Who we want

This is a role for someone who wants to work on a hard problem, deliver real impact and be pushed to be the best version of themselves. As an Associate Applied Scientist, you’ll be embedded in the Applied Science team. Our members rely on us to answer hard questions — Which doctor should I see? What will it cost? When should we reach out, and how? — and the quality of those answers is determined by the algorithms behind them.

This is not a dashboards or descriptive-analytics role. You will own production systems end-to-end: framing the problem, defining the objective function, choosing the right approach (ML, optimization, heuristics, expert systems, or a hybrid), shipping it, and improving it against real-world outcomes. The closest analog outside healthcare is a quantitative researcher at a top hedge fund.

What you will do

• Ship production algorithmic systems end-to-end, from problem framing to launch to iteration
• Frame messy, real-world healthcare and business constraints into clear objectives, tradeoffs, and decision frameworks
• Define the set of metrics needed to judge whether a solution is working, and validate solutions before they ship
• Choose the right approach for each problem, from machine learning to optimization to heuristics to simple rules, based on what the problem actually calls for
• Bring new ideas to your work, experimenting with approaches beyond the obvious to get better results
• Produce rigorous, well-validated work others can rely on, and review your peers' code and analyses
• Build a deep understanding of the healthcare economy and Garner's place in it

To make the role concrete, here are two problems on our near-term roadmap:

• Provider tiering optimization. Build a tiering algorithm that jointly optimizes geographic access and total-cost-of-care savings across our doctor network. The objective function, constraints, and tradeoff surface are all open design questions.
• Member engagement model. Build an ML system that ingests claims data and in-app behavior to choose the right channel and moment for each touchpoint — SMS, push, phone, or email — to influence member behavior toward better-quality, lower-cost care.

What we're looking for

• A Bachelor's or Master's degree (in progress) in Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Economics, or a related STEM field, with an expected graduation date of Fall 2026 or Spring 2027.
• A bias toward action, quickly translating ideas into working prototypes to test approaches.
• Strong applied problem-solving skills, with the ability to define good metrics and then deliver solutions that improve them.
• A solid command of the methods your work calls for and the data your models depend on.
• Strong judgment in choosing between statistical models, heuristics, optimization approaches, and simpler algorithmic methods depending on the problem.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to present your work clearly to senior stakeholders.
• A desire to do work that matters: and to be held to a high standard while doing it. You're energized by a mission with measurable outcomes, not just good intentions. You engage with AI tools as part of how you do your best work, and hold yourself accountable to outcomes that matter beyond your team’s metrics.

What you’ll get here

You’ll work on problems that matter, at a company working to change healthcare at scale. You’ll work at the intersection of AI and systemic healthcare reform, where the problems we solve are as interesting and compelling as the mission.

At Garner, you’ll take on real, ambitious problems with real ownership and autonomy, alongside exceptional, principles-based people who genuinely want you to win. It’s demanding by design. You’ll be challenged to stretch beyond what you thought possible and receive consistent coaching to help you grow and do the best work of your career. This isn't the right fit for everyone, and that's intentional. The people here are driven by what's at stake for real people, and that's what gives our intensity its purpose. 

Technologies we use

• Python, SQL, AWS, Snowflake, pandas, XGBoost, PyTorch, HuggingFace, modern LLM tooling and eval frameworks. We pick tools based on the problem, not the resume — bring your judgment.

Please note: we are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.

Compensation

The target base comp range for this role is $150,000. Individual compensation will depend on qualifications, skills, and applicable laws.

In addition to base compensation, this role is eligible to participate in our equity incentive plan and benefits package, including: flexible PTO, Medical/Dental/Vision plan options, 401(k) with company match, flexible spending accounts, Teladoc Health, and more.

Few roles offer this combination: work that is genuinely hard, a mission that is genuinely important, and a team that is genuinely invested in your success. If that’s what you’re looking for, we’d love to meet you.