Optum is a global leader in healthcare technology, dedicated to improving health outcomes for millions worldwide. We foster an inclusive culture where talented individuals can thrive, offering comprehensive benefits and significant career development opportunities. Join our mission to advance health optimization on a global scale, fostering connection, care, and growth.

As Director, Data Science, you will lead the Payment Integrity Decision Intelligence (PIDI) Data Science and AIML Analytics India team. Your role will be pivotal in driving data science and AI-led innovation, analytical excellence, and strategic transformation to deliver tangible business value across payment integrity programs. You will cultivate a culture of innovation and scientific rigor, establishing best practices for model development, validation, and optimization. This leadership position is crucial for advancing the organization's analytical capabilities through the development and deployment of advanced predictive and prescriptive models.

Key responsibilities include defining the vision, strategy, and roadmap for AI, Machine Learning, and Advanced Analytics initiatives to enhance payment integrity outcomes. You will build, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of Data Scientists and AIML experts, fostering innovation and continuous learning. Providing strategic Data Science and AI leadership, you will collaborate across business, operations, clinical, product, and technology teams to identify high-value opportunities and deliver scalable analytical solutions.

The role involves driving the end-to-end development of Payment Integrity data science and AIML capabilities, including predictive models, advanced detection engines, and analytical solutions for identifying Fraud, Waste, Abuse, and Error (FWAE). You will serve as a hands-on technical leader, overseeing the entire AIML lifecycle from problem formulation to continuous improvement. Establishing robust model performance, governance, and value realization frameworks is essential, ensuring sustainable business outcomes and maximizing savings.

You will champion advanced analytics and AI methodologies to tackle complex healthcare and payment integrity challenges, leading applied research and modernization efforts. This includes evaluating emerging fraud patterns and next-generation AI technologies to create scalable, production-ready solutions. A critical aspect is establishing and governing Responsible AI practices, ensuring safe, compliant, ethical, and business-aligned AIML deployments.

A Graduate (Master's/PhD) degree in Engineering, Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, or a related quantitative field is required. You will need over 15 years of experience in Data Science, Advanced Analytics, AIML, and predictive modeling, with at least 10 years in a leadership capacity managing mid-sized, cross-functional teams. Extensive hands-on programming experience with Python, R, SAS, and SQL, alongside distributed computing frameworks, is crucial for conducting advanced statistical analysis and optimizing predictive methods.

Deep, hands-on experience with machine learning applied to healthcare or other high-stakes domains, including at least 10 years of direct experience in a cloud environment, is highly valued. Proven success in designing and delivering enterprise-scale AIML solutions from concept to production deployment and business adoption is expected. Solid experience with cloud-based AIML platforms like Azure AI or Azure Databricks is necessary.

Expertise in Machine Learning, Statistical Modeling, Deep Learning, Natural Language Processing (NLP), and Generative AI technologies is essential. A strong understanding of MLOps, Model Governance, Responsible AI, Model Monitoring, and AI Risk Management frameworks is required. The ability to partner with executive leadership to translate complex business problems into scalable AI solutions, coupled with strong communication and stakeholder management skills, is vital for influencing senior leadership decisions.