Manager Data Science and Optimization

at  Providence Healthcare

Article Flag: Mandatory Vaccination Please Note:
As per the current Public Health Orders (Long Term Care/Seniors Assisted Living Provincial Health Order and the Health Sector Order), as of October 26, 2021, all employees working for Providence Health Care must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Proof of vaccination status will be required.
Summary: Within the context of a client and family centred model of care and, in accordance with the Mission, Vision and Values, and strategic directions of Providence Health Care, the person promotes a safe, respectful, and civil working environment for patients, residents, families, visitors and staff.
Reporting to the Director, AI, Advanced Modeling & Optimization, the Manager, Data Science and Optimization provides leadership to a team of data scientists and operations research scientists. This role leads the development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of innovative AI/ML/optimization solutions and products to a wide range of challenges in healthcare delivery processes, quality care improvements, and clinical practices when manual planning and arbitrary heuristic solutions struggle to keep up. The Manager collaborates with the team to ensure that PHC clients can effectively access and utilize these products for informed, data-driven decision-making in organizational and strategic planning. The Manager will leverage extensive expertise in data science and optimization techniques, including machine learning (ML), natural language processing (NLP), mathematical modeling, statistical analysis, optimization algorithms, simulation, stochastic-process models, expert systems, and decision analysis.
Qualifications / Skills and Education: Education, Training and Experience
Master’s Degree in Computer Science, Operations Research, Applied Mathematics, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical field and five (5) to seven (7) years of experience working in the healthcare industry including developing and deploying data science solutions on cloud environments and three (3) years’ experience in a supervisory capacity or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.

Skills and Abilities

• Advanced knowledge of healthcare databases, tools, and procedures.
• Highly experienced with developing and deploying AI/ML/Optimization models using industry best practices and tools.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and inspire an AI/ML/Optimization team with diverse and complementary skills, as well as in coaching, mentoring, and fostering opportunities for growth and technical advancement.
• Experience working with cloud platforms such as Azure or AWS for scalable data storage, processing, and analysis.
• Outstanding people leadership skills with a keen focus on developing and fostering an innovative and collaborative culture.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work with various levels of management.
• Strong oral, written, and presentation skills.
• Strong healthcare industry insight and storytelling skills.
• Exposure to scripting languages (Python, R, etc.), cloud computing platforms (Azure/AWS), data solutions ecosystems in cloud (MS Fabric, Databricks, Azure Data Factory), SQL and Statistical tools, major object-oriented programming languages (java, C++, etc.), simulation software (AnyLogic, Simio, etc.), and optimization solvers and Python libraries (Gurobi, CPLEX, Numpy, Scipy, Pandas, etc.).
• Physical ability to perform the duties of the job.

Duties and Responsibilities: 1. Provides technical guidance and project supervision to Data Scientists, ensuring clear understanding of priorities and objectives.
2. Leads the process of developing, training, implementing, and monitoring data science, machine learning/artificial intelligence, and operations research projects. This encompasses ensuring the scalable deployment of ML/AI solutions on Azure/AWS platforms, while closely aligning with business objectives and clinical workflows.
3. Identifies best practices, industry research, and emerging tools and technology to support and evolve the AI, advanced modeling and optimization roadmap.
4. Builds and maintains a strong engagement with key internal and external partners to understand business needs and develop solutions through data science techniques.
5. Collaborates with peers in other Health Authorities, PHC Health Informatics team, and major Cloud vendors (such as Microsoft Azure and Amazon AWS) to ensure optimal utilization of cloud resources for developing and managing AI/ML applications.
6. Works with leadership on strategies for scaling successful projects across the organization and enhancing data science and operations research applications to resolve challenging problems that can significantly impact operational and clinical process improvement.
7. Holds responsibility for hiring, supervising, disciplining and terminating team staff members. Provides direction to and oversees the day-to-day work of team members, ensuring service standards are met. Prioritizes work assignments among scientists and reallocates workload to meet operational demands. Monitors operational capacity of analysts and makes adjustments when necessary. Escalates tactical and strategic capacity issues to Director.
8. Serves as a project manager for assigned data analytics projects, including the development, monitoring and evaluation of project plans and deliverables.
9. In conjunction with the Director, assists in the development of the annual team budget and operational/strategic plans.
10. Prepares analytical analysis and briefings for the Board, Senior Leadership Team as required, using information at the national, provincial and regional levels in addition to corporate information sources.
11. Maintains and incorporates current knowledge of health system, technology and care delivery changes, as well as current knowledge of appropriate use of quality, utilization and financial information and potential implications of associated methodologies.
12. Performs other duties as required

Please refer the Job description for details