Lead AI Software Engineer

Lead AI Software EngineerWe are seeking a Lead AI Software Engineer with deep experience delivering software within Humana's technology ecosystem. This is a hands-on technical leadership role first and foremost, responsible for architecting, building, and guiding the delivery of production-grade AI solutions.While this role provides mentorship and technical leadership to a talented group of engineers and data scientists, it remains strongly anchored in design, development, and execution within a fast-moving, enterprise-scale environment.Technical Leadership & Architecture (Primary Focus)Act as the technical lead for AI initiatives, owning design decisions, and implementation quality.Design and build scalable, secure AI-enabled systems, including LLM-based solutions, document intelligence, and data-driven services.Provide hands-on leadership through code reviews, design reviews, and guidance for navigating Humana's processes.Establish patterns and standards that enable the team to deliver consistently at scale.AI Solution Development & DeliveryDevelop end-to-end AI solutions, including APIs, data pipelines, evaluation frameworks, and integrations.Partner with platform and infrastructure teams to ensure solutions are production-ready, observable, and cost-efficient.Lead the technical execution of features from backlog through production in a high-pace agile delivery model.Mentorship & Team EnablementMentor and guide a cross-functional team of software engineers and data scientists, helping them grow technically while maintaining delivery velocity.Encourage best practices in AI development, data engineering, and production operations.Foster a collaborative, execution-focused culture that balances speed with quality.Enterprise & Humana IntegrationApply knowledge of Humana platforms, data domains, and governance processes to accelerate delivery and reduce friction.Coordinate with enterprise security, AI, cloud, and platform partners to navigate dependencies and production readiness.Help drive clarity around roles and engagement models to keep delivery focused and efficient.AI Governance & ReliabilityHelp implement evaluation and validation approaches (e.g., golden datasets, automated scoring, human-in-the-loop workflows).Support monitoring, incident response, and ongoing operational excellence for AI systems in production.Ensure AI solutions align with enterprise compliance, security, and risk management expectations.Required Qualifications8+ years of professional engineering experience, with demonstrated technical leadership.Proven track record delivering production, enterprise-grade systems.Strong backend development skills (e.g., Python, Java, or similar).Experience working in agile teams with frequent delivery, iteration, and stakeholder engagement.Preferred QualificationsHands-on experience with AI/ML or LLM-based systems in production.Prior experience developing software at Humana.Experience with MCP server architecture or similar AI orchestration/model-serving patterns.Background in data engineering and/or data science.Experience working in GCP and cloud-native architectures.Familiarity with AI patterns such as RAG, embeddings, vector search, OCR, and AI gateways.Experience operating in regulated or highly governed enterprise environments.Additional InformationWe are seeking candidates based in the Louisville, KY area who are able to work in a hybrid arrangement, splitting time between our Louisville office and remote work from home. To ensure Home or Hybrid Home/Office employees' ability to work effectively, the self-provided internet service of Home or Hybrid Home/Office employees must meet the following criteria: At minimum, a download speed of 25 Mbps and an upload speed of 10 Mbps is required; wireless, wired cable or DSL connection is suggested. Satellite, cellular and microwave connection can be used only if approved by leadership. Employees who live and work from Home in the state of California, Illinois, Montana, or South Dakota will be provided a bi-weekly payment for their internet expense. Humana will provide Home or Hybrid Home/Office employees with telephone equipment appropriate to meet the business requirements for their position/job. Work from a dedicated space lacking ongoing interruptions to protect member PHI / HIPAA information.Scheduled Weekly Hours40Pay RangeThe compensation range below reflects a good faith estimate of starting base pay for full time (40 hours per week) employment at the time of posting. The pay range may be higher or lower based on geographic location and individual pay will vary based on demonstrated job related skills, knowledge, experience, education, certifications, etc.$129,300 - $177,800 per yearThis job is eligible for a bonus incentive plan. This incentive opportunity is based upon company and/or individual performance.Referral Bonus InformationThis requisition is not eligible for a referral bonus.About UsAbout Humana: Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) is a leading U.S. healthcare company. Through our Humana insurance services and our CenterWell healthcare services, we make it easier for the millions of people we serve to achieve their best health – delivering the care and service they need, when they need it. These efforts are leading to a better quality of life for people with Medicare and Medicaid, families, individuals, military service personnel, and communities at large. Learn more about what we offer at Humana.com and at CenterWell.com.Equal Opportunity EmployerIt is the policy of Humana not to discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, marital status, genetic information, disability or protected veteran status. It is also the policy of Humana to take affirmative action, in compliance with Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act and VEVRAA, to employ and to advance in employment individuals with disability or protected veteran status, and to base all employment decisions only on valid job requirements. This policy shall apply to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, upgrading, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, recall, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation and selection for training, including apprenticeship, at all levels of employment.