Senior Data Scientist

Title: Principal Data Scientist & AI Innovation Consultant Openings: 1 Duration: 12mo contract + extensions (possibility for FTE based on budget/headcount allocations, client goal is conversion to FTE) Hourly Pay: $65-70/hr approx. (potential flex) Schedule: REMOTE anywhere in the US, Mon-Fri day shift (core hours, EST/CST) Start Date: ASAP Interview Process: 2-3 rounds Auth: GC/USC so client has ability to convert (they cannot sponsor directly) Must-Haves • 10+ years of experience in data science, machine learning, advanced analytics, or AI solution development • Experience in healthcare, Medicare, Medicare Advantage, or other similar healthcare regulated environments • Proven track record building and deploying AI/ML models in real-world, production environments • Strong expertise in predictive modeling, advanced analytics, NLP, transformer-based models, generative AI (LLMs, RAG, agentic frameworks, orchestration), and AI evaluation methodologies • Deep, hands-on experience with Google Cloud Platform (GCP), including Vertex AI, BigQuery, Cloud Storage, and AI/ML pipelines, orchestration, and deployment • Strong programming skills in Python, SQL, and Spark/PySpark • Experience working with modern machine learning frameworks, generative AI tools, APIs, and AI tooling ecosystems • Solid MLOps experience including CI/CD pipelines, model deployment, monitoring, versioning, experiment tracking, and reproducibility • Proven experience building and deploying scalable AI/ML solutions in GCP/Vertex AI enterprise environments Plusses • Experience with distributed data processing and enterprise-scale analytics systems • Exposure to causal inference and/or causal discovery methodologies • Experience working cross-functionally with data engineering, MLOps, and AI product teams Summary We are seeking an exceptionally talented, highly inquisitive, and execution-oriented Principal Data Scientist & AI Innovation Consultant to drive innovative, high-impact analytical and data science initiatives across our client's Clinical Data Science organization. This role is designed for a senior-level technical expert and researcher with deep expertise in advanced machine learning, analytics, and applied data science. The ideal candidate will have experience with modern AI approaches, including large language models (LLMs), generative AI, agentic AI frameworks, and applied AI solution design within complex healthcare environments. Experience applying these tools alongside causal inference methodologies is required; experience in causal discovery is a plus.