About this role
Summary: Join Optum as a Senior AI/ML Engineer to architect and scale advanced AI solutions for healthcare workflows. You will design, develop, and deploy production-ready models using Python and cloud platforms, collaborating with business stakeholders to deliver responsible AI innovations.
Optum Tech is a global leader in health care innovation. Our teams develop cutting-edge solutions that help people live healthier lives and help make the health system work better for everyone. From advanced data analytics and AI to cybersecurity, we use innovative approaches to solve some of health care’s most complex challenges. Your contributions here have the potential to change lives. Ready to build the next breakthrough? Join us in making healthcare work better for everyone through people-led, responsible AI while Caring. Connecting. Growing together.
As a Sr AI/ML Engineer, you will join an innovative technology team dedicated to architecting and scaling advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning solutions across the enterprise. In this role, you will design, develop, and deploy production-ready AI models and automations that transform complex healthcare workflows and data into actionable insights. You will collaborate with data scientists, software engineers, and domain leaders to build secure, high-performing AI systems using modern cloud infrastructures and enterprise engineering standards.
Primary Responsibilities:
- Serve as a senior hands-on AI/ML engineer embedded with Behavioral Health business and operations teams
- Work directly with BH business partners, ECS Operations leaders, clinicians, care advocates, and users to prototype, develop, test, and refine AI capabilities
- Own complex AI components and features under the architecture and technical direction of the Lead AI Engineer
- Act as the daily engineering connection between users and the broader development team
- Focus on complex feature ownership and user-facing delivery rather than portfolio architecture or overall team leadership
- Design, develop, and deploy AI-powered solutions to address complex business challenges with an emphasis on responsible use of AI
- Meet directly with business users, ECS Operations leaders, clinicians, and subject-matter experts to understand workflows and validate requirements
- Convert user needs into prototypes, technical designs, user stories, acceptance criteria, evaluation scenarios, and engineering tasks
- Use enterprise-approved AI tools to streamline workflows, automate tasks, and drive continuous improvement across software systems
- Evaluate emerging trends to inform solution design and strategic innovation
- Build, train, optimize, and maintain scalable machine learning models and end-to-end data pipelines
- Collaborate with cross-functional technical teams to integrate machine learning solutions into enterprise application ecosystems
- Establish robust coding standards, perform code reviews, and drive architecture best practices for AI software engineering
You’ll be rewarded and recognized for your performance in an environment that will challenge you and give you clear direction on what it takes to succeed in your role as well as provide development for other roles you may be interested in.
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Software Engineering or a related technical field
- 5 years of software engineering or machine learning engineering experience in an enterprise technology environment
- 2 years of experience in independently owning complex AI capabilities and user-facing features, working directly with business stakeholders and operations users to design, build, test, deploy and optimize productions AI solutions
- 2 years of hands-on experience designing, building, and deploying AI/ML, generative AI, or advanced analytics solutions.
- 2 years of experience writing production-grade code in Python and working with RESTful APIs or microservices architectures
- 2 years of experience with MLOps, CI/CD pipelines, and cloud platform deployment (AWS, Azure, or GCP)
- Experience with PyTorch, TensorFlow, scikit-learn, Hugging Face, or comparable frameworks
- Proven ability to engage directly with nontechnical users, clinicians, and business stakeholders to clarify problems and validate solutions
Preferred Qualifications:
- Master's degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field
- Experience with Generative AI architectures, Large Language Models (LLMs), Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), and prompt/fine-tuning pipelines
- Experience within healthcare IT, behavioral health, utilization management, prior authorization, clinical review, provider portal or provider operations
- Familiarity with enterprise AI governance frameworks, security standards, and ethical AI deployment
- Familiarity working with sensitive healthcare data, regulated workflows, or responsible AI controls
Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to local labor markets, education, work experience, certifications, etc. In addition to your salary, we offer benefits such as, a comprehensive benefits package, incentive and recognition programs, equity stock purchase and 401k contribution (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements). No matter where or when you begin a career with us, you’ll find a far-reaching choice of benefits and incentives. The salary for this role will range from $120,100 - $214,500 annually based on full-time employment. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.
*At UnitedHealth Group, our mission is to help people live healthier lives and help make the health system work better for everyone. Together, we are shaping the future of healthcare by harnessing technology and innovation to make care simpler to navigate, more affordable and more connected for the people we serve. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels welcomed, valued, heard and respected, empowering people to bring their authentic selves to work and strengthening our collective impact through diverse talents, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.*
*UnitedHealth Group and its affiliated brands are an Equal Employment Opportunity employer under applicable law and qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations.*
*UnitedHealth Group and its affiliated brands are a drug-free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.*