Senior Data Scientist, Applied AI

Definitive Healthcare, US; Framingham (MA); Hybrid; USD 136,000 - 206,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Unlimited PTO

401(k) plan with employer match

Job summary

Definitive Healthcare in Framingham, MA is seeking a Senior Data Scientist to own the build and evaluation of AI solutions for an assigned use case, applying the team’s evaluation framework. You will design and test LLM workflows, embeddings, and RAG architectures using Python, with focus on quality, reliability, latency, and cost.

You will diagnose issues, compare models, and document tradeoffs while collaborating with engineering and product teams to continuously improve production systems.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required in a quantitative or technical field.
• 5+ years of relevant experience in data science, ML, AI or related field.
• Hands-on experience building and evaluating LLM applications.

Responsibilities

• Own assigned workflows: build, test, and improve LLM/RAG/tool-using workflows in Python.
• Apply evaluation criteria, baselines, and test datasets within the team framework.
• Compare models, embeddings, and retrieval methods; document tradeoffs.
• Diagnose retrieval misses and workflow failures; implement fixes.
• Maintain test assets: test cases, benchmarks, regression checks.
• Support production reliability and monitor performance changes.
• Collaborate with engineering, product, and domain partners.

Skills

Python programming

LLM knowledge

Embeddings

Semantic search

RAG architectures

Test design

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree required

Master's degree preferred

Tools

MLflow

Unity Catalog

Delta Lake

Lakebase

Lakeflow Jobs

Job description

At Definitive Healthcare (NASDAQ: DH), we’re passionate about turning data, analytics, and expertise into meaningful intelligence that helps our customers achieve success and shape the future of healthcare. We empower them to uncover the right markets, opportunities, and people—paving the way for smarter decisions and greater impact.

Headquartered just outside of Boston, Massachusetts, Definitive Healthcare operates across North America, Europe, and India, supporting a growing global client base of more than 2,400 customers since our founding in 2011.

We’re also a great place to work. In 2024 and 2025, we earned multiple workplace honors, including Built In’s 100 Best Places to Work in Boston (both years), a Stevie Bronze Award for Great Employers, and recognition as a Great Place to Work in India.

We foster a collaborative, inclusive culture where diverse perspectives drive innovation. Through programs like DefinitiveCares and our employee-led affinity groups we strive to promote connection, education, and inclusion.

About the position:

This role independently owns the build and evaluation of AI solutions for an assigned use case, operating within the team's established evaluation framework and practices. The Senior Data Scientist exercises professional judgment on technical approach, issue diagnosis, and implementation within their assigned project, escalating decisions that would affect the team's overall evaluation strategy, span multiple projects, or carry material risk. Its impact is measured by the quality and reliability of the systems and evidence it delivers for its assigned use case.

What y ou’ll do:

• Own assigned workflows: Independently build, test, and improve LLM, RAG, and tool-using agent workflows for an assigned use case, using maintainable, tested Python code.
• Apply the evaluation framework: Select and apply evaluation criteria, baselines, and test datasets within the team's established evaluation approach; does not set that approach for the team.
• Select technical approaches: Compare models, embeddings, and retrieval methods for the assigned use case using evidence on quality, reliability, latency, and cost; document recommendations and tradeoffs for that project.
• Diagnose and resolve issues: Investigate retrieval misses, incorrect answers, and workflow failures within the assigned project; independently determine root cause and implement and validate the fix.
• Maintain and extend test assets: Build and update test cases, benchmark datasets, and regression checks for the assigned use case.
• Support production reliability: Monitor and investigate performance changes for workflows they own, and recommend and implement improvements within their project.
• Collaborate on delivery: Communicate findings and technical tradeoffs on the assigned project to immediate engineering, product, and domain partners.

What you'll need:

Education and experience

• Bachelor's degree required; master's degree in a quantitative or technical field preferred.
• 5+ years of relevant experience in data science, machine learning, applied AI, software engineering, or a related field.
• Hands-on experience building and evaluating LLM applications.

Technical and professional skills

• Strong Python programming, software engineering and testing, and analytical problem-solving skills.
• Strong knowledge of LLMs, embeddings, semantic search, retrieval systems, and RAG architectures.
• Strong hands‑on experience with Databricks, including Delta Lake, Unity Catalog, Lakebase, Lakeflow Jobs, and MLflow, for building and deploying scalable, production‑grade data and AI solutions.
• Ability to design representative evaluations for an assigned use case, analyze errors, and use results to improve a system.
• Ability to weigh quality, reliability, latency, and cost when recommending an approach for their own project.
• Clear communication and effective collaboration with technical and non­technical partners.
• Experience with agent frameworks and AI evaluation platforms.
• Experience with healthcare data is preferred, but not required.

Autonomy, decisions, and scope

• This is an individual contributor role with no people‑management responsibilities.
• Operates independently on an assigned project within the team's established evaluation framework and practices.
• Exercises professional judgment on technical approach, root‑cause diagnosis, and issue resolution within their assigned project.
• Escalates decisions involving changes to the team's evaluation approach, significant business risk, sensitive data, material cost commitments, or production release approval to the Manager or appropriate owner.

Compensation and Benefits:

The salary range for this position is $136,000 – $206,000 per year, which represents the base pay the company reasonably and in good faith expects to pay for this role. Actual pay within this range will be determined based on factors such as relevant experience, skills, and qualifications.

Depending on the position, employees may also be eligible to participate in a company bonus or commission plan. All employees are eligible for a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision coverage, unlimited paid time off, and participation in the company’s 401(k) plan with employer contribution.

Why we love Definitive, and why you will too!

• Industry leading products
• Work hard, and have fun doing it
• Incredibly fast growth means limitless opportunity
• Flexible and dynamic culture
• Work alongside some of the most talented and dedicated teammates
• Definitive Cares, our community service group, gives all of us a chance to give back
• Competitive benefits package including great healthcare benefits and a 401(k) match

What our Employees are saying about us on Glassdoor:

“Great Work atmosphere, great work life balance, excellent company to work for, amazing top notch product, incredible customer service, lots of tools to help you succeed.”

-Business Development Manager

Great team. Amazing growth. Employees are treated very well.

I have waited 36 years to work at a dream job for a dream company and I am so happy to have finally got there.

If you don’t fit all of these qualifications, but believe you’re still a great fit, feel free to apply and tell us why in your cover letter.

If you are a California, Colorado, New York City or Washington resident and this role is a remote role, you can receive additional information about the compensation and benefits for this role, which we will provide upon request.

Definitive Hiring Philosophy

Definitive Healthcare is an equal opportunity employer that celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive workplace with equal opportunity for all applicants and teammates. Our goal is to recruit the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool regardless of race, color, religion, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation or any other status. If you’re interested in working in a fast growing, exciting working environment – we encourage you to apply!

Privacy

Your privacy is important to us. Please review our Candidate Privacy Notice which tells you how we use and process your personal information.

Please note: All communications regarding the hiring process at Definitive Healthcare will come directly from one of our corporate recruiters or coordinators using an @definitivehc.com email address. We do not advertise open roles on Facebook and will never request money transfers or ask candidates to purchase equipment with a promise of reimbursement. If you receive any suspicious communication, please contact [e-mail] to verify your status in the application process.

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As set forth in Definitive Healthcare, US’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service‑connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

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