The Senior Data Scientist position with LA Health Services (Los Angeles County Department of Human Resources) focuses on building and applying methods to identify, collect, process, organize, and analyze structured and unstructured data. The work supports healthcare program and operational decision-making across clinical, quality, patient experience, and financial sustainability initiatives.
Key Responsibilities
- Develops and maintains inpatient bed utilization and staffing forecast models, including scenario-planning tools for capacity planning and operational decision-making.
- Builds clinical notes Natural Language Processing (NLP) solutions and machine learning-based anomaly detection to identify trends and potential coding gaps that impact data quality, including KPIs and quality measures.
- Collaborates with division, departmental, and countywide partners to solicit, define, and manage highly complex data science projects from conception through implementation, ensuring results provide actionable insights and recommendations. Provides ongoing consultation during implementation as needed to support program fidelity.
- Conducts and coordinates statistical inference and communicates findings through oral, written, and visual methods, including presentations and interactive tools for technical and nontechnical audiences, partners, and members of the public.
- Provides technical oversight to small teams of Data Scientists and Predictive Data Analysts as necessary to support successful delivery.
- Recommends ongoing improvements to methods and algorithms as new information becomes available.
- Creates and monitors automated-detection systems and provides business metrics to demonstrate project improvements over initial delivery and multiple iterations.
- Leads the discovery process with departmental partners to document business requirements and frame business problems so appropriate data science techniques and products can be identified and deployed.
- Maintains expertise in statistical programming languages and related packages and tools. Provides training and support to team members and ensures quality of code and programming logic.
- Works with program staff to ensure analyses are actionable and support data-driven program, policy, and operational decision-making.
- Develops and maintains operational and service line KPI dashboards spanning clinical operations, quality and patient outcomes, patient experience, and financial sustainability.
- Coordinates with other department subject matter experts to identify and select relevant data sources for use cases, including internal and external structured and unstructured data. Guides selection and transformation of sources.
- Maintains version-controlled notebooks, model cards, technical documentation, and reproducible workflows within the Azure data environment.
- Coordinates with functional teams to develop and implement products, services, tools, or business process changes that result from analysis.
- Troubleshoots deployed analytical solutions and implements enhancements to maintain data and model accuracy.
- Supports implementation of recommended business process changes while retaining fidelity to standard methodologies identified through analysis. Provides consultation as programs grow and evolve, including recommending modifications to adopted goals and metrics.
- Tracks and manages data science project activities, milestones, and blockers through Jira and established sprint cycles.
- In coordination with Information Technology, supports requirements for collection, integration, and retention of large sets of structured and unstructured data from disparate sources. Serves as a resource to senior data engineers and architects in system selection and design for use by the data science team.
Required Qualifications
- Two (2) years of experience conducting complex data science projects that included independently developing and applying methods to identify, collect, process, structure, and analyze data using statistical prediction, inference, and optimization to support data-driven program design and management at a level equivalent to the Los Angeles County class of Data Scientist.
- A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in an applied research field such as Data Science, Machine Learning, Mathematics, Statistics, Business Analytics, Psychology, or Public Health, with 12 semester or 18 quarter units in data science, predictive analytics, quantitative research methods, or statistical analysis (Option II may allow additional substitution as described in the role requirements).
- Six (6) years of experience, including two (2) years in a lead capacity, applying and overseeing machine learning, predictive analytics, data management, and hypothesis-driven data analysis to make actionable recommendations supporting program, policy, and operational decision-making.
- Lead capacity is defined as assigning, coordinating, and reviewing work, ensuring proper methods are followed, and providing technical assistance and training. A lead person is a senior member of the Data Science team providing technical assistance without supervision.
- A master’s or doctoral degree from an accredited college or university in an applied research field may substitute for up to two (2) years of experience.
- A valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to use alternative transportation methods to perform essential job functions.
- Physical Class II – Light: administrative and clerical positions requiring light physical effort, including occasional light lifting to a 10-pound limit and some bending, stooping, or squatting. Considerable ambulation may be involved.
Technologies
- Natural Language Processing (NLP)
- Machine learning
- Azure
- Jira
- Statistical programming languages
- Model cards
- Version-controlled notebooks
Benefits
- Health care options
- Robust retirement plans
- Flexibility to work, relax, and rejuvenate
Salary and Location
Location: Los Angeles County, CA (onsite)
Salary: USD 121,788 - 164,128 per year
Exam and Recruitment Details
- Exam Number: Y1764B
- Type of Recruitment: Applications welcome from anyone.
Application Filing Period
The application filing period will begin on October 28, 2026 and is Continuous. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled, and the application window may close unexpectedly once enough qualified candidates are received.
Desirable Qualifications
- Additional credit is awarded based on qualifying option.
- If qualified under Option I: additional years of experience beyond the requirements.
- If qualified under Option II: additional experience in excess of two (2) years in a lead capacity applying and overseeing machine learning, predictive analytics, data management, and hypothesis-driven data analysis to make actionable recommendations supporting program, policy, and operational decision-making.
Special Requirements for Documentation
- To receive credit for required degree, license, and certificate/s from an accredited institution, submit a legible copy of the official diploma, official transcripts, or an official letter showing the area of specialization.
- Transcripts must show the degree conferred, area of specialization, and relevant coursework specified in the requirements.
- Include official copies of all relevant documents. If documents are not in English, translation is required. International degrees must be evaluated for equivalency to U.S. standards.
- Documents marked as unofficial will not be accepted.
- Password-protected documents are not accepted. Ensure documents are unlocked.
- If attachments are not possible at filing time, documents may be emailed within seven (7) calendar days from the application date to Darlene Beamon-Thomas at DBeamon-Thomas@dhs.lacounty.gov, including full name (as on application), exam number (Y1764B), and exam title.
Examination Content
- Training & Experience (T&E) Evaluation: evaluates experience listed on the online application and supplemental questionnaire using a standardized scoring system.
- This assessment is worth 100% of the total score and assesses Requirements to Qualify, Desirable Qualifications, and Supplemental Questionnaire responses.
- Applicants must receive a passing score of 70% or higher to be added to the eligible list.
Eligibility and Vacancy Information
- Applications are processed as received.
- If an applicant passes, they will be placed on a list for 12 months, and hiring managers within LA Health Services will use the list to fill vacancies as they become available.
- Successful applicants added to the eligible list may not apply for this examination for 12 months after the date they were placed on the list.
- Applications received before expiration from the eligible list will be rejected.
- Applicants who did not meet requirements may reapply after 30 days from their most recent application if the exam remains open for filing.
Available Shifts
Appointees may be required to work any shift, including evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays.
How to Apply
- Online applications only. Applications submitted by U.S. mail, fax, or in person are not accepted.
- Apply online using the green “Apply” button at the top right of the posting.
- New email addresses must be verified (once per email address).
- Provide relevant job experience including employer name and address, job title, beginning and ending dates, number of hours worked per week, and description of work performed.
- Information may be verified at any point during the examination and hiring process, including after an appointment is made. Falsification may result in refusal of application or rescission of appointment.
- Copying wording from requirements or class specification as work experience is not sufficient to demonstrate meeting requirements.
Email and Application Requirements
- Notifications will be sent to the email address provided on the application.
- Approved senders to prevent filtering as spam/junk mail: info@governmentjobs.com, noreply@governmentjobs.com, DBeamon-Thomas@dhs.lacounty.gov.
- Federal law requires a Social Security Number for employed persons; include yours when applying.
- Applicants must file the application using their own user ID and password.
- If regular access to a computer or internet is not available, applications can be completed on computers at public libraries throughout Los Angeles County.
Equal Opportunity and Inclusion
LA Health Services is committed to promoting Anti-racism, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts to address inequalities and disparities among race.
Department Contact
- Email: Darlene Beamon-Thomas at DBeamon-Thomas@dhs.lacounty.gov
- Phone: (213) 288-7000
- Teletype: (800) 735-2929
- California Relay Services: (800) 735-2922
- Accommodation requests: (323) 914-6365
Please reference Exam Number Y1764B in all communications during the application process.
