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's Enterprise Clinical Services team is seeking a Senior Data Scientist to lead the strategy, architecture, implementation, scaling, and continuous improvement of applied AI and natural language processing solutions that improve healthcare delivery and operational efficiency. This role provides accountable technical leadership for NLP, large language models, voice and call analytics, AI-enabled quality assurance, intelligent automation, and related advanced analytics capabilities.
The position combines hands-on technical execution, solution architecture, business strategy, and team leadership. Working at the intersection of data science, engineering, business intelligence, and clinical operations, you will move ambiguous business needs through research, design, deployment, monitoring, adoption, and sustained production use. You will also help shape the capability roadmap, establish reusable technical patterns and evaluation practices, and mentor other data scientists.
You'll enjoy the flexibility to work remotely * from anywhere within the U.S. as you take on some tough challenges. For all hires in the Minneapolis or Washington, D.C. area, you will be required to work in the office a minimum of four days per week.
Primary Responsibilities
- Applied AI, NLP, and LLM leadership
- Establish technical direction for NLP, large language model, voice analytics, and applied AI capabilities
- Evaluate emerging AI technologies and identify practical applications for clinical and business operations
- Design and implement AI-enabled operational solutions, including voice and call analytics, AI-driven monitoring, and intelligent workflow automation
- Build scalable frameworks, reusable components, and solution patterns that accelerate future AI development and deployment
- Establish technical standards, evaluation methods, governance approaches, and best practices for AI-enabled capabilities
- Guide the responsible transition of AI concepts, research, and prototypes into reliable, supported production solutions
- Advanced solution development and production stewardship
- Lead complex analytical initiatives from problem definition through implementation, adoption, performance monitoring, and enhancement
- Translate ambiguous business challenges into structured analytical approaches, technical architectures, and executable solution plans
- Design and oversee scalable data pipelines, feature and data-processing workflows, application architectures, and automation frameworks
- Develop and apply NLP, LLM, machine learning, statistical, optimization, and operations research methods to business problems
- Define monitoring, validation, reporting, documentation, and operational-readiness expectations for production AI solutions
- Lead technical troubleshooting and root-cause analysis for complex model, data, and application issues
- Review models, prompts, code, analytical methods, architecture, and implementation approaches for quality, reliability, and maintainability
- Business leadership and team development
- Partner with senior leaders and business stakeholders to identify high-value opportunities and translate strategy into practical solutions
- Communicate technical concepts, model results, limitations, risks, and trade-offs clearly to technical and non-technical audiences
- Shape the roadmap for NLP, LLM, voice analytics, automation, and advanced analytical initiatives
- Mentor GL27 Data Scientists and other technical contributors, delegate work effectively, and strengthen cross-training and knowledge transfer
- Develop executive-level presentations, dashboards, decision-support materials, technical documentation, and knowledge-sharing resources
- Balance near-term delivery and production stewardship with longer-term capability development
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
- 4+ years of experience in analytics or data science
- 3+ years of experience applying machine learning, natural language processing, optimization, operations research, or related advanced analytical techniques to business problems
- 3+ years of experience creating dashboards or business intelligence solutions using Power BI, Tableau, or similar tools
- 2+ years of experience with data engineering, data modeling, database design, query optimization, and SQL development
- 2+ years of experience designing and implementing data pipelines, automated workflows, software applications, or production analytical services
- Experience leading projects, conducting technical reviews, and mentoring team members
- Demonstrated experience designing and implementing production NLP, Generative AI, LLM, voice analytics, or other AI-enabled solutions
- Advanced proficiency in Python and SQL, including experience with data manipulation, model development, testing, and production-quality code
- Proven ability to lead complex analytical initiatives from problem definition through implementation and adoption
- Demonstrated solid strategic thinking, problem-solving, written, and verbal communication skills, including presenting recommendations to senior leaders and non-technical stakeholders
- Demonstrated ability to navigate ambiguity, understand end-user needs, and translate business opportunities into practical technical solutions
Preferred Qualifications
- Hands-on experience with LLM application patterns such as prompt engineering, retrieval-augmented generation, embeddings, semantic search, evaluation, guardrails, or model monitoring
- Experience with Snowflake for data access, transformation, analytical workloads, or production data pipelines
- Experience with Microsoft SQL Server and cloud-based analytics or AI platforms
- Experience with AI-enabled automation, contact-center analytics, voice analytics, or operational monitoring
- Experience establishing model-evaluation practices, technical standards, governance approaches, or production-readiness criteria for AI solutions
- Experience administering analytics infrastructure, databases, job-scheduling tools, and production application environments
- Experience in healthcare analytics or healthcare operations
- Experience in logistics, workforce optimization, routing, scheduling, operations research, supply chain, or Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
- Experience influencing business strategy through analytics and advanced technology
*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 $91,700 - $163,700 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.