Senior Manager Data Science

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:

• Design, develop, deploy, and maintain AI/ML solutions, machine learning models, and intelligent applications in production environments
• Lead the development and implementation of Generative AI, NLP, NLU, semantic understanding, intent classification, computer vision, deep learning, and speech recognition solutions
• Translate complex business problems into scalable AI-driven solutions that improve operational efficiency and business outcomes
• Collaborate with business leaders, product owners, engineers, and data scientists to identify, prioritize, and deliver AI/ML opportunities
• Conduct research, experimentation, model evaluation, and performance optimization using advanced statistical and machine learning techniques
• Build and support large-scale data processing, analytics, and distributed computing frameworks
• Apply deep learning technologies to enable intelligent automation, predictive analytics, and decision support capabilities
• Develop reusable tools, frameworks, and best practices for AI/ML model development, deployment, monitoring, and governance
• Communicate complex analytical findings, technical concepts, and AI strategies to executive leadership and non-technical stakeholders
• Stay current with emerging AI technologies and translate research advancements into practical business applications
• Mentor team members and promote innovation, engineering excellence, and responsible AI practices
• Comply with all applicable Company policies, procedures, and business directives, changes including those relating to work location, team assignments, work schedules, and flexible work arrangements.

Required Qualifications:

• Undergraduate degree or equivalent experience
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, Statistics, Applied Mathematics, Artificial Intelligence, or a related field
• 5+ years of experience developing and deploying machine learning, artificial intelligence, and advanced analytics solutions in enterprise environments
• Experience with machine learning, deep learning, large language models (LLMs), Generative AI, NLP, NLU, computer vision, and speech recognition technologies
• Experience with large-scale data platforms, distributed computing frameworks, and cloud-based AI/ML solutions
• Experience translating research findings into practical, production-ready AI solutions
• Familiarity with MLOps practices, model deployment, monitoring, governance, and lifecycle management
• Solid knowledge of statistics, optimization techniques, probability theory, experimental design, and model evaluation methodologies
• Proven solid programming skills in Python, SQL, and other modern development languages
• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex technical concepts and analytical insights to diverse audiences, including senior leadership
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional initiatives, influence stakeholders, and drive innovation through data and AI

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's or PhD
• Experience working in healthcare, regulated industries, or large enterprise environments preferred

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.