Lead Data Scientist - Exploratory data analysis, scikit, tensorflow

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.

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Lead. Data Scientist to join our People Analytics and Insights team. Owns end to end data science strategy and delivery for prioritized PAI use cases. Leads problem framing, modeling strategy, and measurable business impact. Mentors Sr/DS team members, partners with AI/ML Engineering for productionization, and sets standards for quality, governance, and explainability in a Databricks and Snowflake environment.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Strategy & Roadmap: Define modeling approach, feature strategy, and impact measurement for PI initiatives (leakage, adjudication accuracy, duplicate, pricing/contract issues)
• Advanced Modeling: Build and review robust models (classification, anomaly detection, cost forecasting, uplift/propensity, time series); drive feature store adoption and reusable assets
• Utilize machine learning frameworks such as Scikit Learn, TensorFlow, and PyTorch to build and deploy models
• Conduct exploratory data analysis (EDA), statistical analysis, and feature engineering to uncover insights and patterns in data
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to understand business requirements and translate them into technical solutions
• Manage the full life cycle of AI/ML projects, including data preparation, model development, tuning, and deployment
• Ensure the scalability, reliability, and efficiency of AI/ML solutions in production environments
• Stay updated with the latest advancements in AI/ML techniques and tools, and identify opportunities to apply them to enhance existing solutions
• Document and communicate findings, methodologies, and insights to technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Create and implement data visualizations to communicate complex data insights effectively
• Utilize code version control systems, specifically GitHub, to manage and track changes in code
• Apply creative problem-solving skills to develop innovative solutions for complex challenges
• Develop and maintain automated workflows and pipelines to improve efficiency and scalability
• Apply agile methodologies to manage and execute projects efficiently
• Perform drift analysis to monitor model performance and ensure accuracy over time
• 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 degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, or a related field
• 10+ years of solid experience in Data Science, AI/ML, or a similar role
• Experience with the full life cycle of AI/ML projects, including EDA, model development, tuning, and model monitoring
• Experience in developing and maintaining automated workflows and pipelines
• Solid understanding of mathematical and statistical concepts
• Solid understanding and application of agile methodologies in project execution
• Proficiency in machine learning frameworks such as Scikit Learn, TensorFlow, and PyTorch
• Proficiency in data visualization tools and techniques (e.g., Matplotlib, Seaborn, Domo, Power BI)
• Proficiency in code version control systems (GitHub)
• Proven track record of owning and leading AI/ML projects
• Proven solid programming skills in Python and SQL
• Proven solid statistics and ML (sampling, leakage control, class imbalance, time series, anomaly detection)
• Demonstrated ability to apply creative problem-solving techniques to develop innovative solutions
• Proven solid communication and collaboration skills to work effectively in a team environment
• Proven excellent stakeholder communication and decision influence.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, or a related field
• Experience with cloud platforms, particularly Azure, Databricks and Snowflake
• Demonstrated experience in leveraging Generative AI technologies to design and develop solutions
• Experience deploying ML pipelines and models (logging, monitoring, alerts), cloud ML Ops experience
• Familiarity with Directed Acyclic Graphs (DAGs) for workflow management and orchestration

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.