Data Scientist II - Gen AI/Python/AWS/SQL

When you join the team at Unum, you become part of an organization committed to helping you thrive.

Here, we work to provide the employee benefits and service solutions that enable employees at our client companies to thrive throughout life’s moments. And this starts with ensuring that every one of our team members enjoys opportunities to succeed both professionally and personally. To enable this, we provide:

• Award-winning culture

• Inclusion and diversity as a priority

• Performance Based Incentive Plans

• Competitive benefits package that includes: Health, Vision, Dental, Short & Long-Term Disability

• Generous PTO (including paid time to volunteer!)

• Up to 9.5% 401(k) employer contribution

• Mental health support

• Career advancement opportunities

• Student loan repayment options

• Tuition reimbursement

• Flexible work environments

*All the benefits listed above are subject to the terms of their individual Plans.

And that’s just the beginning…

With 10,000 employees helping more than 39 million people worldwide, every role at Unum is meaningful and impacts the lives of our customers. Whether you’re directly supporting a growing family, or developing online tools to help navigate a difficult loss, customers are counting on the combined talents of our entire team. Help us help others, and join Team Unum today!

General Summary:

We are seeking a Data Scientist II to join our innovation hub, a small, agile team focused on delivering solutions for high-impact business initiatives. In this role, you will support the development of proof-of-concept applications, build and deploy machine learning and generative AI solutions, and partner with stakeholders across the enterprise to turn complex business problems into actionable insights. You will have the opportunity to expand your technical expertise while helping drive innovation and business value through data science and AI.

Job Specifications / Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in a quantitative field required. Master’s is preferred

• 4+ years of professional experience or equivalent relevant work.

Technical Expertise

Core Data Science Capabilities Deep expertise in at least two of the following skillsets preferred; and competency in the other:

• Programming & Automation:

  • Python required; experience with automation, DevOps practices, APIs, file I/O, and database integrations.

  • Experience engineering solutions in cloud environments (AWS preferred; Azure/Google comparable).

  • Exposure to object-oriented development and scalable architecture.

• Data Visualization:

  • Expertise across multiple visualization tools and techniques.

  • Ability to tailor visuals to business use cases and audiences.

• Statistics & Machine Learning:

  • Deep knowledge of statistical inference, regression, feature selection, feature extraction, and ML algorithms.

  • Familiarity with generative AI approaches is a plus.

• Data Engineering / ETL:

  • Strong SQL skills; ability to design, debug, and optimize complex queries.

  • Ability to navigate and explore large databases independently.

  • Experience combining internal and external data sources.

Soft Skills & Business Leadership

• Strong communication skills, including the ability to influence senior leaders.

• Project management experience and strong business acumen (financial services experience a plus).

• Ability to manage multiple concurrent initiatives in a fast-moving environment.

• Comfortable facilitating engagements and representing analytics with executive leadership.

Primary Responsibilities

Analytical Solution Development

• Design, develop, and execute analytical solutions using optimization, simulation, machine learning, generative AI, and statistical modeling.

• Construct predictive models to explain events, forecast behaviors, identify risk, or perform segmentation and clustering.

• Apply domain expertise to ensure models are practical, interpretable, and aligned with business needs.

• Evaluate alternative approaches and select appropriate modeling techniques for each use case.

Data Engineering & Preparation

• Integrate and transform large volumes of data from diverse sources (e.g., DB2, SQL Server, Teradata, APIs) to support analytics and experimentation.

• Build modeling-ready datasets using validation, reconciliation, feature engineering, and aggregation techniques.

• Write complex SQL queries involving multi-table joins, data exploration, and troubleshooting with minimal guidance.

• Develop logical data models combining internal and external datasets; lead conversations with external data providers when needed.

Automation & Deployment

• Build automated analytics pipelines leveraging scripting, APIs, DevOps practices, and cloud platforms.

• Partner with engineering and IT teams to scale solutions, automate workflows, and integrate models into business processes.

• Actively participate in operationalizing AI/ML solutions within production environments.

Visualization, Insights & Communication

• Develop and deliver clear, compelling visualizations (static or dynamic) tailored to various audiences.

• Interpret analytical results and communicate actionable insights that influence senior leaders and key business partners.

• Translate complex technical work into business-friendly recommendations.

Mentorship & Collaboration

• Coach, mentor, and develop associate or junior data scientists; provide technical guidance and feedback.

• Work in a collaborative, innovation-focused environment with product owners, engineers, data architects, and business partners.

• Manage multiple projects simultaneously, prioritizing independently and guiding less experienced team members.

Innovation & Research

• Stay current on emerging statistical methods, machine learning advancements, and generative AI tools.

• Conduct independent R&D to prototype new approaches and explore innovative solutions for high-visibility business problems.

• Demonstrate entrepreneurial, self-starter mindset with a strong curiosity and continuous-learning orientation.

~IN1

Unum and Colonial Life are part of Unum Group, a Fortune 500 company and leading provider of employee benefits to companies worldwide. Headquartered in Chattanooga, TN, with international offices in Ireland, Poland and the UK, Unum also has significant operations in Portland, ME, and Baton Rouge, LA - plus over 35 US field offices. Colonial Life is headquartered in Columbia, SC, with over 40 field offices nationwide.

Unum is an equal opportunity employer, considering all qualified applicants and employees for hiring, placement, and advancement, without regard to a person's race, color, religion, national origin, age, genetic information, military status, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, or protected veteran status.

The base salary range for applicants for this position is listed below. Unless actual salary is indicated above in the job description, actual pay will be based on skill, geographical location and experience.

Additionally, Unum offers a portfolio of benefits and rewards that are competitive and comprehensive including healthcare benefits (health, vision, dental), insurance benefits (short & long-term disability), performance-based incentive plans, paid time off, and a 401(k) retirement plan with an employer match up to 5% and an additional 4.5% contribution whether you contribute to the plan or not. All benefits are subject to the terms and conditions of individual Plans.

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