The E&I Affordability team is transforming how affordability opportunities are identified, prioritized, and executed through the use of artificial intelligence, advanced analytics, and automation. As a Principal Data Scientist, you will serve as a strategic leader responsible for developing AI-driven solutions that accelerate affordability outcomes at scale. This role will work across affordability, medical cost data/analytics, and technology teams to connect complex healthcare datasets, generate actionable insights, and build intelligent solutions that improve medical cost management. You will help shape the future of affordability by reducing the time required to identify opportunities, increasing the impact of interventions, and advancing enterprise AI capabilities. This aligns with broader E&I Affordability efforts to leverage AI-powered affordability engines, unified healthcare data assets, and intelligent workflow automation to drive medical cost savings and operational efficiencies.
This is a unique opportunity to influence the future of affordability within UnitedHealthcare by developing innovative AI solutions that improve speed, scale, and impact. You'll work on highly visible initiatives, partner with enterprise leaders, and help redefine how affordability opportunities are discovered and executed across the organization.
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:- Lead large, complex Data Science and AI initiatives from problem framing through deployment, measurement, and value realization.
- Translate ambiguous business challenges into scalable analytical, machine learning, causal inference, optimization, or AI-driven solutions
- Design and build AI-enabled products, research agents, and analytical capabilities that connect enterprise data sources and generate actionable insights
- Provide technical architecture and solution design guidance for analytical products and production AI systems
- Establish best practices for feature engineering, model development, validation, evaluation, governance, and deployment
- Conduct technical reviews and ensure analytical rigor, scalability, and business impact across initiatives
- Partner with business, product, engineering, and technology leaders to identify opportunities, prioritize investments, and realize measurable value
- Drive innovation through emerging AI technologies, reusable frameworks, intellectual property, and modernized analytical platforms
- Develop intelligent workflow, portfolio management, and decision-support capabilities that improve execution efficiency and outcome tracking
- Communicate insights, recommendations, and business value to executive leadership and influence strategic decision-making
- Represent Data Science in enterprise architecture, governance, and technology strategy discussions
- Lead cross-functional initiatives focused on affordability, cost management, operational efficiency, and business transformation
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:- 7+ years of experience in data science, applied statistics, machine learning, or artificial intelligence
- 5+ years of SQL experience
- 4+ years of programming experience in Python and/or R
- 3+ years working with healthcare payer, provider, or health plan data
- Hands-on experience with healthcare claims data (medical, pharmacy)
- Demonstrated experience deploying models into production environments and measuring real-world impact on cost, quality, or outcomes
- Experience mentoring data scientists and setting technical direction for a team
- Proven excellent communication skills, with experience presenting to actuarial, clinical, and executive audiences
- Willing and able to travel 10% +/- depending on business need
Preferred Qualification:- Experience with Snowflake or Databricks
*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 $112,700 - $193,200 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.
