Sr. Director of Data Science Engineering

HCSC Group; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 162,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

HCSC is seeking a Senior Director to lead the Data Science Engineering function, guiding ML engineers working with data scientists, product managers, and IT to operationalize AI/ML solutions at scale.

This hybrid role requires 3 days in the office and reports to the Data Science & AI Solutions team, the central data science hub. The candidate should have strong leadership and hands-on MLOps, cloud AI services, and responsible AI expertise.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in CS, engineering, or related field with substantial work experience.
• Minimum 4 years of management or leadership experience.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.
• Proficiency in at least five areas with mastery in one: software engineering, ML model development, MLOps, Python, generative AI, healthcare.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement strategic plans for the Data Science Engineering function.
• Lead machine learning engineers to operationalize AI/ML solutions.
• Evolve MLOps practices including CI/CD, deployment, and monitoring.
• Architect scalable, secure cloud infrastructure for model training and serving.
• Drive best practices in testing, observability, and responsible AI.
• Partner with IT and data teams to integrate AI into enterprise systems.
• Oversee budget and staffing for the function.
• Communicate strategy and progress with stakeholders.

Skills

Leadership

Management

MLOps

CI/CD

Python

Healthcare domain knowledge

Education

Bachelor’s degree in CS/Engineering

Master’s degree in CS/Engineering

PhD in CS/Engineering

Tools

AWS

Azure

GCP

Kubernetes

Docker

MLflow

Kubeflow

SageMaker

Databricks

Job description

At HCSC, our employees are the cornerstone of our business and the foundation to our success. We empower employees with curated development plans that foster growth and promote rewarding, fulfilling careers.

Join HCSC and be part of a purpose-driven company that will invest in your professional development.

Job Summary

HCSC is recruiting for a leader in our Data Science Engineering function. The team is responsible for the engineering practices that bring AI and machine learning solutions to production at scale, including model deployment, MLOps, monitoring, and reliability. The Senior Director will lead a team of machine learning engineers who partner closely with data scientists, product managers, and IT to operationalize AI/ML solutions that deliver tangible business value.
This role is situated within the Data Science & AI Solutions team at HCSC, the central hub of data science work within the organization. Join our team of driven, fun, and accomplished builders, and help us advance HCSC’s mission: to do everything in our power to support our members, in sickness and in health.

Please note, this is a HYBRID position and will require 3 days/week in-office hours at the respective office location.

Job Responsibilities

• Develop and implement strategic plans for the Data Science Engineering function, aligning with the organization’s objectives.
• Lead a team of machine learning engineers to design, build, and operationalize scalable AI/ML solutions in collaboration with data scientists, product managers, and business stakeholders.
• Establish and evolve MLOps practices, including CI/CD pipelines, model deployment, monitoring, and lifecycle management for both traditional ML and generative AI systems.
• Architect and oversee scalable, secure, and reliable infrastructure for model training, inference, and serving on cloud platforms.
• Drive engineering best practices include code quality, automated testing, observability, reproducibility, and responsible AI principles.
• Partner with IT, platform, and data engineering teams to integrate AI/ML solutions into enterprise systems and workflows.
• Ensure policies and procedures align with the corporate vision, regulatory requirements, and industry best practices.
• Foster effective communication and collaboration within the team, stakeholders, and management.
• Recruit, develop, and evaluate personnel to ensure the efficient operation of the Data Science Engineering team.
• Serve as a liaison and support effective communication and strategy between the team and stakeholders.
• Oversee the budget and operations of the function, ensuring efficient resource allocation and alignment with goals.

Required Job Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree and 7 years of work experience in a computer science, engineering, or related field OR Master’s degree and 6 years of work experience in a computer science, engineering, or related field OR Ph.D. and 4 years of work experience in a computer science, engineering, or related field

• 4 years management or leadership experience.
• Learning and growth mindset.
• Customer-focused.
• Interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills.
• Must demonstrate proficiency in at least five and mastery in one of the following six areas:

1. software engineering and version control practices
2. machine learning model development and evaluation
3. MLOps, CI/CD, and model deployment
4. a high-level programming language (e.g., Python)
5. generative and agentic AI
6. understanding of healthcare.

• Iterative and agile development practices.
• Independently delivering or leading the delivery of machine learning engineering solutions for multiple complex analytics or data science projects and products.
• Overseeing the annual budget and allocating resources for various projects and operational needs.
• Translating needs and initiatives into compelling business cases.
• Conducting cost-benefit analyses to justify investments and ensure ROI.

Preferred Job Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a computational field, or Bachelor’s degree with significant healthcare experience
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and cloud-native ML services
• Experience with containerization (Docker, Kubernetes) and infrastructure-as-code
• Experience with MLOps tooling (e.g., MLflow, Kubeflow, SageMaker, Azure ML, Databricks)
• Experience deploying and operating generative AI / LLM-based solutions, including LLMOps, RAG architectures, and vector databases
• Experience with model monitoring, drift detection, and responsible AI tooling

LI-HYBRID

LI -AZ1

Are you being referred to one of our roles? If so, ask your connection at HCSC about our Employee Referral process!

Pay Transparency Statement:

At Health Care Service Corporation, you will be part of an organization committed to offering meaningful benefits to our employees to support their life outside of work. From health and wellness benefits, 401(k) savings plan, pension plan, paid time off, paid parental leave, disability insurance, supplemental life insurance, employee assistance program, paid holidays, tuition reimbursement, plus other incentives, we offer a robust total rewards package for employees. Learn more about our benefit offerings by visiting https://careers.hcsc.com/totalrewards.

The compensation offered will vary depending on your job-related skills, education, knowledge, and experience. This role aligns with an annual incentive bonus plansubject to the terms and the conditions of the plan.

HCSC Employment Statement:

We are an Equal Opportunity Employment employer dedicated to providing a welcoming environment where the unique differences of our employees are respected and valued. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristics.

Base Pay Range

$161,500.00 - $299,700.00

Exact compensation may vary based on skills, experience, and location.