data Science, the role is crucial for enhancing analytical capabilities using cutting-edge technologies, establishing best data science practices, and collaborating with stakeholders to deepen understanding of consumer experiences at Optum. 
 
 
The ideal candidate should have significant experience in complex, large-scale data and analytics environments, must be skilled in Machine Learning and advanced analytics techniques. Partner with product, engineering and design teams to develop and launch innovative data products. Lead the adoption of Gen AI and ML-based approaches, build proof of concept initiatives of AI-driven customer use cases. 
 
 
The ability to simplify complex technical concepts for various audiences is essential. Responsibilities include providing technical leadership, partnering with various teams to create innovative data products, leading AI and ML initiatives, advancing analytics methods, building advanced analytics solutions, and mentoring within the data science community. 
 
 
Optum values diverse experiences and encourages applications from those with non-traditional career paths or varied experiences, emphasizing an inclusive team culture driven by curiosity and a commitment to learning. 

You’ll enjoy the flexibility to work remotely * from anywhere within the U.S. as you take on some tough challenges.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with product, engineering, and design teams to develop, launch, and lead Gen AI and ML-based data science initiatives
• Construct advanced analytics solutions ready for production to enhance business decision-making
• Enhance analytics techniques, such as statistical analysis and complex data mining, to provide quicker, more profound insights that influence the Optum consumer experience
• Effectively communicate complex ideas at all organizational levels
• Innovate and share new technical solutions and product ideas with the Optum analytics teams 
• Mentor and guide the data science team
• Engage in meetings to define data science use-cases and develop detailed work scopes with stakeholders, data professionals, and digital product teams
• Act as a storyteller, explaining the rationale and methodology behind data-driven recommendations to diverse teams
• Evaluate internal data and processes to identify opportunities for applying advanced analytics across the division
• Lead by example, building prototypes and adhering to the ML development cycle, including iterative EDA, prediction specification, feature engineering, and model tuning
• Act as a thought leader and coach to junior team members on a variety of statistical/machine learning methods
• Continuously enhance personal knowledge of methods and modeling techniques through research, presentations, and webinars

You’ll be rewarded and recognized for your performance in an environment that will challenge you and give you clear direction on what it takes to succeed in your role as well as provide development for other roles you may be interested in.

Required Qualifications:

• 3+ years of experience wrangling large datasets with big data tools
• 2+ years of hands-on experience in developing analytics with machine learning, deep learning, NLP, and/or other related modeling techniques
• 2+ years of experience using Python
• 2+ years of experience using SQL
• 2+ years of experience using Spark 
• 2+ years of experience managing analytical or data science resources 
• 2+ years of experience developing and deploying analytic solutions using AWS/Azure/GCP 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience building GenAi products 
• Experience with supervised and unsupervised learning methods for model build and deployment
• Experience applying computational algorithms and statistical methods to structured and unstructured data
• Experience with BI/reporting tools such as Tableau or PowerBI
• Experience of the US Healthcare or Pharmaceutical sectors  
• Core knowledge of statistics, machine-learning and numerical / computational methods with experience in the application of these methods to business problems

*All employees working remotely will be required to adhere to UnitedHealth Group’s Telecommuter Policy.

Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to local labor markets, education, work experience, certifications, etc. In addition to your salary, we offer benefits such as, a comprehensive benefits package, incentive and recognition programs, equity stock purchase and 401k contribution (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements). No matter where or when you begin a career with us, you’ll find a far-reaching choice of benefits and incentives. The salary for this role will range from $110,200 to $188,800 annually based on full-time employment. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.

Application Deadline: This will be posted for a minimum of 2 business days or until a sufficient candidate pool has been collected. Job posting may come down early due to volume of applicants.

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.

UnitedHealth Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer under applicable law and qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations.

UnitedHealth Group is a drug – free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.