Principal 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.

Optum Insight partners with payers, providers, governments and life sciences companies to simplify and enhance clinical, administrative and financial processes through software-enabled services and analytics, while advancing value-based care. Our differentiated products, technology insights, clinical expertise and analytics support the entire health system — ultimately delivering better experiences for consumers.

Optum Insight Technology and Engineering is a critical function in Optum Insight driving the innovation and value we provide our customers and partners. This team is focused on products, solutions, platform / enabling capability development, product development lifecycle, engineering excellence and connectivity to Optum Technology.

We are seeking a visionary leader to drive our Data Science Group's strategic initiatives, focusing on innovation and collaboration. You will transform research into production-ready solutions, lead a globally distributed team, and oversee the development of impactful AI products like Autonomous Coding and RTS Checkout. Collaborate with product, engineering, and business teams to identify and prioritize projects, establish scalable processes, and foster innovation. Your leadership will guide technical problem-solving, manage risks, and ensure products contribute to revenue goals while maintaining strong stakeholder engagement.

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

Primary Responsibilities:

• Strategic Leadership: Define and drive the vision and strategy for the Data Science Group, aligning with overall business objectives and enterprise-wide initiatives. Ability to take research whitepapers to production
• AI Product Delivery: Oversee the development and deployment of high-impact AI products like Autonomous Coding and RTS Checkout, ensuring timely and high-quality delivery
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with product, engineering, and business teams to integrate data science solutions into enterprise-wide initiatives and drive measurable impact
• Scalability and Efficiency: Establish processes, tools, and best practices to scale data science operations and improve team efficiency
• Innovation and R&D: Lead efforts in research and development to stay at the forefront of machine learning, AI, and data science advancements
• Technical Oversight: Guide the team in solving complex technical problems, including cloud-based model deployment and large-scale data engineering
• Revenue Impact: Ensure the data science team delivers products and insights that contribute to achieving projected revenue goals
• Stakeholder Engagement: Act as a key liaison between the Data Science Group and senior leadership, ensuring alignment and reporting on progress
• Risk Management: Anticipate and mitigate risks related to data science initiatives, including scalability, technical challenges, and talent retention

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.

Qualifications - External

Required Qualifications:

• Master’s or Ph.D. in Data Science, Machine Learning, Computer Science, Statistics, or a related field
• 10+ years of experience in data science, machine learning, or AI
• Demonstrated experience of machine learning, statistical modeling
• Experience with AI frameworks include PyTorch, LLMs, Foundational Language Model Training, Generative AI, Vector Databases, Transformers, State Space Models, and Deep Learning architectures
• Proven experience aligning technical initiatives with business goals and driving enterprise-wide impact
• Experience in team building, mentorship, and talent development fostering a high-performing and innovative team
• Demonstrated experience managing complex, large-scale projects with multiple stakeholders and tight deadlines

Preferred Qualifications:

• Proven excellent cross-functional collaboration skills, with experience working across product, engineering, and business teams
• Proven solid communication and presentation skills for engaging with senior leadership and stakeholders
• Proven track record of driving research and innovation in data science to solve complex business problems
• Demonstrated ability to deliver measurable business outcomes, such as scaling AI products to achieve revenue targets
• Experience with cloud-based model deployment (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP)

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

The salary range for this role is $124,500 to $239,400 annually based on full-time employment. Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to local labor markets, education, work experience, certifications, etc. UnitedHealth Group complies with al minimum wage laws as applicable. In addition to your salary, UnitedHealth Group offers 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 UnitedHealth Group, you’ll find a far-reaching choice of benefits and incentives.

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.