Senior Data Scientist

Fraser Health is responsible for the delivery of hospital and community-based health services to over 1.9 million people in 20 diverse communities from Burnaby to Fraser Canyon on the traditional territories of the Coast Salish and Nlaka’pamux Nations. Our team of 45,000 staff, medical staff and volunteers is dedicated to serving our patients, families and communities to deliver on our vision: Better health, best in health care.

As a Senior Data Scientist you will be responsible for the assigned machine learning and artificial intelligence (ML/AI) projects, providing end-to-end technical execution and project management across a multi-disciplinary technical team comprised of Senior Operations Engineers, Operations Research Scientists, Data Scientists, Data Analysts, Solutions Architect and Data Engineers. The Senior Data Scientist will design, develop and deploy cloud or on-premises innovative advanced analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence solutions to improve service quality, patient safety and patient outcomes.

At The Center for Advanced Analytics, Data Science and Innovation (CAADSI) of Fraser Health, we are looking for a Senior Data Scientist to join our agile and fast paced team. Reporting to the Director of Data Science, a senior data scientist is a multifaceted professional who plays a pivotal role in guiding a team of data scientists. They are responsible for overseeing the execution of data science projects, maintaining technical expertise, solving complex data-related challenges, collaborating with cross-functional teams, and driving the organization's data strategy. Additionally, they facilitate the growth and development of their team, ensure data quality and ethical standards, manage risks, promote innovation, and communicate effectively with non-technical stakeholders through compelling storytelling techniques. This comprehensive role blends technical acumen, leadership, project management, and strategic thinking to drive data-driven success and deliver valuable insights that impact Fraser Health's decision-making processes.

We currently have 2 Full Time vacancies for this role based at our Central City offices in Surrey, BC, with access to rapid transit, shopping, restaurants, on-site gym and other amenities.

Job duties:

• Provides technical direction and project oversight to the Data Scientists, ensuring clarity around priorities and goals, as well as working across functions with peers in the other Health Informatics groups to ensure collaboration for shared goals.
• Guarantees best practices of data science, ML/AI and Operations Research techniques are appropriately applied to the projects, including scalable deployment of AI solutions to clinical settings as per industry standards in MLOps, alignment with the business objectives, clinical workflow, and organizational technologies and infrastructure both current and future.
• Develops annual strategic roadmap within a set of assigned portfolios and programs, focused on driving transformational results through advanced analytics in conjunction with other partners, communicates our strategy with partners internal and external to FHA and tracks progress towards key milestones.
• Leads the design, development, quality assurance, deployment, and transition to support of Advanced Analytics solutions utilizing optimization and data science techniques for FHA clients with scalability to health care industry clients.
• Liaises with FHA HIIT, PHSA IMITS, and major Cloud vendors (Microsoft Azure, Amazon AWS) to ensure effective utilization of cloud resources to build and manage advanced analytics applications.
• Supports Managing Consultants and Operations Engineers in user change management and workflow (re)designs around ML/AI solutions.

Qualifications:

• PhD Degree in a quantitative field such as Operations Research, Data Science, Computer Science, Quantitative Healthcare Research, Math, Physics or a related Engineering degree
• seven (7) years’ experience developing advanced analytics solutions preferably in the Health Care industry, including two (2) years’ leadership experience

An equivalent combination of education, training and experience may be considered.

Effective October 26th 2021, all new hires to Fraser Health will need to have full COVID 19 vaccination (have received a full series of a World Health Organization “WHO” approved vaccine against infection by SARS-COV-2, or a combination of approved WHO vaccines). Please note this applies to all postings, and individual medical exemptions must be approved by the Provincial Health Officer.

Curious to learn what it’s like to work here? Like us on Facebook (@fraserhealthcareers), follow us on Twitter & Instagram (@FHCareer), or connect with us on LinkedIn (fraserhealthcareers) for first-hand employee insights.

Supporting the Vision, Values, Purpose and Commitments of Fraser Health including service delivery that is centered around patients/clients/residents and families:

Reporting to the Director, Data Science and Consulting, the Senior Data Scientist is responsible for the assigned machine learning and artificial intelligence (ML/AI) projects, providing end-to-end technical execution and project management across a multi-disciplinary technical team comprised of Senior Operations Engineers, Operations Research Scientists, Data Scientists, Data Analysts, Solutions Architect and Data Engineers to design, develop and deploy cloud or on-premises innovative advanced analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence solutions to improve service quality, patient safety and patient outcomes. The Senior Data Scientist assesses and executes data science and operations research best practices across assigned portfolios, including the development and use of data science, technical deployment strategies as per industry standards in MLOps, optimization (operational research) and artificial intelligence techniques for a wide range of healthcare applications such as system capacity projections, operating room planning, staff scheduling, emergency department staffing, radiotherapy treatment planning, higher level of care coordination, home healthcare planning, long-term care planning and scheduling and to gain unprecedented insights into diagnostics, care processes, treatment variability, and patient outcomes. This role is responsible to work with the Data Science Manager and Senior Leadership to create ML/AI product vision and product roadmap for targeted clinical programs and networks. The Senior Data Scientist partners with Managing Consultant team for alignment with organization's Strategic Priorities to understand business pain points and workflow processes, identify opportunities, and propose ML/AI approaches to challenges. The Senior Data Scientist closely partners with Technical Infrastructure team and ensures the proposed ML/AI solution is strategically aligned with the organization's evolving technologies and infrastructure. In addition, this role collaborates closely with other technical teams within Fraser Health and across other Health Authorities to collaborate on cross-functional initiatives.

The Senior Data Scientist brings deep knowledge of analytic techniques and methodologies such as mathematical modeling, machine learning, statistical analysis, optimization, simulation, natural language processing, pattern matching, non-linear forecasting, visualization, large language modelling, conversational AI, sentiment analysis, network and cluster analysis, multivariate statistics, graph analysis, process mining and complex event processing to better understand complex systems, help transition traditional analytics and reporting toward predictive and prescriptive analytics, and aid in decision-making through surfacing insights and supporting change initiatives.

1. Provides technical direction and project oversight to the Data Scientists, ensuring clarity around priorities and goals, as well as working across functions with peers in the other Health Informatics groups to ensure collaboration for shared goals.
2. Guarantees best practices of data science, ML/AI and Operations Research techniques are appropriately applied to the projects, including scalable deployment of AI solutions to clinical settings as per industry standards in MLOps, alignment with the business objectives, clinical workflow, and organizational technologies and infrastructure both current and future.
3. Develops annual strategic roadmap within a set of assigned portfolios and programs, focused on driving transformational results through advanced analytics in conjunction with other partners, communicates our strategy with partners internal and external to FHA and tracks progress towards key milestones.
4. Leads the design, development, quality assurance, deployment, and transition to support of Advanced Analytics solutions utilizing optimization and data science techniques for FHA clients with scalability to health care industry clients.
5. Liaises with FHA HIIT, PHSA IMITS, and major Cloud vendors (Microsoft Azure, Amazon AWS) to ensure effective utilization of cloud resources to build and manage advanced analytics applications.
6. Supports Managing Consultants and Operations Engineers in user change management and workflow (re)designs around ML/AI solutions.
7. Collaborates with leadership to share success stories (and failures) in an effort to increase operations research and data science literacy and adoption across the organization.
8. Actively contributes to research community through journal publications, participation at conferences, seminars, workshops, university relations.
9. Serves as a senior consultant and project manager for assigned data analytics projects, including the development, monitoring and evaluation of project plans and deliverables. Collaborates with leaders across the organization to enable system improvement outcomes.
10. Collaborates with Senior Leadership Team on data-driven innovations and preparation of confidential analytical analysis and briefings for the Board as required, and using information at the national, provincial and regional levels in addition to corporate information sources.
11. Builds effective relationships with internal/external partners and ensures alignment.
12. Holds responsibility for hiring, supervising, disciplining and terminating team staff members. Escalates tactical and strategic capacity issues to Data Science Manager.

PhD Degree in a quantitative field such as Operations Research, Data Science, Computer Science, Quantitative Healthcare Research, Math, Physics or a related Engineering degree and seven (7) years’ experience developing advanced analytics solutions preferably in the Health Care industry, including two (2) years’ leadership experience, or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.

Experience in the following areas is also required:

• Installing data architectures on-prem infrastructure and Cloud providers (e.g. MS Azure, AWS), using DevOps tools;
• Automating data pipelines for model building, testing, validation and deployment;
• Working on Data bricks, PySpark, Azure Data Factory and other Azure data solutions ecosystems;
• Working on data-intensive projects, using modern data platforms and tools and advanced analytics methods and approaches;
• Working on large language models such as developed by OpenAI, Meta, Google;
• Managing and analyzing large scale structured and unstructured data using a data and analytics programming language, preferably Python; and
• Analytics and optimization frameworks and packages such as Numpy, Scipy, Pandas, Gurobi, CPLEX, Xpress, Simulated Annealing;
• Data visualization tools such as PowerBI;
• Change management processes and with project management methodologies.

COMPETENCIES:

Demonstrates the leadership practices of the Fraser Health Leadership Framework of Clear, Caring and Courageous and creates the conditions for people to succeed.

Professional/Technical Capabilities

• Demonstrated ability in building and leading an advanced analytics & ML/AI team with diverse and complementary strengths, and in coaching, mentoring and providing opportunities for growth and technical development.
• Expertise in the fields of data science, optimization (operational research) and artificial intelligence, including building models and developing algorithms for optimization, machine learning, statistics, mathematical programming, and simulation in the Health Care industry.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams to drive operationalization of analytic products and help teams transform processes through analytics in a unified direction as well as an ability to influence leadership and executives using consultative, project and change management approaches.
• Knowledge of end-to-end implementation in data analytics solutions (data ingestion, processing, provisioning and visualization) for largescale and complex environments.
• Knowledge of distributed computing solutions and ability to leverage them towards gaining faster insights from data.
• Knowledge of Data Management, Data Governance, and technical architecture required to enable advanced analytics capabilities.
• General knowledge of current health care issues and trends.
• Proven ability to communicate complex concepts and insights verbally and in writing to colleagues and clients with varying degrees of technical knowledge.
• Outstanding people leadership skills with a keen focus on developing and fostering an innovative and engaged culture.
• Demonstrated ability in managing complex analytics projects as part of an overall program and leading them across all phases including project planning, business discovery, data discovery, implementation, business readiness and roll out.
• Strong ability to communicate deep analytical results in forms that resonate with the business collaborators, highlighting actionable insights.
• Demonstrated ability to drive change and influence across enterprise.
• Demonstrated ability in building and maintaining effective working relationships with business leaders, partners, users and partners to integrate programs into overall strategic objectives.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgment, critical thinking and effective decision making.
• Demonstrated ability to respond to changing priorities and unforeseen circumstances.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively manage budget and staff resources.
• Physical ability to perform the duties of the job.