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About This Role
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The Lead Data Scientist uses mathematics, statistics, modeling, business analysis, and technology to transform high volumes of complex data into advanced analytic solutions. The Lead Data Scientist works on problems of diverse scope and complexity ranging from moderate to substantial.
The Lead Data Scientist develops, maintains, and collects structured and unstructured data sets for analysis and reporting. They will create reports, projections, models, and presentations to support business strategy and tactics. They will advise executives to develop functional strategies (often segment specific) on matters of significance. They will exercise independent judgment and decision making on complex issues regarding job duties and related tasks and works under minimal supervision. They will use independent judgment requiring analysis of variable factors and determining the best course of action.
The Lead Data Scientist designs predictive models and forecasting capabilities to estimate measure\-level and contract\-level Star Rating performance. This role drives the maintenance and enhancement of existing forecasting models, while also identifying opportunities for the team to advance what we deliver associated with Star Rating forecasts and make the connection to action simpler for teammates and leaders.
Use your skills to make an impact
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Required Qualifications
- 5\+ years of relevant work experience
- 2 or more years project leadership experience
- Experience with one of both of the following programming languages: Python and/or R
- Previous or current consultant background experience
- Demonstrated ability to articulate ideas effectively and communicate clearly in both written and oral forms to stakeholders and executive team
- Experience in using mathematics, statistics, modeling, business analysis, and technology to transform high volumes of complex data into advanced analytic solutions
- Successful demonstrated experience in working on problems of diverse scope and complexity ranging from moderate to substantial
- Experience in developing, maintaining, and collecting structured and unstructured data sets for analysis and reporting
- Experience in creating reports, projections, models, and presentations to support business
- Ability to exercise independent judgment and decision making on complex issues regarding job duties and related tasks
- Ability to works under minimal supervision, using independent judgment
- Must be passionate about contributing to an organization focused on continuously improving consumer experiences
Preferred Qualifications
- Master's Degree or higher\-level education
- Experience with Healthcare and Medicare Stars
- Fluency with AI or Agentic AI
- Experience using Databricks
- Candidates who reside or are within close commuting distance to Louisville, KY
Additional Information
This role is not eligible for work visa sponsorship.
To ensure Home or Hybrid Home/Office employees’ ability to work effectively, the self\-provided internet service of Home or Hybrid Home/Office employees must meet the following criteria:
- At minimum, a download speed of 25 Mbps and an upload speed of 10 Mbps is required; wireless, wired cable or DSL connection is suggested.
- Satellite, cellular and microwave connection can be used only if approved by leadership.
- Employees who live and work from Home in the state of California, Illinois, Montana, or South Dakota will be provided a bi\-weekly payment for their internet expense.
- Humana will provide Home or Hybrid Home/Office employees with telephone equipment appropriate to meet the business requirements for their position/job.
- Work from a dedicated space lacking ongoing interruptions to protect member PHI / HIPAA information.
As part of our hiring process for this opportunity, we will be using an interviewing technology called HireVue to enhance our hiring and decision\-making ability. HireVue allows us to quickly connect and gain valuable information from you pertaining to your relevant skills and experience at a time that is best for your schedule.
Humana values personal identity protection. Please be aware that applicants may be asked to provide their Social Security Number, if it is not already on file. When required, an email will be sent from [email protected] with instructions on how to add the information into your official application on Humana’s secure website.
Travel: While this is a remote position, occasional travel to Humana's offices for training or meetings may be required.Scheduled Weekly Hours
40Pay Range
The compensation range below reflects a good faith estimate of starting base pay for full time (40 hours per week) employment at the time of posting. The pay range may be higher or lower based on geographic location and individual pay will vary based on demonstrated job related skills, knowledge, experience, education, certifications, etc.
$142,300 \- $195,700 per year
This job is eligible for a bonus incentive plan. This incentive opportunity is based upon company and/or individual performance.Description of Benefits
Humana, Inc. and its affiliated subsidiaries (collectively, “Humana”) offers competitive benefits that support whole\-person well\-being. Associate benefits are designed to encourage personal wellness and smart healthcare decisions for you and your family while also knowing your life extends outside of work. Among our benefits, Humana provides medical, dental and vision benefits, 401(k) retirement savings plan, time off (including paid time off, company and personal holidays, volunteer time off, paid parental and caregiver leave), short\-term and long\-term disability, life insurance and many other opportunities.
Application Deadline: 06\-15\-2026About us
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About Humana: Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) is a leading U.S. healthcare company. Through our Humana insurance services and our CenterWell healthcare services, we make it easier for the millions of people we serve to achieve their best health – delivering the care and service they need, when they need it. These efforts are leading to a better quality of life for people with Medicare and Medicaid, families, individuals, military service personnel, and communities at large. Learn more about what we offer at Humana.com and at CenterWell.com.
Equal Opportunity Employer
It is the policy of Humana not to discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, marital status, genetic information, disability or protected veteran status. It is also the policy of Humana to take affirmative action, in compliance with Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act and VEVRAA, to employ and to advance in employment individuals with disability or protected veteran status, and to base all employment decisions only on valid job requirements. This policy shall apply to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, upgrading, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, recall, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation and selection for training, including apprenticeship, at all levels of employment.
Salary Context
This $142K-$195K range is above the median for Data Scientist roles in our dataset (median: $157K across 236 roles with salary data).
View full Data Scientist salary data →Role Details
About This Role
Data Scientists extract insights and build predictive models from data. In the AI era, many roles now include LLM-powered analytics, automated reporting, and integration with generative AI tools. The role has evolved from 'the person who runs SQL queries' to 'the person who builds AI-powered data products.'
Modern data science roles fall into two camps: analytics-focused (insights, dashboards, experimentation) and ML-focused (building predictive models, recommendation systems, NLP features). The best data scientists can operate in both modes. The AI shift means that even analytics-focused roles now involve building automated insight pipelines using LLMs, going well beyond one-off reports.
Across the 3,823 AI roles we're tracking, Data Scientist positions make up 8% of the market. At Humana, this role fits into their broader AI and engineering organization.
Data Scientist roles remain in high demand, though the definition keeps shifting. Companies increasingly want candidates who can bridge traditional statistics with modern ML and LLM capabilities. The 'pure insights' data scientist role is consolidating into analytics engineering, while the 'build models' data scientist role is merging with ML engineering.
What the Work Looks Like
A typical week includes: analyzing experiment results for a product feature launch, building a predictive model for customer churn, creating an automated reporting pipeline using LLM-powered summarization, presenting insights to stakeholders, and cleaning data (always cleaning data). The ratio of analysis to engineering varies by company, but expect both.
Data Scientist roles remain in high demand, though the definition keeps shifting. Companies increasingly want candidates who can bridge traditional statistics with modern ML and LLM capabilities. The 'pure insights' data scientist role is consolidating into analytics engineering, while the 'build models' data scientist role is merging with ML engineering.
Skills Required
Python, SQL, and statistical modeling are the foundation. Increasingly, roles want experience with LLMs for data analysis, automated insight generation, and building AI-powered data products. Familiarity with cloud data platforms (Snowflake, BigQuery, Databricks) and ML frameworks (scikit-learn, PyTorch) covers most job requirements.
Experimentation design and causal inference are underrated skills that separate strong candidates. Companies care about whether their product changes cause improvements, and can distinguish causation from correlation. A/B testing methodology, Bayesian statistics, and the ability to communicate uncertainty to non-technical stakeholders are high-value skills.
Good postings specify the data stack, the types of problems you'll work on, and the team structure. Look for companies that differentiate between analytics and ML data science. Vague 'data scientist' postings that list every skill under the sun usually mean the company doesn't know what they need.
Compensation Benchmarks
Data Scientist roles pay a median of $198,000 based on 808 positions with disclosed compensation. Senior-level AI roles across all categories have a median of $227,400. This role's midpoint ($169K) sits 15% below the category median. Disclosed range: $142K to $195K.
Across all AI roles, the market median is $200,100. Top-quartile compensation starts at $253,500. The 90th percentile reaches $307,500. For comparison, the highest-paying categories include AI Engineering Manager ($275,000) and AI Safety ($274,200). By seniority level: Entry: $97,880; Mid: $165,000; Senior: $227,400; Director: $247,800; VP: $250,000.
Humana AI Hiring
Humana has 7 open AI roles right now. They're hiring across Data Scientist, AI/ML Engineer, AI Software Engineer, AI Product Manager. Positions span Remote, US, New York, NY, US, Fort Lauderdale, FL, US. Compensation range: $173K - $284K.
Remote Work Context
Remote AI roles pay a median of $170,000 across 1,926 positions. About 15% of all AI roles offer remote work.
Career Path
Common paths into Data Scientist roles include Data Analyst, Statistician, Quantitative Researcher.
From here, career progression typically leads toward Senior Data Scientist, ML Engineer, AI Product Manager.
Start with statistics and SQL. Build a real analysis project on public data that demonstrates insight generation alongside model building. The market values data scientists who can communicate findings clearly to business stakeholders. If you want to move toward ML engineering, invest in software engineering fundamentals and production deployment skills.
What to Expect in Interviews
Interviews combine statistics, coding, and business acumen. SQL is almost always tested, often with complex joins and window functions. Expect a case study round where you're given a business problem and asked to design an analysis plan. Coding rounds focus on pandas, statistical modeling, and visualization. The strongest differentiator is how well you communicate insights to non-technical stakeholders during presentation rounds.
When evaluating opportunities: Good postings specify the data stack, the types of problems you'll work on, and the team structure. Look for companies that differentiate between analytics and ML data science. Vague 'data scientist' postings that list every skill under the sun usually mean the company doesn't know what they need.
AI Hiring Overview
The AI job market has 3,823 open positions tracked in our dataset. By seniority: 112 entry-level, 1,798 mid-level, 1,516 senior, and 397 leadership roles (Director, VP, C-Level). Remote roles make up 15% of the market (590 positions). The remaining 3,217 roles require on-site or hybrid attendance.
The market median for AI roles is $200,100. Top-quartile compensation starts at $253,500. The 90th percentile reaches $307,500. Highest-paying categories: AI Engineering Manager ($275,000 median, 41 roles); AI Safety ($274,200 median, 55 roles); Research Engineer ($260,000 median, 434 roles).
Data Scientist roles remain in high demand, though the definition keeps shifting. Companies increasingly want candidates who can bridge traditional statistics with modern ML and LLM capabilities. The 'pure insights' data scientist role is consolidating into analytics engineering, while the 'build models' data scientist role is merging with ML engineering.
The AI Job Market Today
The AI job market spans 3,823 open positions across 15 role categories. The largest categories by volume: AI/ML Engineer (2,629), Data Scientist (322), AI Software Engineer (279). These three account for the majority of open positions, though smaller categories often have higher per-role compensation because of specialized skill requirements.
The seniority mix tells a story about where AI teams are in their maturity. Entry-level roles (112) are outnumbered by mid-level (1,798) and senior (1,516) positions, reflecting that most companies are past the 'build a team from scratch' phase and need experienced engineers who can ship production systems. Leadership roles (Director, VP, C-Level) total 397 positions, representing the bottleneck between technical execution and organizational strategy.
Remote work availability sits at 15% of all AI roles (590 positions), with 3,217 requiring on-site or hybrid attendance. The remote share has stabilized after the post-pandemic correction. Senior and specialized roles (Research Scientist, ML Architect) are more likely to be remote-eligible than entry-level positions, partly because experienced hires have more negotiating power and partly because these roles require less hands-on mentorship.
AI compensation is structured in clear tiers. The market median sits at $200,100. Top-quartile roles start at $253,500, and the 90th percentile reaches $307,500. These figures include base salary with disclosed compensation. Total compensation (including equity, bonuses, and sign-on) runs 20-40% higher at companies that offer those components.
Category matters for compensation. AI Engineering Manager roles lead at $275,000 median, while Prompt Engineer roles sit at $140,000. The spread between highest and lowest-paying categories reflects the premium on specialized technical skills versus broader analytical roles.
The most in-demand skills across all AI postings: Python (1,979 postings), Aws (1,190 postings), Azure (899 postings), Rag (839 postings), Gcp (726 postings), Pytorch (595 postings), Prompt Engineering (595 postings), Claude (540 postings). Python dominates, appearing in the vast majority of role descriptions regardless of category. Cloud platform experience (AWS, GCP, Azure) is the second most common requirement. The newer entrants to the top skills list (RAG, vector databases, LLM APIs) reflect the shift from traditional ML toward generative AI applications.
Frequently Asked Questions
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