Director, Data Science
About The Position
This role is for a Director of Data Science at DaVita, focusing on strategic leadership, team development, model delivery, and cross-functional collaboration. The position involves developing and executing a strategic roadmap for AI/ML, expanding data science capabilities with deep learning, Generative AI (GenAI), and natural language processing (NLP). The role requires leading and mentoring a data science team, overseeing the end-to-end delivery of major modeling initiatives, and ensuring models are operationalized through centralized ML Pipelines and Vertex AI Feature Store. Collaboration with AI Engineering, IT Architecture, Medical Informatics, and Clinical/Business stakeholders is crucial, as is spearheading the adoption of Responsible AI (RAI) and Explainable AI (xAI) frameworks. The goal is to weave AI/ML into integrated delivery roadmaps and build DaVita's internal AI bench.
Requirements
- Master’s degree or PhD in Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, Mathematics, or a related quantitative field is Required.
- 7-10+ years of applied experience in data science, advanced analytics, or machine learning with proven results.
- 3-5+ years of leadership or management experience, successfully building and scaling data science teams.
- Deep expertise in machine learning, deep learning, NLP, and Generative AI (e.g., LLMs, transformers, GANs).
- Advanced proficiency in Python and relevant ML libraries (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit-learn).
- Extensive hands-on experience with the Google Cloud Platform (GCP) software stack, including Vertex AI, BigQuery, AI Platform, and Dataflow.
- Strong understanding of MLOps best practices, centralized ML pipelines, and model monitoring/observability tools (e.g., Arize).
- Masterful ability to translate complex statistical blockers into actionable business decisions for non-technical leadership.
- Exceptional strategic scaling capabilities—balancing continuous model maturity with reusable tools and services.
- Refuses to shortcut the data science process, showing a track record of actively pushing back on aggressive timelines to ensure safety and rigor in production.
Nice To Haves
- Experience within the healthcare industry (handling clinical data, EHR, or healthcare interoperability standards like HL7/FHIR) is highly Preferred.
Responsibilities
- Develop and execute a strategic roadmap for AI/ML development that aligns with DaVita's clinical and business objectives.
- Expand the enterprise-wide data science capabilities by focusing on complex deep learning techniques, Generative AI (GenAI), and natural language processing (NLP).
- Champion the ROI of predictive modeling and identify marquee opportunities, presenting findings and strategic recommendations to senior Technology and Business leaders.
- Lead, mentor, and grow a high-performing data science team (directing multiple direct and indirect reports).
- Instill uncompromising methodological rigor; ensure models undergo rigorous feature engineering, calibration, and threshold selection before transitioning from POC to production.
- Foster a culture of quality, innovation, and agile delivery rooted in the "DaVita Way" and Core Values (CaSP).
- Oversee the end-to-end delivery of major modeling initiatives (e.g., Hospital Discharge Summary solutions, 90-day PCT retention models, CMS Survey predictions, and LLM fine-tuning).
- Direct the operationalization of models via centralized ML Pipelines and the Vertex AI Feature Store (VFS) to accelerate data science velocity and reduce deployment friction.
- Drive the scaling of custom-built model monitoring services (e.g., VigiLens, Arize) to ensure sustained performance, fairness, and accuracy of enterprise AI products.
- Partner seamlessly with AI Engineering, IT Architecture, Medical Informatics, and Clinical/Business stakeholders to weave AI/ML into integrated delivery roadmaps.
- Spearhead the adoption of Responsible AI (RAI) and Explainable AI (xAI) frameworks, ensuring all models adhere to fairness, privacy, security, and healthcare compliance standards.
- Collaborate with the broader Technology People Services and Data Intelligence organizations to cross-train talent and build DaVita’s internal AI bench.
Benefits
- Medical, dental, vision, 401(k) match, paid time off, PTO cash out
- Family resources, EAP counseling sessions, Headspace®, backup child and elder care, maternity/paternity leave
- Professional development programs
- On-demand virtual leadership and development courses through DaVita’s online training platform StarLearning
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
