Data Scientist, Senior

Utah; Salt Lake City, Northern (UT, KY); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Utah Health seeks a Senior Data Scientist to partner with leadership on high‑impact healthcare analytics across clinical and operational domains.

You will set technical standards, mentor team members, and help deploy reproducible data science pipelines while aligning with data governance and HIPAA requirements. Opportunity to influence enterprise analytics strategy in a large academic health system.

Qualifications

• Master's or PhD in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, Math or related field/equivalency.
• Eight years of experience in a data science role.
• Two years of healthcare specific data analytics experience.
• Expertise in one or more sub-domains of data science.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a team expert in one or more technical domains (e.g., biostatistics, machine learning, NLP) and apply advanced methods to solve complex problems.
• Lead project framing, modeling strategy, experiment design, and deployment planning through independent execution.
• Define and uphold analytic and engineering standards for scalable pipelines, model deployment, monitoring, and lifecycle management in partnership with engineering and IT.
• Implement reproducible, well‑structured code in Python/R and SQL, establishing team‑wide conventions where appropriate.
• Acquire, clean, transform, validate, and explore data from multiple systems using repeatable processes to identify patterns and anomalies.
• Evaluate and introduce new tools, methods, or approaches when they provide clear value to the team or organization.
• Document data sources, assumptions, analytic steps, methodologies, and limitations with clarity and accuracy.
• Communicate findings and recommendations through concise summaries and presentations tailored to stakeholders.
• Provide mentorship and thought partnership through design reviews and collaborative problem‑solving.
• Collaborate with data scientists, analysts, and cross‑functional partners to integrate analytic work into operational workflows.

Skills

SQL & Python/R

Curiosity

DS methods

ML deployment

EHR data

Model interpretability

Leadership

Mentoring

Experiment design

Judgment

Autonomy

DS project leadership

Ethical AI

Education

Master's or PhD in CS/IS/Engineering/Math

Job description

Overview

As a patient-focused organization, University of Utah Health exists to enhance the health and well-being of people through patient care, research and education. Success in this mission requires a culture of collaboration, excellence, leadership and respect. University of Utah Health seeks staff that are committed to the values of compassion, collaboration, innovation, responsibility, integrity, quality and trust that are integral to our mission. EO/AA

The Senior Data Scientist partners closely with leadership to solve the organization’s most technically challenging and high-impact problems across clinical and operational domains. They bring deep expertise in the data science lifecycle and healthcare/business context to create impactful solutions. Within the Data Science team, they set technical standards, provide mentorship and rigorous review, and strengthen shared practices to improve the quality and consistency of the team’s work.

Corporate Overview: University of Utah Health is an integrated academic healthcare system with five hospitals including a level 1 trauma center, eleven community health centers, over 1,600 providers, and a health plan serving over 200,000 members. University of Utah Health is nationally ranked and recognized for our academic research, quality standards and overall patient experience. In addition to our clinical delivery system, we have a School of Medicine, School of Dentistry, College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy, and College of Health providing education and training for over 1,250 providers annually. We have over 2 million patient visits annually and research grants exceeding $350 million. University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics represents our clinical operations for the larger health system.

Responsibilities

Essential Functions

• Serve as a team expert in one or more technical domains (e.g., biostatistics, machine learning, NLP ) and apply advanced methods to solve complex problems.
• Lead project framing, modeling strategy, experiment design, and deployment planning through independent execution.
• Define and uphold analytic and engineering standards for scalable pipelines, model deployment, monitoring, and lifecycle management in partnership with engineering and IT.
• Implement reproducible, well‑structured code in Python/R and SQL, establishing team‑wide conventions where appropriate.
• Acquire, clean, transform, validate, and explore data from multiple systems using repeatable processes to identify patterns and anomalies.
• Evaluate and introduce new tools, methods, or approaches when they provide clear value to the team or organization.
• Document data sources, assumptions, analytic steps, methodologies, and limitations with clarity and accuracy.
• Communicate findings and recommendations through concise summaries and presentations tailored to stakeholders.
• Provide mentorship and thought partnership through design reviews and collaborative problem‑solving.
• Collaborate with data scientists, analysts, and cross‑functional partners to integrate analytic work into operational workflows.
• Follow HIPAA, PHI, and data governance protocols.
• Perform additional work as needed to support team success.

Knowledge / Skills / Abilities

• Mastery of SQL and Python or R.
• Insatiable curiosity.
• Deep understanding of data science methods, with the ability to use or adapt them in novel and rigorous ways.
• Expert knowledge of ML deployment and monitoring best practices.
• Knowledge of nuances of EHR and hospital operations data.
• Ability to clearly explain model results, uncertainty, and analytic rationale to both technical and non‑technical partners.
• Strong project leadership skills, including managing multiple ambiguous, technically challenging initiatives and aligning stakeholders.
• Ability to mentor data scientists and analysts, providing guidance on methods and production coding standards.
• Advanced ability to design, review, and validate experimentation and evaluation frameworks.
• Strong judgment in balancing rigor, feasibility, and timeliness in clinical and operational contexts.
• High level of autonomy, accountability, and ownership across a portfolio of work.
• Demonstrated experience leading DS projects from scoping through deployment.
• Commitment to responsible and ethical AI.

Qualifications

Required

• Master's or PhD in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, Math or related field/equivalency.
• Eight years of experience in a data science role.
• Two years of healthcare specific data analytics experience.
• Expertise in one or more sub-domains of data science.

Preferred

• Healthcare data science experience.
• Expereince completing end to end Data science projects for executives.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

Employee must be able to meet the following requirements with or without an accommodation.

• This is a sedentary position that may exert up to 10 pounds and may lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects. This position involves sitting most of the time and is not exposed to adverse environmental conditions.

Physical Requirements

Carrying, Climbing, Color Determination, Crawling, Far Vision, Lifting, Listening, Manual Dexterity, Near Vision, Pulling and/or Pushing, Reaching, Sitting, Speaking, Standing, Stooping and Crouching, Tasting or Smelling, Walking

Multi-lingual Candidates Welcomed

EEO Statement

University of Utah Health Hospitals and Clinics, a part of The University of Utah, values candidates who have experience working in settings with students and patients from all backgrounds and possess a strong commitment to improving access to higher education and quality healthcare for historically underrepresented students and patient populations.

All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply. Veterans’ preference is extended to qualified applicants, upon request and consistent with University policy and Utah state law. Upon request, reasonable accommodations in the application process will be provided to individuals with disabilities.

University of Utah Health Hospitals and Clinics, a part of The University of Utah, is an Affirmitive Action/Equal Opportunity employer and does not discriminate based upon race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, or protected veteran's status. The University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education program or activity that it operates, as required by Title IX and 34 CFR part 106. The requirement not to discriminate in education programs or activities extends to admission and employment. Inquiries about the application of Title IX and its regulations may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, to the Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, or both.

To request a reasonable accommodation for a disability, please contact the University of Utah Health Hospitals and Clinics Human Resources office at 801-581-6500. If you or someone you know has experienced discrimination or sexual misconduct including sexual harassment, you may contact the Director/Title IX Coordinator in the Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO). More information, including the Director/Title IX Coordinator's office address, electronic mail address, and telephone number can be located at www.utah.edu/nondiscrimination/.

Online reports may be submitted at oeo.utah.edu/.

This position may require the successful completion of a criminal background check and/or drug screen.

Requisition Number 85944

Reg/Temp Regular

Employment Type Full-Time

Shift Day

Work Schedule Monday - Friday 8 am - 5 pm

Clinical/Non-Clinical Status Non-Clinical

Location Name Information Technology Services

Workplace Set Up Hybrid

City SALT LAKE CITY

State UT

Department COR ISC 10P INSIGHT CENTER

Category Information Technology

Workplace Set Up Hybrid