Optum is a global organization that delivers care, aided by technology to help millions of people live healthier lives.
The work you do with our team will directly improve health outcomes by connecting people with the care, pharmacy benefits, data and resources they need to feel their best.
Here, you will find a culture guided by diversity and inclusion, talented peers, comprehensive benefits and career development opportunities.
Come make an impact on the communities we serve as you help us advance health equity on a global scale.
Join us to start
Caring.
Connecting.
Growing together.
At UnitedHealth Group and Optum, we want to make healthcare work better for everyone.
This depends on hiring the best and brightest.
With a thriving ecosystem of investment and innovation, our business in Ireland is constantly growing to support the healthcare needs of the future.
Our teams are at the forefront of building and adapting the latest technologies to propel healthcare forward in a way that better serves everyone.
With our hands at work across all aspects of health, we use the most advanced development tools, AI, data science and innovative approaches to make the healthcare system work better for everyone.
Optum's Payment Integrity Decision Intelligence is seeking a Senior Data Scientist to help drive our mission of driving efficiency and Medical Cost Savings growth within Payment Integrity operations using advanced AI/ML tooling to drive detection, inventory prioritization and orchestration.
We are seeking a disciplined, self-motivated professional who approaches challenges with integrity and humility.
Ideal candidates will have experience working with cutting-edge technologies such as large language models (LLMs), Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), GenAI solutions, and predictive modelling, and demonstrate a commitment to continuous learning and collaborative problem-solving.
Careers with Optum offer flexible work arrangements and individuals who live and work in the Republic of Ireland will have the opportunity to split their monthly work hours between our Dublin or Letterkenny office and telecommuting from a home-based office in a hybrid work model.
Primary Responsibilities
Design and deploy intelligent models by applying advanced statistical techniques, traditional machine learning algorithms, deep learning architectures, and modern approaches such as Large Language Models (LLMs), Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), and Agentic AI.
Leverage state-of-the-art libraries and frameworks to ensure scalable, production-grade solutions aligned with enterprise deployment standards
Lead cross-functional discovery sessions with Data Scientists and Payment Integrity Operations leadership to translate business challenges into actionable analytical objectives.
Drive alignment between statistical rigor and emerging AI capabilities to maximise operational impact
Deliver robust statistical analyses that frame business scenarios with clarity and precision, integrating classical inference methods with generative and agentic reasoning to inform critical decisions and enhance process outcomes
Collaborate with data stewards and engineering teams to curate high-quality datasets for model development.
Ensure data integrity and readiness for both traditional predictive modelling and autonomous agent workflows
Develop end-to-end modelling pipelines encompassing sampling design, data and selection of appropriate statistical and AI methodologies.
Document processes and results with transparency, supporting reproducibility and auditability across both ML and LLM-based systems
Communicate insights and model outputs effectively to stakeholders, translating complex statistical and AI-driven findings into actionable business narratives
Monitor and refine model performance through continuous evaluation, incorporating feedback loops and adaptive learning mechanisms.
Recommend enhancements to algorithms and agentic workflows that unlock new insights and drive measurable improvements
Required Qualifications
Advanced degree in Applied Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science, Statistics, or a related technical field or equivalent experience
Proven solid coding skills in Python, SQL, and related languages
Demonstrated proficiency in traditional machine learning and statistical modelling, including regression, classification, sampling design
Demonstrated system-level thinking and a track record of creative problem-solving, including non-standard approaches to complex challenges
Proven experience in transitioning projects from proof-of-concept (PoC) to production, with a focus on scalability, reliability, and performance
Proven exposure to LLM technologies
Preferred Qualifications
Demonstrated proficiency in deep learning frameworks PyTorch, Tensorflow or other
Demonstrated knowledge of work with US healthcare data (claims, clinical records, authorization, provider contracts)
Proven experience with Agentic AI frameworks such as LangChain, LlamaIndex, and other orchestration tools for autonomous agents
Proven hands-on experience implementing/adapting published academic research into tangible solutions
Proven ability to understand emerging prompting strategies/research and evaluate benefits/trade-offs
Please note you must currently be eligible to work and remain indefinitely without any restrictions in the country to which you are making an application.
Proof will be required to support your application.
At UnitedHealth Group, our mission is to help people live healthier lives and make the health system work better for everyone.
We believe everyone – of every race, gender, sexuality, age, location and income – deserves the opportunity to live their healthiest life.
Today, however, there are still far too many barriers to good health which are disproportionately experienced by people of color, historically marginalized groups and those with lower incomes.
We are committed to mitigating our impact on the environment and enabling and delivering equitable care that addresses health disparities and improves health outcomes – an enterprise priority reflected in our mission.
Optum is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, disability, religion, age, race, and membership of the Traveller community, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Optum is a drug-free workplace.
© **** Optum Services (Ireland) Limited.
All rights reserved.
#BBMEMEA
#J-*****-Ljbffr