Optum is a global organisation 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.

About the Role:

In healthcare, evolution doesn’t just happen. It takes innovation, imagination, and a passion for solving problems in new and better ways. And innovation is taking place at a lightning-fast pace every day at Optum.
As the fastest growing part of the UnitedHealth Group family of businesses, we’re expanding our team in Ireland and creating excellent opportunities for those who want greater purpose and more impact in their work. We’ll provide the investment, support, and resources to advance your career. You’ll provide the talent, ambition, and drive.

Are you a self-starter with a passion for innovation, adaptability, and solving complex problems? If so, this opportunity could be the next big step in your career. We’re building powerful data capabilities to uncover breakthrough solutions and unlock untapped opportunities in the marketplace.
If you thrive in fast-paced, evolving environments and are driven by the desire to make a meaningful impact, we want to hear from you. Join us and start doing your life’s best work.
Join our dynamic and forward-thinking Data Analytics team as a Principal Data Scientist, where you’ll play a pivotal role in transforming how we manage Out-of-Network healthcare services. This is a high-impact position focused on driving innovation, reducing medical costs, and enabling scalable growth through data-driven strategies.
In this role, you will partner with our IT teams to development data pipelines, and you will lead advanced analytics initiatives that empower our organization with intelligent, actionable insights. Your work will directly influence Senior Leadership’s strategic decision-making, accelerate our speed-to-market, and enhance our competitive edge by embedding a data-first mindset across the business.

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 office and telecommuting from a home-based office.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Act as a functional SME for Data Science within the Data and Analytics team and wider business
• Work alongside IT and data analysts to design and implement models and experiments from end to end, including data ingestion and preparation, feature engineering, analysis and modeling, model deployment, performance tracking and documentation
• Visualize out-of-network pattern changes and network exposures as provider market share and patient dynamics shift; create predictive models that advance our out-of-network business
• Analyze, review and interpret complex data through the development of case-studies, enabling the data to tell a story
• Understand and identify drivers of patterns/behaviors uncovered in data
• Contribute to the design and realization of analytical based tools/assets to identify and monitor non-standard patterns
• Collaborate cross-functionally with subject-matter experts to explore business problems and design solutions
• Share analysis and interpretation for operational and business review and strategic planning
• Contribute short and long term operational/strategic business activities through analysis
• Ideate and develop strategic solutions with business partners to mitigate rising trends in medical costs
• Develop recommended business solutions through research and analysis of data and business process and implement when appropriate

You will be rewarded and recognised 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 providing development for other roles you may be interested in.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant discipline (i.e. applied mathematics, physics, computer science) or relevant work experience
• Demonstrable success within a Data Science environment focused on agile thinking and innovative solutions, delivering complex and challenging projects
• Experience applying computational algorithms, statistical and programming methods using (R and Python) to structured and unstructured data
• Proven experience in understanding complex problems and datasets and driving data testing and strategic testing of ideas to come up with first-class solutions
• Demonstrated ability to own and lead projects that deliver real business value

Preferred Qualifications:

• MS/PhD in applied mathematics, physics, computer science, engineering, statistics, bioinformatics, actuarial science or similar numerical degree
• Experience and understanding of US healthcare system, billing of medical claims and associated data environments
• Experience creating Machine learning solutions to solve complex issues

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.

All telecommuters will be required to adhere to the UnitedHealth Group’s Telecommuter Policy.

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 marginalised 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: 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. © 2025 Optum Services (Ireland) Limited. All rights reserved.