Sr. Data Scientist - AI Research

$128K - $197K Remote Senior Data Scientist

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Skills & Technologies

Prompt EngineeringPythonRag

About This Role

AI job market dashboard showing open roles by category

About Lyra Health

Lyra Health is a leading provider of evidence\-based mental health care, serving more than 20 million people globally in partnership with employers and more than 100 million through health plan and partner relationships. The company has delivered more than 15 million sessions of mental health care, published more than 35 peer\-reviewed studies, and delivered unmatched outcomes in terms of access, clinical effectiveness, and cost efficiency. Extensive peer\-reviewed research confirms Lyra’s transformative care model helps people recover twice as fast and results in a 26% annual reduction in overall healthcare claims costs. Lyra is transforming access to life\-changing mental health care through Lyra Empower, the only fully integrated, AI\-powered platform combining the highest\-quality care and technology solutions.

About the Role:

Lyra is transforming mental health care by creating a frictionless experience for members, providers, and employers. We connect companies and their employees to mental health providers, therapy, and coaching programs that work.

We are looking for a self\-driven, technical Data Scientist who cares about impact, ownership and innovation. In this role, you will work closely with Lyra’s Data, Product, Engineering, and Clinical teams on AI/ML initiatives that will enhance the experience of mental health patients and providers.

This Data Scientist role can be filled remotely anywhere within the US, as well as locally in our Burlingame, CA headquarters. Please note that remote\-based candidates must be physically located within the United States.

### Responsibilities

  • Work closely with Lyra’s Data, Product, Engineering, and other associated teams to enhance the Lyra platform to serve the needs of our providers and clients.
  • Become an expert in the diverse data sources we collect and partner with data engineers to build pipelines that apply clinical logic to raw data
  • Extract actionable insights, develop predictive and generative models, and implement rigorous evaluation frameworks to support product iterations
  • Complete time\-sensitive ad hoc data requests for internal and external stakeholders

### Qualifications

  • 5\+ years of data analysis in an industry setting with a preference for individuals who have experience in product analytics in the AI/ML space and have partnered with engineering and product teams in prior roles.
  • Experience collaborating with cross\-functional stakeholders across technical, business, and (ideally) clinical domains
  • Demonstrated understanding of statistical applications and methods (experimentation, probabilities, regression). Experience applying hypothesis testing in an industry or research setting.
  • Experience developing comprehensive analyses using irregular data from disparate sources. Willing to do whatever it takes to clean messy data prior to deriving insights.
  • Strong SQL proficiency. Experience writing complex queries with multiple schemas and tables. Preference for candidates who have experience creating views.
  • Graduate\-level Statistics coursework with MS in a quantitative field is preferred (statistics, econometrics, biostatistics, quantitative social sciences).

### Preferred Qualifications

  • Interest in public health a plus
  • Experience with AI/ML R\&D, e.g. prompt engineering and RAG
  • Experience with Python, including cleaning and analyzing data as well as using Python to parse JSON structured data, call APIs, create user\-defined functions, and automate.

As a full\-time Sr. Data Scientist \- AI Research, you will be employed by Lyra Health, Inc. The anticipated annual base salary range for this full\-time position is $128,000 to $197,000\. The base range is determined by role and level, and placement within the range will depend on a number of job\-related factors, including but not limited to your skills, qualifications, experience and location. This role may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses.

Annual salary is only one part of an employee’s total compensation package at Lyra. We also offer generous benefits that include:

  • Comprehensive healthcare coverage (including medical, dental, vision, FSA/HSA, life and disability insurances)
  • Lyra for Lyrians; coaching and therapy services
  • Equity in the company through discretionary restricted stock units
  • Competitive time off with pay policies including vacation, sick days, and company holidays
  • Paid parental leave
  • 401K with up to 3% matching
  • Monthly tech allowance
  • We like to spread joy throughout the year with well\-being perks and activities, surprise swag, regular community celebration…and more!

We can’t wait to meet you.

"We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability, genetic information or any other category protected by law.

By applying for this position, you acknowledge that your personal information will be processed as per the Lyra Health Workforce Privacy Notice. Through this application, to the extent permitted by law, we will collect personal information from you including, but not limited to, your name, email address, gender identity, employment information, and phone number for the purposes of recruiting and assessing suitability, aptitude, skills, qualifications, and interests for employment with Lyra. We may also collect information about your race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation, which is considered sensitive personal information under the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) and special category data under the UK and EU GDPR. Providing this information is optional and completely voluntary, and if you provide it you consent to Lyra processing it for the purposes as described at the point of collection, for example for diversity and inclusion initiatives. If you are a California resident and would like to limit how we use this information, please use the Limit the Use of My Sensitive Personal Information form. This information will only be retained for as long as needed to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, as described above. Please note that Lyra does not “sell” or “share” personal information as defined by the CPRA. Outside of the United States, for example in the EU, Switzerland and the UK, you may have the right to request access to, or a copy of, your personal information, including in a portable format; request that we delete your information from our systems; object to or restrict processing of your information; or correct inaccurate or outdated personal information in our systems. These rights may be subject to legal limitations. To exercise your data privacy rights outside of the United States, please contact [email protected]. For more information about how we use and retain your information, please see our Workforce Privacy Notice."

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, summarizing interviews, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.

Salary Context

This $128K-$197K range is above the median for Data Scientist roles in our dataset (median: $160K across 258 roles with salary data).

View full Data Scientist salary data →

Role Details

Company Lyra Health
Title Sr. Data Scientist - AI Research
Location Remote, US
Category Data Scientist
Experience Senior
Salary $128K - $197K
Remote Yes

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 4,317 AI roles we're tracking, Data Scientist positions make up 8% of the market. At Lyra Health, 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

Prompt Engineering (14% of roles) Python (52% of roles) Rag (21% of roles)

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 $192,890 based on 789 positions with disclosed compensation. Senior-level AI roles across all categories have a median of $227,400. This role's midpoint ($162K) sits 16% below the category median. Disclosed range: $128K to $197K.

Across all AI roles, the market median is $215,000. Top-quartile compensation starts at $266,300. The 90th percentile reaches $320,790. For comparison, the highest-paying categories include AI Safety ($287,500) and Research Engineer ($272,100). By seniority level: Entry: $110,000; Mid: $194,400; Senior: $227,400; Director: $274,554; VP: $241,000.

Lyra Health AI Hiring

Lyra Health has 5 open AI roles right now. They're hiring across MLOps Engineer, AI/ML Engineer, Data Scientist. Based in Remote, US. Compensation range: $197K - $221K.

Remote Work Context

Remote AI roles pay a median of $180,000 across 1,196 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 4,317 open positions tracked in our dataset. By seniority: 138 entry-level, 2,071 mid-level, 1,655 senior, and 453 leadership roles (Director, VP, C-Level). Remote roles make up 15% of the market (635 positions). The remaining 3,657 roles require on-site or hybrid attendance.

The market median for AI roles is $215,000. Top-quartile compensation starts at $266,300. The 90th percentile reaches $320,790. Highest-paying categories: AI Safety ($287,500 median, 34 roles); Research Engineer ($272,100 median, 227 roles); AI Engineering Manager ($244,000 median, 23 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 4,317 open positions across 15 role categories. The largest categories by volume: AI/ML Engineer (3,004), Data Scientist (345), AI Software Engineer (309). 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 (138) are outnumbered by mid-level (2,071) and senior (1,655) 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 453 positions, representing the bottleneck between technical execution and organizational strategy.

Remote work availability sits at 15% of all AI roles (635 positions), with 3,657 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 $215,000. Top-quartile roles start at $266,300, and the 90th percentile reaches $320,790. 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 Safety roles lead at $287,500 median, while Prompt Engineer roles sit at $145,000. 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 (2,249 postings), Aws (1,224 postings), Azure (938 postings), Rag (915 postings), Gcp (660 postings), Pytorch (640 postings), Prompt Engineering (624 postings), Kubernetes (559 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

Based on 789 roles with disclosed compensation, the median salary for Data Scientist positions is $192,890. Actual compensation varies by seniority, location, and company stage.
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.
About 15% of the 4,317 AI roles we track offer remote work. Remote availability varies by company and seniority level, with senior and leadership roles more likely to offer location flexibility.
Lyra Health is among the companies actively hiring for AI and ML talent. Check our company profiles for detailed breakdowns of open roles, salary ranges, and hiring trends.
Common next steps from Data Scientist positions include Senior Data Scientist, ML Engineer, AI Product Manager. Progression depends on whether you lean toward technical depth, people management, or product strategy.

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