← Search all jobs

Principal Data Scientist

Sutter Health

Sacramento, CA · Posted October 27, 2026

Just laid off? Start here: a plan for the first weeks

See every open role at Sutter Health

More in California job market · All Principal Data Scientist jobs (49) · Healthcare & Hospital Systems · Data & Analytics jobs

More roles at Sutter Health

Similar jobs

Where Sacramento, CA ranks

Where Sacramento, CA placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.

How AI is used in this kind of work

Among data scientists, AI is already used for a large share of the tasks. Measured exposure for data scientists: 46% (high).

Share of this job’s tasks that AI is already used for at work, from real usage. It is not a forecast of job loss, and a low number means no use seen yet. Source: Anthropic Economic Index.

Check how this applies to your own job

Skills this job asks for

Say which you have and which you want to build. We use it to match you to jobs like this one.

About the job

We are so glad you are interested in joining Sutter Health!

Organization: SHSO-Sutter Health System Office-Valley

Position Overview: The singular technical authority for data science within the center for applied artificial intelligence (AI) team. This role solves the organization's highest-impact problems primarily through advanced statistical analysis, exploratory data analysis, and predictive model development, supplemented by Large Language Models (LLMs) and other generative AI methods as needed. Engages directly with clinical, operational, and information systems (IS) stakeholders to understand the underlying problem, translates it into a technical solution, and owns the work end-to-end — from data acquisition and transformation through model development, validation, and production deployment. In parallel, the role sets technical direction and standards for the team, mentors fellow data scientists, serves as the principal technical reviewer for the team's most important work, and contributes to AI governance and model monitoring.

Job Description :

***Please Note: While this position is listed as hybrid, regular in-office attendance is required. Candidates should be prepared to commute to the office on a regualr basis to support team collaboration and business needs.****

EDUCATION:

Equivalent experience will be accepted in lieu of the required degree or diploma.

Bachelor's degree in Statistics, Biostatistics, Computer Science, Mathematics, Data Science, Medical Informatics, or related field required.

TYPICAL EXPERIENCE:

10 years of recent relevant experience

SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE:

Progressive experience in computer science, applied statistics, or machine learning.

Demonstrated track record of taking analytic work from stakeholder problem framing through to production deployment with measurable impact.

Expert command of advanced statistical methods (regression, time series, survival analysis, causal inference, experimental design) and machine learning techniques (supervised, unsupervised, deep learning).

Mastery of with Large Language Model (LLM) and generative AI techniques (evaluation, fine-tuning, retrieval-augmented generation, prompt engineering, agent development).

Advanced knowledge of Python and Structured Query Language (SQL).

Knowledge of Epic Electronic Health Record (EHR) data structures (Clarity, Caboodle) and clinical data standards (Health Level Seven [HL7], Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources [FHIR]) preferred.

Knowledge of applicable regulatory and risk frameworks (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act [HIPAA], Food and Drug Administration [FDA] Software as a Medical Device [SaMD] guidance, National Institute of Standards and Technology Artificial Intelligence Risk Management Framework [NIST AI RMF]) and with bias and fairness evaluation.

Strong written and verbal communication; able to translate complex technical work for executive and clinical audiences.

Demonstrated ability to mentor technical staff and influence without authority.

These Principal Accountabilities, Requirements and Qualifications are not exhaustive but are merely the most descriptive of the current job. Management reserves the right to revise the job description or require that other tasks be performed when the circumstances of the job change (for example, emergencies, staff changes, workload, or technical development).

#LI-JI1

Job Shift: Days

Schedule: Full Time

Days of the Week: Monday - Friday

Weekend Requirements: As Needed

Benefits: Yes

Unions: No

Position Status: Exempt

Weekly Hours: 40

Employee Status: Regular

Sutter Health is an equal opportunity employer EOE/M/F/Disability/Veterans.

Pay Range is $181,896.00 to $291,033.60 / annual salary

The posted pay range is based on the position's primary work location. Candidates who reside and work outside of that location may be subject to a different pay range based on their work location. Candidate starting salaries consider multiple factors, including, but not limited to a candidate’s experience, education, skills, licensure, certifications, departmental equity, training, and organizational needs. Base pay is only one component of Sutter Health’s comprehensive total rewards program. Eligible positions also include a comprehensive benefits package.