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Remote Principal Data Scientist Jobs in Minnesota

Prioritizes, scopes and manages data science projects for internal stakeholders and clients ... Opportunity for a hybrid work arrangement combining remote and in-office work. The specific ...

... Remote Your Role ... This Data Scientist role offers the opportunity to help CSAA Insurance Group anticipate and prepare ...

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Remote Principal Data Scientist information

What is a remote principal data scientist?

A Remote Principal Data Scientist is a senior-level data science professional who leads complex analytics projects and strategic data initiatives while working from a location outside the traditional office setting. They are responsible for designing advanced data models, mentoring junior data scientists, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to drive business decisions using data. This role typically involves setting data science standards, overseeing the development of predictive models, and ensuring the quality and impact of data-driven solutions. Remote Principal Data Scientists leverage communication technologies to coordinate with their teams and stakeholders across different locations.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a remote principal data scientist?

To thrive as a Remote Principal Data Scientist, you need advanced expertise in statistical analysis, machine learning, and programming (often with a PhD or master's in a quantitative field and substantial industry experience). Proficiency with tools like Python, R, SQL, cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure), and machine learning frameworks such as TensorFlow or PyTorch is critical, along with experience deploying models at scale. Exceptional communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills help you guide teams and translate complex data insights into actionable business strategies. These skills and qualities are essential to drive impactful, data-driven decisions and lead high-level projects effectively in a remote environment.

How do remote principal data scientists typically collaborate with cross-functional teams while working offsite?

Remote Principal Data Scientists frequently collaborate with product managers, engineers, and business stakeholders using virtual communication tools such as Slack, Zoom, and project management platforms. They often lead or participate in regular video meetings to discuss project goals, share data insights, and align on priorities. Establishing clear documentation, asynchronous updates, and strong communication habits are key to ensuring all team members remain informed and engaged. This collaborative approach helps maintain productivity and fosters innovation, even when team members are distributed across different locations.

What is the difference between Remote Principal Data Scientist vs Remote Data Scientist?

AspectRemote Principal Data ScientistRemote Data Scientist
Required CredentialsAdvanced degree (Master's/PhD), extensive experience, leadership skillsBachelor's or Master's degree, some experience in data analysis
Work EnvironmentStrategic, leadership-focused, cross-functional teamsHands-on data analysis, model development, reporting
Employer & Industry UsageTech, finance, healthcare companies seeking senior expertiseStartups, tech firms, research institutions
Search & Comparison IntentUnderstanding senior vs. entry-level rolesEntry to mid-level data analysis roles

The Remote Principal Data Scientist typically holds a senior, strategic role with leadership responsibilities, requiring advanced credentials and extensive experience. In contrast, the Remote Data Scientist is more focused on hands-on analysis and model development, often suitable for those with less experience. Both roles are common in tech-driven industries but differ significantly in scope and seniority.

What are the most commonly searched types of Principal Data Scientist jobs in Minnesota?

The most popular types of Principal Data Scientist jobs in Minnesota are:

What are popular job titles related to Remote Principal Data Scientist jobs in Minnesota?

For Remote Principal Data Scientist jobs in Minnesota, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What cities in Minnesota are hiring for Remote Principal Data Scientist jobs?

Cities in Minnesota with the most Remote Principal Data Scientist job openings:

Infographic showing various Remote Principal Data Scientist job openings in Minnesota as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 83% Full Time, 12% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 88% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution.

Principal Data Scientist - Remote

UnitedHealth Group

Eden Prairie, MN • On-site, Remote

$112K - $193K/yr

Full-time

Retirement

Re-posted 27 days ago


UnitedHealth Group rating

7.6

Company rating: 7.6 out of 10

Based on 146 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

192nd of 898 rated healthcare providers


Job description

Optum Tech is a global leader in health care innovation. Our teams develop cutting-edge solutions that help people live healthier lives and help make the health system work better for everyone. From advanced data analytics and AI to cybersecurity, we use innovative approaches to solve some of health care's most complex challenges. Your contributions here have the potential to change lives. Ready to build the next breakthrough? Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together.
The Clinical Decision Support (CDS) Engineering team, a unit within the Optum Insight Technology organization, is responsible for building commercial products that help payers and providers with administrative- and clinician-focused CDS solutions. In this role as a Principal Data Scientist, you will lead high-impact AI initiatives characterized by scale and complexity. You will architect robust, secure AI systems, train state-of-the-art transformer and multimodal models, and bridge the gap between AI research and production software engineering. By extracting deep insights from healthcare data and maintaining the highest standards of responsible and ethical AI, you will help shape the next generation of intelligent health solutions.
You'll enjoy the flexibility to work remotely * from anywhere within the U.S. as you take on some tough challenges. For all hires in the Minneapolis or Washington, D.C. area, you will be required to work in the office a minimum of four days per week.
Primary Responsibilities:
  • Drive end-to-end generative AI and machine learning projects that have a high degree of ambiguity, scale, and complexity
  • Design robust AI architectures, ensuring that systems are scalable, secure, and efficient; select appropriate technologies, frameworks, and methodologies
  • Build machine learning models, perform proof-of-concept experiments, optimize and deploy models to production, and partner with software engineers to productionize ML models
  • Perform hands-on analysis and modeling of healthcare data sets to develop insights that increase business value
  • Run A/B experiments, gather data, and perform statistical analysis; continuously assess AI system performance and optimize algorithms and models to improve accuracy and efficiency
  • Establish scalable, efficient, automated processes for large-scale data analysis, machine learning model development and validation, and MLOps
  • Research and implement innovative machine learning approaches, evaluate emerging trends to inform solution design, and translate cutting-edge AI advancements into production-ready capabilities that can be re-used across the enterprise
  • Uphold ethical AI principles by embedding fairness, transparency, and accountability throughout the model development lifecycle
  • Mentor and help recruit AI/ML scientists and machine learning engineers to the team

You'll be rewarded and recognized 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 provide development for other roles you may be interested in.
Required Qualifications:
  • 10+ years of industry or academic experience in machine learning or a related data science field
  • 5+ years of experience building machine learning models for business applications
  • 5+ years of experience leading technical teams or complex AI/ML projects
  • 4+ years of equivalent technical experience in software development/data science
  • 3+ years of experience with Python programming and deep learning frameworks (e.g., PyTorch or TensorFlow)
  • 3+ years of experience with state-of-the-art ML architectures (e.g., Transformers/LLMs, multimodal modeling) and transformer fine-tuning

Preferred Qualifications:
  • Experience working with complex healthcare datasets and clinical/claims analytics
  • Practical experience with public cloud AI technology stacks, deployment, and MLOps methodologies (AWS preferred)
  • Experience with big data processing tools such as Hadoop and Spark
  • Experience with state-of-the-art ML algorithms and architectures (e.g., Transformers/LLMs, state space models such as Mamba, GNNs), legacy architecture maintenance/migration, and tradeoffs between pretraining from scratch vs. adapting foundation models

*All employees working remotely will be required to adhere to UnitedHealth Group's Telecommuter Policy.
Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to local labor markets, education, work experience, certifications, etc. In addition to your salary, we offer benefits such as, a comprehensive benefits package, incentive and recognition programs, equity stock purchase and 401k contribution (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements). No matter where or when you begin a career with us, you'll find a far-reaching choice of benefits and incentives. The salary for this role will range from $112,700 - $193,200 annually based on full-time employment. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.
Application Deadline: This will be posted for a minimum of 2 business days or until a sufficient candidate pool has been collected. Job posting may come down early due to volume of applicants.
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 marginalized 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.
UnitedHealth Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer under applicable law and qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations.
UnitedHealth Group is a drug - free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.

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