Lead AI Software Engineer

Lead AI Software EngineerWe're seeking a Lead AI Software Engineer to help build the next generation of AI-powered products and platforms. This is a hands-on technical leadership role focused on designing, developing, and scaling production-grade AI solutions that deliver real business impact. You will work closely with engineers, data scientists, product leaders, and architects to turn innovative ideas into real-world applications using modern AI technologies, including large language models (LLMs), intelligent automation, and cloud-native architectures. If you're passionate about building, mentoring, and solving complex engineering challenges, this is an opportunity to help shape the future of Applied AI. 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.ResponsibilitiesTechnical Leadership & ArchitectureServe as the technical lead for strategic AI initiatives, driving architecture, design decisions, and engineering excellence.Design and build scalable, secure, cloud-native AI platforms and services.Architect solutions leveraging generative AI, large language models, intelligent document processing, and data-driven applications.Lead design reviews, code reviews, and technical planning efforts.Establish engineering standards, reusable frameworks, and best practices that enable teams to deliver at scale.Provide technical guidance across the full software development lifecycle.AI Solution DevelopmentBuild end-to-end AI solutions, including APIs, microservices, data pipelines, orchestration layers, and evaluation frameworks.Develop production-grade applications integrating AI and machine learning capabilities.Partner with platform, infrastructure, and DevOps teams to ensure solutions are scalable, reliable, observable, and cost-efficient.Drive technical execution from concept through production deployment in an agile delivery environment.Evaluate and adopt emerging AI technologies to accelerate innovation and business value.Mentorship & Team LeadershipMentor and develop software engineers and data scientists through technical coaching and hands-on collaboration.Promote best practices in software engineering, AI development, cloud architecture, and operational excellence.Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, continuous learning, and high-quality execution.Help teams balance rapid delivery with long-term maintainability and technical excellence.AI Governance & Operational ExcellenceImplement evaluation, testing, and validation frameworks for AI-powered applications.Support monitoring, performance optimization, and incident response for AI systems in production.Drive responsible AI practices focused on reliability, security, compliance, and risk management.Ensure AI solutions meet enterprise standards for scalability, operational readiness, and governance.Required Qualifications8+ years of software engineering experience with demonstrated technical leadership.Proven experience building and delivering large-scale, production-grade software platforms.Strong backend development expertise with Python, Java, or similar languages.Experience designing distributed systems and cloud-native applications.Demonstrated ability to lead technical initiatives from architecture through deployment.Experience working in agile environments with frequent delivery and iteration.Preferred QualificationsHands-on experience building and deploying AI, machine learning, or generative AI solutions in production.Experience with Large Language Models (LLMs) and modern AI application architectures.Knowledge of AI orchestration frameworks, agent-based systems, and model-serving platforms.Experience with GCP, AWS, or Azure cloud platforms.Familiarity with RAG, embeddings, vector databases, semantic search, OCR, and intelligent document processing.Background in data engineering, data science, or MLOps.Experience building APIs, microservices, and event-driven architectures.Experience operating within complex or highly regulated enterprise environments.Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.Additional InformationLocation & Work StyleThis is a hybrid role based in one of our technology hub locations: Louisville, KY; Nashville, TN; Tampa, FL; Fort Lauderdale, FL; or Dallas, TX. Team members are expected to work onsite several days per week to collaborate with engineering, product, and business partners while maintaining flexibility to work remotely.Scheduled Weekly Hours40Pay Range$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.Description of BenefitsHumana, Inc. and its affiliated subsidiaries (collectively, "Humana") offers competitive benefits that support whole-person well-being. Associate benefits are designed to encourage personal wellness and smart healthcare decisions for you and your family while also knowing your life extends outside of work. Among our benefits, Humana provides medical, dental and vision benefits, 401(k) retirement savings plan, time off (including paid time off, company and personal holidays, paid parental and caregiver leave), short-term and long-term disability, life insurance and many other opportunities.