Manager - Data Science & ML Engineering
Sapphire Digital, Part of Zelis
Software Engineering, Data Science
Hyderabad, Telangana, India
About Us
Zelis is modernizing the healthcare financial experience in the United States (U.S.) across payers, providers, and healthcare consumers. We serve more than 750 payers, including the top five national health plans, regional health plans, TPAs and millions of healthcare providers and consumers across our platform of solutions. Zelis sees across the system to identify, optimize, and solve problems holistically with technology built by healthcare experts – driving real, measurable results for clients.
Why We Do What We Do
In the U.S., consumers, payers, and providers face significant challenges throughout the healthcare financial journey. Zelis helps streamline the process by offering solutions that improve transparency, efficiency, and communication among all parties involved. By addressing the obstacles that patients face in accessing care, navigating the intricacies of insurance claims, and the logistical challenges healthcare providers encounter with processing payments, Zelis aims to create a more seamless and effective healthcare financial system.
Zelis India plays a crucial role in this mission by supporting various initiatives that enhance the healthcare financial experience. The local team contributes to the development and implementation of innovative solutions, ensuring that technology and processes are optimized for efficiency and effectiveness. Beyond operational expertise, Zelis India cultivates a collaborative work culture, leadership development, and global exposure, creating a dynamic environment for professional growth. With hybrid work flexibility, comprehensive healthcare benefits, financial wellness programs, and cultural celebrations, we foster a holistic workplace experience. Additionally, the team plays a vital role in maintaining high standards of service delivery and contributes to Zelis’ award-winning culture.
Position Overview
Zelis is seeking a hands-on Manager – Data Science & ML Engineering to lead the development and productionization of AI/ML solutions. This role is responsible for managing a team of data scientists and ML engineers, and driving the end-to-end lifecycle of machine learning solutions—from problem definition and data analysis to model deployment, monitoring, and continuous improvement.The ideal candidate combines strong expertise in machine learning and advanced analytics with experience in building scalable, production-grade ML systems (MLOps). You will partner closely with business, data engineering, and technology teams to deliver impactful, data-driven solutions that drive efficiency, insights, and measurable business outcomes.
This is a high-impact leadership role with opportunities to work on modern AI use cases, including GenAI/LLM applications, while shaping best practices for AI/ML delivery, platform adoption, and model governance across the organization.
Summary
Zelis is seeking a hands-on Manager – Data Science & ML Engineering to lead the development and productionization of AI/ML solutions. This role is responsible for managing a team of data scientists and ML engineers, and driving the end-to-end lifecycle of machine learning solutions—from problem definition and data analysis to model deployment, monitoring, and continuous improvement.
The ideal candidate combines strong expertise in machine learning and advanced analytics with experience in building scalable, production-grade ML systems (MLOps). You will partner closely with business, data engineering, and technology teams to deliver impactful, data-driven solutions that drive measurable business outcomes.
Key Responsibilities
Lead, mentor, and manage a team of Data Scientists and ML Engineers (MLOps).
Own end-to-end delivery of AI/ML solutions: problem framing, data preparation, model development, deployment, and monitoring.
Design and oversee development of machine learning models (regression, classification, clustering, anomaly detection, NLP/LLMs).
Build and scale ML pipelines, CI/CD processes, and automated retraining and monitoring frameworks.
Ensure models are production-ready, scalable, and aligned with best practices in model governance and reproducibility.
Partner with business stakeholders to translate requirements into data-driven solutions and measurable outcomes.
Collaborate with data engineering and platform teams to build robust data pipelines and ML infrastructure.
Track model performance, business impact, and ROI; drive continuous improvement.
Communicate complex analytical insights and system designs to both technical and non-technical audiences.
Manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment and proactively address risks and dependencies.
Required Qualifications
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Data Science, Statistics, Computer Science, or a related field.
8–12+ years of experience in Data Science, Machine Learning, or related fields.
2–4+ years of experience in team leadership or people management.
Strong hands-on expertise in machine learning, statistical modeling, and data analysis.
Experience in building and deploying production-grade ML systems (MLOps).
Proficiency in Python and SQL; experience with NLP/LLMs is a plus.
Experience with cloud platforms (AWS or Azure) and tools such as SageMaker, Databricks, Snowflake, or PySpark.
Solid understanding of ML lifecycle, CI/CD, model monitoring, and governance practices.
Strong communication, problem-solving, and stakeholder management skills.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience working with healthcare or insurance data.
Familiarity with modern AI/GenAI use cases and frameworks.
Experience with collaboration tools such as GitHub, GitLab, and Jupyter notebooks.
Additional Information
This is a hands-on leadership role requiring both technical depth and delivery ownership.
Opportunity to work on modern AI/ML and GenAI initiatives with high business impact.
Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
At Zelis, we champion diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in all aspects of our operations. We embrace the power of diversity and create an environment where people can bring their authentic and best selves to work. We know that a sense of belonging is key not only to your success at Zelis, but also to your ability to bring your best each day.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Zelis is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
Accessibility Support
We are dedicated to ensuring our application process is accessible to all candidates. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and require reasonable accommodation with any part of the application and/or interview process, please email talentacquisition@zelis.com.