Senior Director AI/ML Engineering - Remote

Job ID: 99803687568Posted: 2026-09-12Location: Eden Prairie, Minnesota, United StatesSalary: $203,200 - $348,400/yearJob Area: TechnologyCompany: UnitedHealth GroupOptum is a global organization that delivers care, aided by technology to help millions of people live healthier lives. The work you do with our team will directly improve health outcomes by connecting people with the care, pharmacy benefits, data and resources they need to feel their best. Here, you will find a culture guided by inclusion, talented peers, comprehensive benefits and career development opportunities. Come make an impact on the communities we serve as you help us advance health optimization on a global scale. Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together. The Senior Director, Data & AI Engineering is a strategic technology leader responsible for defining and executing the enterprise data and AI engineering strategy across all business verticals, including Pharmacy Benefit Management (PBM), Pharmacy Services, Financial Services, and Corporate Functions.This leader will build and scale modern data platforms, AI-enabled analytics capabilities, and self-service business intelligence solutions that transform enterprise data into actionable business insights. The role is accountable for establishing a trusted, governed, and scalable data ecosystem that enables advanced analytics, AI/ML solutions, generative AI applications, and data-driven decision-making across the organization.The Senior Director will lead teams responsible for data engineering, data architecture, AI engineering, data products, semantic modeling, and analytics enablement. The position requires deep expertise in modern cloud data platforms, including Databricks and Snowflake, as well as experience establishing enterprise semantic layers that deliver consistent business metrics and trusted insights to internal and external consumers.This executive will partner closely with business leaders, product teams, analytics organizations, and external stakeholders to ensure data is treated as a strategic enterprise asset and serves as the foundation for business intelligence, operational excellence, and AI innovation.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: Define and execute the enterprise data and AI engineering strategy aligned with business objectives and growth prioritiesDevelop a multi-year roadmap for modernizing data platforms, analytics capabilities, and AI enablementEstablish enterprise standards for data management, governance, quality, lineage, metadata, and observabilityLead the design, implementation, and operation of modern cloud-based data platformsEstablish enterprise architecture patterns leveraging Databricks, Snowflake, and cloud-native servicesLead the transformation of traditional reporting environments into AI-powered analytics ecosystemsDrive adoption of AI for Business Intelligence, including natural language analytics, intelligent reporting, automated insights, and predictive decision supportEnable self-service analytics capabilities that allow business users to access trusted data and insightsPartner with analytics and business teams to deliver enterprise KPI frameworks and measurement standardsDefine and implement enterprise semantic layer architecture that delivers consistent business definitions and metrics across all reporting and analytics platformsDevelop reusable business data models that simplify access to complex enterprise dataEstablish enterprise capabilities that enable scalable AI and machine learning developmentBuild AI-ready data architectures supporting machine learning, generative AI, agentic AI, and advanced analyticsYou'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, Information Systems, Data Science, Mathematics, or a related field8+ years of progressive experience in data engineering, data architecture, analytics, or cloud data platforms5+ years of experience building large-scale enterprise data platforms supporting analytics and AI workloads5+ years of experience leading enterprise data modernization initiativesDeep expertise with Databricks, Snowflake, Lakehouse Architectures, Data Warehousing, Data Modeling, Semantic Layers, Cloud Data Platforms (Azure preferred), Modern ETL/ELT Frameworks, data Governance and Metadata ManagementDemonstrated success partnering with executive stakeholders and business leaders to translate data into business outcomesPreferred Qualifications: Master's degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Analytics, Engineering, or a related technical disciplineSolid understanding of business intelligence platforms, analytics engineering, and self-service analyticsSolid communication and influencing skills with the ability to engage both technical and non-technical audiencesExperience within PBM, healthcare, pharmacy, payer, financial services, or other highly regulated industriesDeep understanding of healthcare and PBM data domains including claims, formulary, clinical, rebate, pricing, eligibility, and provider analyticsExperience implementing enterprise semantic layers using modern analytics platformsExperience building data products and domain-oriented architecturesKnowledge of Fabric, Power BI, dbt, Unity Catalog, Delta Lake, and modern metadata management platformsExperience enabling AI-powered BI and conversational analytics experiencesExperience supporting Generative AI, RAG, and Agentic AI architectures through enterprise data servicesSolid understanding of data privacy, regulatory compliance, governance, and responsible AI frameworksProven ability to lead complex enterprise transformations involving data, analytics, and AI capabilities*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 $203,200 - $348,400 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.