Product Insights and Reporting, Principal - Data Scientist

Product Insights And Reporting, Principal

The Product Strategy Insights & Analytics team partners with the Product Strategy and Marketing organization to deliver analytical support and financial modeling for product development at Blue Shield of California. This team and position play a key role in equipping strategists with data-driven insights that help shape initiatives aimed at making healthcare more affordable. By applying healthcare cost analysis, forecasting, and increasingly sophisticated predictive modeling and machine learning techniques, the team provides a deep understanding of cost drivers, trends, utilization patterns, and risk factors to support strategic decision-making. The Product Insights and Reporting, Principal will report to the Senior Manager of Insights.

Our leadership model is about developing great leaders at all levels and creating opportunities for our people to grow – personally, professionally, and financially. We are looking for leaders that are energized by creative and critical thinking, building and sustaining high-performing teams, getting results the right way, and fostering continuous learning.

Responsibilities

In this role, you will:

• Leverage advanced analytics, predictive modeling, and machine learning techniques to collect, evaluate, and transform complex datasets into financial models, scenario analyses, and cost-of-care forecasts that estimate potential savings and inform cost/benefit evaluations of strategic options
• Integrate and reconcile data from multiple sources, applying statistical and ML-based methods to produce unified reporting across cost, quality, utilization, and risk metrics
• Participate in internal workgroups and stakeholder meetings to provide analytical insight and support for the implementation and enhancement of new programs, products, and services
• Collaborate with key operational leaders to establish credible assumptions to support modeling of proposed initiatives to mitigate cost of healthcare trend while maintaining/improving the quality of care
• Analyze data to identify opportunities to improve healthcare quality, reduce costs and enhance member outcomes
• Present complex insights to executive leadership and key stakeholders in a clear, actionable manner
• Design, build, validate, and maintain predictive models and machine learning solutions that guide product development, product enhancement, and strategic decision-making

Qualifications

Your Knowledge and Experience:

• Requires a bachelor's degree or equivalent experience; advanced degree (e.g., MA, MBA) in healthcare economics, actuarial science, or related field preferred
• Requires at least 10 years of prior relevant experience, including at least 3 years of experience with Predictive Modeling and Machine Learning
• Requires understanding of statistical methods and advanced modeling techniques (e.g., SVM, K-Means, Random Forest, Boosting, Bayesian inference, natural language processing)
• Requires strong analytic and independent problem-solving skills with proficiency in data analysis tools
• Requires high-level proficiency in the following technical skills:
• Highly proficient in scalable data transformation techniques, using SQL Programming – preferably with Netezza, Oracle
• Tableau Reporting
• Strong expertise in applied statistics, data mining, or other quantitative discipline using Python required. SAS Programming (Advanced Programmer Credential or Certification) strongly preferred; other statistical modeling tools such as R Programming are also acceptable
• Proficient in experimentation design and A/B testing
• Advanced knowledge and experience in healthcare (managed care, academic, or gov't payer), healthcare data and managed health plan operations strongly preferred
• Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to convey complex information to executive leadership and other stakeholders
• Ability to partner, collaborate with, and lead relevant stakeholders across diverse functions and experience levels

Hybrid

This role requires employees to be in-office based on our hybrid workplace model, balancing purposeful in-person collaboration with flexibility. For most teams, this means coming into the office two days each week.

Employees living more than 50 miles from an office location will work with their manager to determine in-office time based on business need.

About Us

About Blue Shield of California

As of January 2025, Blue Shield of California became a subsidiary of Ascendiun. Ascendiun is a nonprofit corporate entity that is the parent to a family of organizations including Blue Shield of California and its subsidiary, Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan; Altais, a clinical services company; and Stellarus, a company designed to scale healthcare solutions. Together, these organizations are referred to as the Ascendiun Family of Companies.

At Blue Shield of California, our mission is to create a healthcare system worthy of our family and friends and sustainably affordable. We are transforming health care in a way that genuinely serves our nonprofit mission by lowering costs, improving quality, and enhancing the member and physician experience.

To achieve our mission, we foster an environment where all employees can thrive and contribute fully to address the needs of the various communities we serve. We are committed to creating and maintaining a supportive workplace that upholds our values and advances our goals.

Blue Shield is a U.S. News Best Company to work for, a Deloitte U.S. Best Managed Company and a Top 100 Inspiring Workplace. We were recognized by Fair360 as a Top Regional Company, and one of the 50 most community-minded companies in the United States by Points of Light. Here at Blue Shield, we strive to make a positive change across our industry and communities – join us!

Our Values:

• Honest. We hold ourselves to the highest ethical and integrity standards. We build trust by doing what we say we're going to do and by acknowledging and correcting where we fall short.
• Human. We strive to listen and communicate effectively, showing empathy by understanding others' perspectives.
• Courageous. We stand up for what we believe in and are committed to the hard work necessary to achieve our ambitious goals.

Our Workplace Model

We believe in fostering a workplace environment that balances purposeful in-person collaboration with flexibility - providing clear expectations while respecting the diverse needs of our workforce. Our workplace model is designed around intentional in-person interaction, collaboration, connection, creativity and flexibility:

• For most teams, this means coming into the office two days per week.

• Employees living more than 50 miles from an office location, out of state employees, and employees in certain member-facing roles should work with their manager to determine in-office time based on business need.

• For employees with medical conditions that may impact their ability to work in-office, we are committed to engaging in an interactive process and providing reasonable accommodations to ensure their work environment is conducive to their success and well-being.

The Company reserves the right to require more presence in the office based on business needs, and requirements are subject to change with periodic reviews.

Physical Requirements:

Office Environment - roles involving part to full time schedule in Office Environment. Based in our physical offices and work from home office/deskwork - Activity level: Sedentary, frequency most of work day.

Please click here for further physical requirement detail.

Equal Employment Opportunity:

External hires must pass a background check/drug screen. Qualified applicants with arrest records and/or conviction records will be considered for employment in a manner consistent with Federal, State and local laws, including but not limited to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regards to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status or disability status and any other classification protected by Federal, State and local laws.