Senior Data Scientist – Machine Learning, NLP, R, Python, Gen AI

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.Primary Responsibilities:

• Implement/Enhance Machine Learning, NLP proof of concept and prototypes: from initial conception right through to the final production deployable stage
• Design and implement models and experiments from end to end, including data ingestion and preparation, feature engineering, analysis and modeling, model deployment, performance tracking and documentation
• Expected to move as needed between designing scientific approaches, writing or contributing to scientific publications, and development in Python, all in the service of creating the best new AI powered capability possible
• Always keep abreast of the latest developments in your areas of research and stay ahead
• Participate and organize in daily Scrum meetings and delivering the assigned tasks within the timelines specified and meeting the team goal
• Mentor and guide junior data scientists and engineers, fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement
• Work with minimal guidance
• Troubleshoot, isolate and remediate code bugs
• 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, Engineering, or a related field
• 7+ years of experience as a Data Engineer with Solid proficiency in Java or Python, SQL, NoSQL, API & Microservices, CI/CD & other pipeline orchestration tools
• 5+ years of experience in data science, machine learning, or AI engineering roles like GenAI, Statistical Analysis, Data Mining, and Data Visualization, ML framework and libraries TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit-learn, Huggingface, Langchain and Langgraph
• Experience with cloud platforms (e.g., Azure) and containerization technologies (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes)
• Deep hands-on knowledge of AI, ML, Deep Learning and NLP concepts
• Knowledge of modern GenAI techniques such as RAG, LLMs, prompt engineering, Fine-Tuning, transfer learning, data augmentation
• Solid understanding of database concepts, distributed systems, and data warehousing principles
• Exposure to public cloud platforms (Azure/AWS/GCP)
• Proven solid analytical and problem-solving skills, with attention to detail
• Curious mind, self-starter and keenness to learn and develop themselves professionally

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree
• Azure certifications
• Familiarity with the US Healthcare domain

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.