Associate Data Scientist

Optum India; Pune District; On-site; INR 800,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Optum India is seeking a data scientist/analyst to analyze datasets, build ML models, and translate insights into business actions. You will develop dashboards, collaborate with data engineers, and contribute to GenAI initiatives while upholding responsible AI practices.

Strong communication and stakeholder management are essential as you work with cross-functional teams to drive data-driven decisions and outcomes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's in Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Engineering, or related quantitative field
• 1+ years of experience in Data Science, Analytics, Machine Learning or related roles
• Experience performing EDA, data preprocessing, and feature engineering
• Good understanding of statistics, ML algorithms, and data modeling techniques
• Familiarity with data visualization and dashboarding tools such as Power BI, Tableau, or similar
• Proficiency in SQL for data extraction, manipulation, and analysis
• Proven solid programming skills in Python
• Proven strong analytical thinking and problem-solving abilities
• Proven excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities

Responsibilities

• Data Analysis & Insights: analyze datasets to identify trends and opportunities
• Machine Learning & AI: build, evaluate, and monitor models under guidance
• Generative AI & Emerging Tech: prototype GenAI/LLM use cases and RAG basics
• Data Visualization & Reporting: develop dashboards and tell data-driven stories
• Collaboration & Stakeholder Management: partner with business teams and data engineers
• Documentation & Continuous Learning: document methods and stay updated on AI advances
• Comply with company policies and work arrangements

Skills

Python

SQL

Data visualization

Statistics

Analytical thinking

Communication

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in CS/DS/Math/Engineering

Tools

Power BI

Tableau

Pandas/Numpy

Databricks

Snowflake

Azure

AWS

GCP

CI/CD

MLOps

XGBoost

Job description

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

• Data Analysis & Insights
  • Analyze structured and unstructured datasets to identify trends, patterns, and business opportunities
  • Perform exploratory data analysis (EDA), feature engineering, data validation, and data quality assessments
  • Translate complex analytical findings into meaningful insights and actionable recommendations for business stakeholders
• Machine Learning & AI
  • Build, evaluate, optimize, and monitor machine learning and statistical models under the guidance of senior team members
  • Assist in developing predictive and prescriptive analytics solutions to improve business outcomes
  • Support the deployment and maintenance of AI/ML solutions in production environments
• Generative AI & Emerging Technologies
  • Prototype and experiment with Generative AI and Large Language Model (LLM) use cases
  • Work on prompt engineering, basic Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), and AI-powered automation initiatives
  • Understand Responsible AI principles, including model reliability, bias, and hallucination mitigation
• Data Visualization & Reporting
  • Develop dashboards, reports, and visualizations using modern BI tools
  • Present data-driven insights through intuitive analytical storytelling and business narratives
  • Support operational teams with KPI tracking and performance reporting
• Collaboration & Stakeholder Management
  • Partner with business teams to identify opportunities for data-driven decision-making and process optimization
  • Collaborate with Data Engineers to ensure clean, reliable, and scalable datasets
  • Participate in cross-functional discussions and contribute to analytical problem-solving initiatives
• Documentation & Continuous Learning
  • Document methodologies, experiments, code, and technical approaches
  • Present findings and recommendations to internal teams and stakeholders
  • Stay updated with the latest advancements in AI, Machine Learning, Generative AI, and Data Science
• 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

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Engineering, or a related quantitative field
• 1+ years of experience in Data Science, Analytics, Machine Learning, or related roles
• Experience performing EDA, data preprocessing, and feature engineering
• Good understanding of statistics, machine learning algorithms, and data modeling techniques
• Familiarity with data visualization and dashboarding tools such as Power BI, Tableau, or similar platforms
• Proficiency in SQL for data extraction, manipulation, and analysis
• Proven solid programming skills in Python
• Proven solid analytical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Proven excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with machine learning libraries such as Scikit-learn, Pandas, NumPy, and XGBoost
• Knowledge of Databricks, Snowflake, or modern data platforms
• Familiarity with cloud platforms such as Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud Platform
• Understanding of CI/CD, MLOps, and model deployment concepts
• Proven exposure to Generative AI, LLMs, Prompt Engineering, and basic RAG frameworks

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.