Lead Director - Data Scientist - Forecasting Accuracy and Analytical insights for Underwriting

CVS Health; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 144,000 - 288,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision coverage

Paid time off

Retirement savings options

Wellness programs

Job summary

CVS Health is seeking a Lead Director, Data Scientist for Forecasting Accuracy in Austin. You will lead a team of 10+ data scientists, shape analytics strategy for underwriting, and drive P&L forecasting accuracy across underwriting and related functions.

You will collaborate with Product, Engineering, Underwriting, and Finance to deliver insights, improve decision making, and advance analytics capabilities within the core underwriting workflow.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in analytics, decision science, or related fields.
• 5+ years leading large analytical teams and developing leaders.
• Expertise in validation, anomaly detection, and financial validation.
• Strong ability to synthesize data into actionable insights.
• Experience with self-service reporting and driving business impact.
• Proven track record validating outcomes with large datasets.
• Advanced SQL and data analysis skills.
• Excellent communication and executive presentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead analytics strategy for underwriting transformation software products.
• Design predictive and scenario-based capabilities for underwriting decisions.
• Perform time-series and forecasting modeling for volume and risk.
• Apply machine learning to improve underwriting accuracy and efficiency.
• Embed analytics into core product workflows with PM and Eng teams.
• Own metrics, reporting, OKRs, and dashboards for transparency.
• Deliver executive-ready insights on progress, risks, and tradeoffs.
• Guide cross-functional collaboration across Product, Engineering, Underwriting, Finance.

Skills

Advanced SQL

Data analysis

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Leadership experience

Tools

Databricks

Tableau

Power BI

Python

Job description

We’re building a world of health around every individual — shaping a more connected, convenient and compassionate health experience. At CVS Health®, you’ll be surrounded by passionate colleagues who care deeply, innovate with purpose, hold ourselves accountable and prioritize safety and quality in everything we do. Join us and be part of something bigger – helping to simplify health care one person, one family and one community at a time.

Position Summary

The Lead Director, Lead Director - Data Scientist - Forecasting Accuracy and Analytical insights for Underwriting, ensures the accuracy, reliability, and financial integrity of analytics-driven products across the underwriting ecosystem. This leader sets the strategy for reducing financial leakage, goal‑seeking underwriting scenario optimization, forecasted P&L accuracy, underwriting risk‑management, insights and recommendations for underwriting/sales decision making, and anomaly detection in live underwriting deals. They ensure that underwriters and sales partners are supported by technology with various financial tools, data, and insights. This role combines the analytical rigor of a Data Scientist with the leadership capabilities of a financial product development leader. The position leads a team of 10+ data scientists responsible for supporting underwriting analytical needs, P&L forecasting accuracy, analytical insights and validation, reporting solutions, business impact, and financial result verification.

Key Responsibilities

Product‑Embedded Leadership for Data Science & Advanced Analytics

• Lead the data science and analytics strategy for underwriting transformation software products, from problem framing through production deployment.
• Design and operationalize predictive, and scenario‑based analytical capabilities supporting underwriting, pricing, and risk decisions.
• Time‑series, advance regression, tree based modeling and forecasting for volume, financial, and risk projections.
• Machine learning and statistical modeling to improve underwriting accuracy and efficiency.
• Partner closely with Product Management and Engineering to embed analytics and reporting into core product workflows.

Metrics, Reporting & OKR Ownership

• Define, track, and report product, operational, and business metrics and OKRs aligned to organizational and underwriting transformation goals.
• Establish scalable reporting frameworks and dashboards that provide transparency into product performance, financial impact, and delivery outcomes.
• Deliver executive‑ready insights that clearly articulate progress, risks, and tradeoffs.
• Exploring and delivering emerging technologies that can help transform BI and reporting to leveraging AI to build reporting layers that are flexible, dynamic and can enable user driven exploration.

Cross‑Functional Leadership & Stakeholder Management

• Facilitate continuous, cross‑functional communication across Product, Engineering, Underwriting, Finance, Actuarial, and Executive teams.
• Build trusted partnerships with stakeholders at all organizational levels, serving as a strategic thought partner for data‑driven decisions.
• Translate complex analytical insights into clear, actionable narratives for both technical and non‑technical audiences.

Organizational Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop a high‑performing organization of decision scientists, analysts and validation professionals.
• Define team vision, strategy, goals, priorities, and OKRs.
• Manage resource planning, workload prioritization, and organizational growth.
• Provide executive-level communication, reporting, and strategic recommendations.

Required Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in analytics, decision science, business intelligence, financial analysis, quality assurance, or data validation.
• 5+ years of experience leading large analytical teams and developing people leaders.
• Expertise in analytical validation, anomaly detection, root cause analysis, business impact assessment, and financial validation.
• Strong ability to analyze and synthesize both quantitative and qualitative data to generate insights and explain business outcomes.
• Experience developing self‑service reporting solutions and communicating insights from reports and dashboards.
• Proven experience validating business outcomes and financial results using large‑scale datasets.
• Advanced SQL and data analysis skills.
• Exceptional communication, stakeholder management, and executive presentation skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• PBM, Healthcare, Underwriting, Pricing, Forecasting, Actuarial, or Financial Analytics experience.
• Experience validating underwriting, forecasting, pricing, or P&L platforms.
• Experience with Databricks, SQL, Tableau, Power BI, Python, or similar analytics platforms.
• Experience leading through managers, including setting direction, coaching people leaders, and driving accountability across multi‑level data science teams.

Pay Range

The Typical Pay Range For This Role Is

$144,200.00 - $288,400.00
This pay range represents the base hourly rate or base annual full‑time salary for all positions in the job grade within which this position falls. The actual base salary offer will depend on a variety of factors including experience, education, geography and other relevant factors. This position is eligible for a CVS Health bonus, commission or short‑term incentive program in addition to the base pay range listed above. This position also includes an award target in the company’s equity award program.
Our people fuel our future. Our teams reflect the customers, patients, members and communities we serve and we are committed to fostering a workplace where every colleague feels valued and that they belong.

Great Benefits For Great People

We take pride in offering a comprehensive and competitive mix of pay and benefits that reflects our commitment to our colleagues and their families.
This full‑time position is eligible for a comprehensive benefits package designed to support the physical, emotional, and financial well‑being of colleagues and their families. The benefits for this position include medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid time off, retirement savings options, wellness programs, and other resources, based on eligibility.
Additional details about available benefits are provided during the application process and on Benefits Moments.
We anticipate the application window for this opening will close on: 10/30/2026
Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all federal, state and local laws.