Lead AI/ML Engineer Remote Nationwide or Office-Based in MN/DC

Job ID: 101096341472Posted: 2026-09-26Location: Eden Prairie, Minnesota, United StatesSalary: $145,500 - $249,500/yearJob Area: TechnologyCompany: UnitedHealth GroupOptum 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 to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together.You'll enjoy the flexibility to work remotely * from anywhere within the U.S. as you take on some tough challenges. For all hires in the Minneapolis or Washington, D.C. area, you will be required to work in the office a minimum of four days per week.Primary Responsibilities:Own Discovery, technical scoping, system Design, build, and deploy production-grade software using AI models and scalable solutions to address complex business challenges, emphasizing responsible and ethical use of AILead and mentor 1 or more pods of engineers that build software using AI Development Life Cycle (AIDLC)Evaluate emerging AI/ML trends, frameworks, and methodologies to inform solution design, drive strategic innovation, and continuously optimize existing modelsCollaborate with cross-functional teams, including data scientists, software engineers, and product managers, to translate complex business requirements into robust, reusable AI capabilitiesProvide technical leadership, mentorship, and guidance to junior and mid-level engineers, championing engineering best practices and architectural standardsTroubleshoot, optimize, and maintain deployed models and pipelines to ensure high availability, scalability, and performance in production environmentsUse enterprise-approved AI tools to streamline workflows, automate tasks, and drive continuous improvement within the engineering lifecycleYou'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, Engineering, or related quantitative field (or equivalent global degree)10+ years of experience in Software Development industry5+ years of experience with Java/Spring Boot2+ years of experience with ReactJS or other JavaScript frameworks2+ years of AI/ML engineering experience, with a proven track record of designing, building, and deploying ML models in a production environmentExperience with Python and/or other ML librariesExperience with cloud platform environments (e.g., Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud Platform) and containerization technologies (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes)Solid knowledge of software engineering best practices, including version control (Git), CI/CD pipelines, and unit testingPreferred Qualifications:Experience with Generative AI, Large Language Models (LLMs), prompt engineering, or retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) frameworksExperience with distributed computing frameworks (e.g., Spark, Ray) and high-performance computingExperience working in the healthcare sector, specifically in clinical or behavioral health technology domainsSolid understanding of data engineering principles, relational and non-relational databases (SQL, NoSQL, Vector databases)Proven excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to explain complex technical AI/ML concepts to non-technical stakeholders*All employees working remotely will be required to adhere to UnitedHealth Group's Telecommuter PolicyPay 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 $145,500 - $249,500 annually based on full-time employment. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.Application Deadline: This will be posted for a minimum of 2 business days or until a sufficient candidate pool has been collected. Job posting may come down early due to volume of applicants.At UnitedHealth Group, our mission is to help people live healthier lives and make the health system work better for everyone. We believe everyone-of every race, gender, sexuality, age, location and income-deserves the opportunity to live their healthiest life. Today, however, there are still far too many barriers to good health which are disproportionately experienced by people of color, historically marginalized groups and those with lower incomes. We are committed to mitigating our impact on the environment and enabling and delivering equitable care that addresses health disparities and improves health outcomes - an enterprise priority reflected in our mission. UnitedHealth Group is 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 is a drug - free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.