Lead AI/ML Engineer

Lead AI/ML Engineer

Optum 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.

We are seeking a Lead AI/ML Engineer to drive the design, development, and deployment of AI-powered solutions that transform how our business leverages data and automation. This role operates at the intersection of business, data science, architecture, and engineering, leading scalable AI systems and shaping AI strategy.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Lead the design, development, and deployment of AI/ML solutions
• Build and productionize machine learning models and AI systems
• Partner with business stakeholders, architects, and engineering teams
• Define and implement end-to-end AI/ML workflows
• Develop AI-enabled applications using NLP, LLMs, and predictive analytics
• Establish AI engineering best practices including MLOps and CI/CD
• Lead technical design and architecture decisions
• Implement responsible AI practices and governance
• Mentor and guide engineering teams
• Lead geographically distributed teams across time zones and drive execution
• Drive solution architecture for enterprise-scale AI/ML systems
• Collaborate with enterprise architects to shape long-term strategy

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:

• 5+ years of experience in software, data, or AI/ML engineering
• 5+ years of solid programming in Python or Java
• 5+ years of experience with large-scale data platforms
• 2+ years of experience with cloud platforms (Azure/AWS/GCP)
• 2+ years of experience leading geographically distributed engineering teams
• Proven solid solution architecture experience for distributed systems
• Proven ability to translate business problems into AI solutions
• Proven solid communication and leadership skills

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience designing and deploying production-grade AI/ML systems
• Experience with generative AI, LLMs, and agent frameworks
• Healthcare or regulated domain experience
• Experience with Snowflake, Databricks, or modern data platforms
• Experience with AI governance and evaluation frameworks

Leadership Expectations

• Act as a technical leader across engineering and business domains
• Drive AI-first thinking and adoption
• Balance experimentation with production rigor
• Enable reuse of AI platforms and best practices

Impact

• This role will shape how AI is embedded into business processes-driving automation, smarter insights, and scalable data-driven decision-making.

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). 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.

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. 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.