Health AI Engineer

University of Minnesota; Saint Paul (MN); On-site; USD 65,000 - 89,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive wages

Tuition benefits

Healthcare plan

Retirement plans

Employee wellness program

Job summary

The University of Minnesota’s Division of Computational Health Science seeks a master's level data scientist to join a multidisciplinary team conducting health data science, AI, and biomedical informatics research. The position is annually renewable as a professional academic appointment.

The role focuses on health AI methods, NLP, and real-world data analytics, contributing to translational research and scientific publications within a collaborative environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s in a quantitative field plus ≥5 years relevant experience or ≥9 years total experience.
• Strong foundation in algorithms, data structures, software engineering principles.
• Strong programming in Python and/or Java; SQL; familiarity with C/C++.
• Understanding of healthcare data and health AI applications.
• Experience developing, implementing, evaluating data science, ML, or AI solutions.
• Ability to work independently and manage research/engineering tasks.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, test, and evaluate AI, ML, NLP, generative AI, and data science methods for healthcare and biomedical research.
• Conduct computational experiments using EHR data, clinical text, and other biomedical datasets.
• Develop reproducible research pipelines, software tools, and AI systems to support research and translation.
• Summarize findings and communicate results to faculty, clinicians, researchers, engineers, students, sponsors, and collaborators.
• Maintain high-quality research code, documentation, and data analysis workflows.

Skills

Python

Java

SQL

C/C++

AI/ML

Healthcare data

Education

B.A./B.S. in a quantitative field

Job description

Location

Twin Cities

Job Details

Job Family: Research. Full/Part Time: Full-Time. Regular/Temporary: Regular.

About the Job

Duties/Responsibilities:

Health AI Research and Engineering - 50%

• Design, implement, test, and evaluate AI, machine learning, NLP, generative AI, and data science methods for healthcare and biomedical research projects.
• Conduct computational experiments using EHR data, clinical text, and other structured and unstructured biomedical datasets.
• Develop reproducible research pipelines, software tools, and AI systems to support research studies and translation of research methods into usable solutions.

Research Development and Evaluation - 25%

• Contribute to new research projects through literature reviews, study design, data preparation, experimental design, and selection of appropriate analytical and AI methods.
• Evaluate AI systems using appropriate quantitative and qualitative methods, including assessment of accuracy, robustness, generalizability, reliability, and potential limitations.
• Analyze experimental results, troubleshoot technical issues, and recommend methodological or engineering improvements.

Scientific Communication and Collaboration - 15%

• Summarize research findings and contribute to manuscripts, technical reports, presentations, posters, grant proposals, and other scientific products.
• Communicate analytical and technical results to faculty investigators, clinicians, research scientists, engineers, students, sponsors, and other collaborators.
• Work collaboratively within multidisciplinary research teams while independently managing assigned projects and deliverables.

Project and Technical Responsibilities - 10%

• Work under general supervision with substantial latitude to determine appropriate technical approaches, prioritize assigned activities, and make decisions within areas of responsibility.
• Maintain high-quality research code, documentation, data analysis workflows, and experimental records to support reproducibility and collaboration.
• Stay current with emerging developments in health AI, generative AI, agentic systems, biomedical informatics, and related technologies, and assess their potential application to ongoing research.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• B.A/B.S. in Biomedical/Health Informatics, Data Science, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related quantitative or technical discipline plus at least five years of relevant experience or a combination of education and relevant work experience to equal at least nine years
• Strong foundation in algorithms, data structures, software engineering principles, and computational methods.
• Strong programming skills in Python and/or Java; experience with SQL and familiarity with C/C++ or other programming languages. Candidates should be able to demonstrate programming proficiency through prior projects or sample code.
• Understanding of healthcare data, biomedical data, and common health AI and informatics applications.
• Experience developing, implementing, testing, and evaluating data science, machine learning, or AI solutions.
• Ability to work independently, manage assigned research and engineering tasks, and adapt to a rapidly evolving scientific and technical environment.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Research or applied experience in health data science, biomedical informatics, artificial intelligence, and real-world health data analytics.
• Experience working with electronic health record (EHR) data, clinical text, or other large-scale biomedical datasets.
• Knowledge of medical terminologies and ontologies, such as UMLS, SNOMED CT, ICD, RxNorm, or related standards.
• Experience with natural language processing, large language models (LLMs), generative AI, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and/or agentic AI systems.
• Experience evaluating AI systems, including model performance, robustness, generalizability, and reliability in healthcare applications.
• Experience contributing to scientific publications, conference presentations, technical reports, or research proposals.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams of faculty, clinicians, research scientists, engineers, students, and other research professionals.

About the Department

About the Department and Program

The Division of Computational Health Science (CHS, https://med.umn.edu/surgery/divisions/computational-health-sciences) at the University of Minnesota is seeking master's level data scientist to join a multidisciplinary team conducting research in health data science, artificial intelligence, and biomedical informatics. The position is an annually renewable professional academic appointment. CHS develops and applies innovative data science and AI methods to analyze complex biomedical and healthcare data, with the goal of advancing biomedical research, clinical care, and learning health systems.

The Natural Language Processing / Information Extraction (NLP/IE) Program (https://healthinformatics.umn.edu/natural-language-processing) brings together faculty investigators, research scientists, engineers, postdoctoral researchers, programmers, and students to develop and evaluate NLP and AI methods for a broad range of clinical and biomedical applications. Current and emerging areas include clinical NLP, large language models, generative AI, agentic AI, retrieval-augmented generation, real-world data analytics, and trustworthy health AI.

Pay and Benefits

Pay Range: $31.31-$42.77 per hour; depending on education/qualifications/experience

Time Appointment: 100% Appointment

Position Type: Civil-Service & Non-Faculty Labor Represented Staff

Please visit the Office of Human Resources website for more information regarding benefit eligibility.

The University offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off
• Continuous learning opportunities through professional training and degree‑seeking programs supported by the Regents Tuition Benefit Program
• Low‑cost medical, dental, and pharmacy plans
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• University HSA contributions
• Disability and employer‑paid life insurance
• Employee wellbeing program
• Excellent retirement plans with employer contribution
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) opportunity
• Financial counseling services
• Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counseling at no cost
• Employee Transit Pass with free or reduced rates in the Twin Cities metro area

While our salary ranges provide a framework, it is important to note that most of the time, the initial pay may not reach the maximum of the range. This approach ensures compensation reflects the value and unique contributions of each candidate while maintaining equity within our organization. As part of our commitment to fair and equitable compensation, please be aware that the salary offered to incoming candidates will be based on their individual credentials and experience.

Diversity

The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission. The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds.

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To learn more about diversity at the U: http://diversity.umn.edu

Employment Requirements

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.

About University of Minnesota

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC)

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC), is among the largest public research universities in the country, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Located at the heart of one of the nation's most vibrant, diverse metropolitan communities, students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul benefit from extensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers, international corporations, government agencies, and arts, nonprofit, and public service organizations.

At the University of Minnesota, we are proud to be recognized by Forbes as a Best Employer for Company Culture (2026), Best Employer for Women (2023, 2025, 2026), and Best Employer by State (2022-2026). In 2026, we also received Culture Excellence & Industry Awards recognition for employee appreciation and work‑life flexibility.