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# Senior Data Scientist - Prior Authorization

- **Company:** Burtch Works
- **Location:** Chicago, IL, United States (Remote available)
- **Experience:** Expert
- **Contract:** Temporary to permanent
- **Skills:** Python (Programming Language), Standard Sql, SQL Databases, Large Language Models, Intelligent Document Processing, Human in the Loop
- **Published:** November 13, 2026
- **Apply:** https://arc.dev/remote-jobs/j/redirect/pz6vopnhbh

## About the Role

* 5+ years of relevant experience as a data scientist or in a comparable applied role.
 * Demonstrated ownership of ambiguous projects from business framing through rollout.
 * Hands-on experience building, deploying, and maintaining production LLM applications.
 * Experience running human-in-the-loop (SME) ground-truth review programs.

Skills

 * Strong Python and SQL skills.
 * Strong grasp of validation design, specifically targeted/stratified sampling and unbiasing techniques.
 * Technical vision to evolve LLM workflows into high-precision document AI systems (grounded reasoning, exact citations).

Other

 * Outcome-oriented mindset focused on measurable business value.
 * Excellent communication across technical and non-technical teams, with the ability to explain trade-offs and gain stakeholder buy-in.
 * Growth mindset and agility to quickly learn clinical concepts., * Prior healthcare, pharmacy, or benefits data experience.

## Description

We are looking for a Senior Data Scientist with 5+ years of relevant experience to support a range of data science initiatives focused on reducing prior authorization (PA) operations cost. The work includes using models to auto-approve PAs, supporting quality improvement initiatives, driving process improvements that increase automation, and reducing fax-related costs. This role acts as a project lead on ambiguous problems, owning them from business framing through technical execution and rollout., * End-to-End Project Leadership: Lead ambiguous initiatives from problem definition and business framing through technical execution and rollout.

 * Business Impact: Translate model metrics and analyses into business impact (e.g., operations savings, member experience, drug cost) and clear action plans.
 * Production LLM Development: Build, deploy, and maintain production LLM applications, prompt pipelines, and alert logic using Python and SQL.
 * Document AI Architecture: Evolve simple LLM workflows into high-precision systems featuring grounded reasoning, exact citations, and related techniques.
 * Validation & Sampling: Design rigorous validation approaches, including targeted/stratified sampling and unbiasing techniques, to accurately estimate true population performance.
 * Human-in-the-Loop Evaluation: Run SME ground-truth review programs to measure true model accuracy.
 * Stakeholder Engagement: Partner with pharmacists, operations, and technical teams to learn clinical concepts (e.g., clinical criteria), explain trade-offs, and gain stakeholder buy-in.