Actuarial Data Science – Director

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 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.

Optum, the fastest growing part of UnitedHealth Group, is a leading information and technology-enabled health services business. Our teams are dedicated to modernizing the health care system and improving the lives of people and communities.

Serving virtually every dimension of the health system, we work with a diverse set of clients across 150 countries – from those who diagnose and treat patients to those who pay for care, deliver health services, and those who supply the cures. Optum maintains operations across North America, South America, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East. Our innovative partnerships provide technology and tools that enable unprecedented collaboration and efficiency. As a result, we can tap into valuable health care data to uncover insights and develop strategies for better care at lower costs.

We all know that there’s a lot more to come in the changes sweeping through the health care industry. But if change is going to shape our world, it’s comforting to know that we’re shaping the change. At Optum, the actuarial consulting leader in health care innovation, your performance, your ideas, and your innovative thinking will help us improve the lives of millions.

As the Actuarial Data Science – Director, you will join an elite team committed to changing health care through outstanding service and valuable products. You’ll use innovative tools including the largest database of health care information in the world. You will lead a team to perform mathematical analyses and actuarial modeling to identify statistical findings and conclusions. If you want to be challenged by working on complex and diverse analytical projects, this is the opportunity for you.

You’ll enjoy the flexibility to work remotely * from anywhere within the U.S. as you take on some tough challenges.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Develop, evaluate, and deploy cutting-edge methods and models for healthcare payers, including but not limited to rating, risk assessment, cost estimation, and behavior modeling
• Understand and build pipelines of predictive ML models in R and Python
• Manage the day-to-day operations for a team of actuarial analysts and data scientists
• Provide coaching and mentoring to junior consultants and analysts with the goal of developing and retaining talent within the organization
• Perform data quality evaluation, manipulation, cleaning, and appropriateness for model fitting or production
• Collaborate with other teams in organization to create strategic vision for product and model enhancement in the future
• Deploy use of best practices in coding environment, utilizing best practices of development, model maintenance, and version control
• Work on a team with energetic actuaries and data scientists
• Brainstorm, design and construct novel analytical and operational solutions for payers
• Participate in client and vendor relationships
• Collaborate and network with other professionals, both within and external to Optum
• Lead and mentor junior analysts

You’ll be rewarded and recognized for your performance in an environment that will challenge you and give you clear direction on what it takes to succeed in your role as well as provide development for other roles you may be interested in.

Required Qualifications:

• 10+ years of experience with developing predictive models in a business setting
• 5+ years of experience with actuarial modeling
• Experience managing and providing work direction to a team
• Experience in assessing data quality, executing data manipulation and data cleaning
• Experience leading a team that collaborates building projects/models in code using GitHub
• Expertise working with formulas, calculations, charts, graphics in MS Excel
• Proficiency in programming languages such as R, Python, SAS, SQL, Databricks
• Proficiency in building, deploying and monitoring machine-learning models (for example: linear regression, logistic regression, GLM, GAM, etc.), including a thorough understanding of best practices using these techniques

Preferred Qualifications:

• 10+ years of experience working within the US healthcare industry / claims experience
• 10+ years of experience with actuarial modeling
• Qualified or nearly qualified Actuary
• Proven high level organizational and project management skills for handling multiple concurrent assignments in a timely manner, and to monitor processes throughout a team or department
• Proven solid decision-making skills
• Proven ability to work effectively in a team environment

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.

California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Washington, Washington, D.C. Residents Only: The salary range for this role is $122,100 to $234,700 annually. Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to local labor markets, education, work experience, certifications, etc. UnitedHealth Group complies with all minimum wage laws as applicable. In addition to your salary, UnitedHealth Group offers benefits such as, a comprehensive benefits package, incentive and recognition programs, equity stock purchase and 401k contribution (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements). No matter where or when you begin a career with UnitedHealth Group, you’ll find a far-reaching choice of benefits and incentives.

Application Deadline: This will be posted for a 2 business days or until a sufficient candidate pool has been collected. Job posting may come down early due to volume of applicants.

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.

Diversity creates a healthier atmosphere: UnitedHealth Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

UnitedHealth Group is a drug-free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.