McKesson

Senior/Lead Data Scientist

McKesson • $100K — $130K *
Healthcare
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's in math, statistics, engineering, or a related STEM field, or equivalent experience.
  • 8+ years of relevant experience; fewer years required with a Master's or Doctorate.
  • 7+ years of hands-on data science experience with a proven track record.
  • At least 4 years of experience leading projects or small teams as a tech lead.
  • Experience in at least two relevant domains like pricing, demand forecasting, or supply chain optimization.

Responsibilities

  • Identify opportunities to leverage data for innovative machine learning solutions.
  • Develop and implement custom ML models tailored to business needs.
  • Collaborate with teams to deploy and maintain ML models in production environments.
  • Build and maintain scalable data infrastructure for real-time and batch decision-making.
  • Engage with stakeholders to translate requirements into technical solutions.
  • Ensure model governance and compliance with data privacy standards.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive healthcare coverage including medical, dental, and vision.
  • Retirement savings plan with company match.
  • Flexible work arrangements to support work-life balance.
  • Professional growth opportunities and career development programs.
  • A diverse and inclusive work environment.
Full Job Description

McKesson is an impact-driven, Fortune 10 company that touches virtually every aspect of healthcare. We are known for delivering insights, products, and services that make quality care more accessible and affordable. Here, we focus on the health, happiness, and well-being of you and those we serve – we care.

 

What you do at McKesson matters. We foster a culture where you can grow, make an impact, and are empowered to bring new ideas. Together, we thrive as we shape the future of health for patients, our communities, and our people. If you want to be part of tomorrow’s health today, we want to hear from you.

Job Title: Senior/Lead Data Scientist

 

Current Need:

The Senior/Lead Data Scientist is responsible for driving the full lifecycle of advanced analytics and machine learning solutions—from problem framing and hypothesis design to production deployment and continuous monitoring—delivering measurable business outcomes for McKesson’s businesses. This role partners with business stakeholders to translate requirements into technical solutions, ensures robust model governance and performance benchmarking, and pioneers innovative analytical approaches that improve operational efficiency and market competitiveness. 

 

The Data Scientist provides deep technical leadership in modern ML methods, including time-series forecasting, optimization, simulation, causal inference, and LLM/NLP where appropriate. In addition, the role works closely with product, engineering, and business teams, champions McKesson’s enterprise model development standards, and upholds the company’s ILEAD leadership principles. 

 

 

Key Responsibilities  

  

  • Identify opportunities for leveraging company data to drive innovative and scalable machine learning solutions that address complex business challenges. Develop and implement strategies that enhance operational efficiency, automate decision-making, improve customer outcomes, and optimize resource allocation. Apply advanced analytics to evaluate organizational performance, simulate potential impacts of strategic changes, and support initiatives across domains such as predictive modeling, forecasting, classification, recommendation systems, anomaly detection, and NLP/LLM. 
    • Develop custom machine learning models and algorithms tailored to business needs. Apply these models to large datasets to generate actionable insights and support strategic decision-making 
    • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deploy, monitor, and maintain ML models in production environments. Ensure scalability, reliability, and compliance with enterprise standards 
    • Build and maintain scalable data infrastructure to support both real-time and batch decisioning. Leverage cloud-native tools and platforms to optimize performance and cost 
    • Engage with business stakeholders to translate requirements into technical solutions. Provide thought leadership and guidance on analytical approaches and data strategy 
    • Ensure model governance, documentation, and performance benchmarking. Maintain compliance with Responsible AI and data privacy standards 
    • Build and maintain scalable data systems and infrastructure that empower our business teams to make better decisions 

     

    Minimum Job Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities): 

    Education/Training –  

    Bachelors in math, statistics, engineering, or another STEM field or equivalent experience and typically requires 8+ years of relevant experience. Less years required if has relevant Master’s or Doctorate qualifications. 

     

    Business Experience –  

    • 7+ years of hands-on data science experience delivering models to production with measurable business impact; 4+ years leading projects or small teams as a tech lead. 

    • Experience in at least two or more relevant domain (pricing, contracting, demand forecasting, supply-chain optimization, commercial analytics, patient/customer experience). 

    • Proven track record working in cross‑functional product/engineering environments. 

     

    Specialized Knowledge/Skills –  

     

    • Supervised/unsupervised learning, time‑series, causal methods/experimentation, optimization; familiarity with LLMs/NLP and retrieval‑augmented workflows preferred. 

    • Expert in Python and SQL; proficiency with PySpark; experience with Azure ML, MLflow, model registries, monitoring/telemetry (e.g., Evidently) and CI/CD.  

    • Git, testing, packaging, pipelines; containerization; performance/cost tuning in cloud; observability and on‑call patterns for ML services.  

    • Feature engineering, working knowledge of healthcare/commercial data sets. 

    • Demonstrated adherence to enterprise cybersecurity standards and secure development lifecycle for data/ML.  

    • Executive storytelling; ability to translate technical results into decisions and outcomes. 

     

     

     

    Working Conditions: 

    Environment (Office, warehouse, etc.) – 

    • Traditional office environment. 

    We are proud to offer a competitive compensation package at McKesson as part of our Total Rewards. This is determined by several factors, including performance, experience and skills, equity, regular job market evaluations, and geographical markets. In addition to base pay, other compensation, such as an annual bonus or long-term incentive opportunities may be offered. For more information regarding benefits at McKesson, please click here.

    McKesson is an Equal Opportunity Employer

     

    McKesson provides equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees and is committed to a diverse and inclusive environment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, age or genetic information. For additional information on McKesson’s full Equal Employment Opportunity policies, visit our Equal Employment Opportunity page.

     

    Join us at McKesson!

    About McKesson

    McKesson Corporation provides medicines, pharmaceutical supplies, information and care management products and services across the healthcare industry. The Company operates in two segments. The McKesson Distribution Solutions segment delivers ethical drugs, medical-surgical supplies and equipment and health and beauty care products throughout North America. This segment also provides specialty pharmaceutical solutions for biotech and pharmaceutical manufacturers, sells financial, operational and clinical solutions for pharmacies (retail, hospital, long-term care) and provides consulting, outsourcing and other services. The McKesson Technology Solutions segment delivers enterprise-wide clinical, patient care, financial, supply chain, strategic management and software solutions. In July 2011, the Company acquired Portico Systems from Safeguard Scientifics, Inc. On March 25, 2012, it acquired the independent banner and franchise businesses of Katz Group Canada Inc. McKesson Distribution Solutions delivers pharmaceuticals to retail pharmacies and institutional providers like hospitals and health systems. They operate pharmaceutical distribution centers across the country, serving customers in all 50 states. They also deliver a comprehensive offering of health care products, technology, equipment and related services to the alternate site market, including physician offices, surgery centers, long-term care facilities and home care businesses across the country. McKesson is currently the largest pharmaceutical distributor in North America. McKesson also operates McKesson Canada and has an equity holding in Nadro, a leading distributor in Mexico.

    McKesson Careers

    Join McKesson, a leading global healthcare company, and be part of a team that is redefining the future of healthcare. With a variety of job opportunities available, McKesson is the perfect place to advance your career, whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting out. Work You’ll Do At McKesson, we are committed to improving care in every setting—one product, one partner, one patient at a time. We’re seeking talented professionals to join our team and contribute to a culture of innovation, diversity, and leadership. Our employees are driven by a deep sense of purpose and a desire for continuous growth and improvement. Empower Your Future in Healthcare With positions ranging from internships to leadership roles, McKesson offers unparalleled employment opportunities to develop your skills and advance your career. Our commitment to diversity training ensures that all team members have the opportunity to thrive. Join a team where your skills will be honed, your professional growth will be supported, and where you can genuinely see the difference you make in the lives of patients around the world. Innovative Work Environment McKesson is at the forefront of healthcare innovation. Our team is constantly exploring new ways to improve patient outcomes and streamline care processes. This commitment to innovation is what sets us apart and what makes McKesson an exciting place to work. Career Development and Benefits McKesson believes in nurturing the potential of its employees through robust career development programs and comprehensive benefits designed to support your life and well-being. From leadership training to health and wellness benefits, we ensure our team members are equipped to meet their professional and personal goals. Explore Job Opportunities Whether you’re looking for an internship to kickstart your career, or a senior position to utilize your extensive experience, McKesson offers a range of opportunities. Explore our open positions and find where you can make a difference at McKesson. Stay Connected Join Our Team Search for open positions that match your skills and interests. We are looking for passionate, curious, and solution-driven team players who are ready to take the next step in their careers. Keep Up to Date Stay ahead with career tips, insider perspectives, and industry-leading insights you can put to use today—all from the people who work here. Networking and Professional Growth At McKesson, networking and professional growth are part of our everyday environment. We encourage our employees to connect, share, and learn from each other to foster personal and professional development. Job Alert Emails Personalize your subscription to receive job alerts, latest news, and insider tips tailored to your preferences. Discover the exciting and rewarding career opportunities that await you at McKesson. Join McKesson today and be part of a team that is dedicated to shaping the future of healthcare.
    Learn more about McKesson
    Size
    58,000 employees
    Market Cap
    $53.7 billion
    Industry
    Net Income
    -$4.1 billion
    Founded
    1833
    5 Year Trend
    +5.9%
    Revenue
    $237.6 billion
    NASDAQ

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