AI/ML Engineer

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, and data they need to feel their best. Here, you will find a culture guided by diversity and inclusion, talented peers, comprehensive benefits, and career development opportunities. Come make an impact on the communities we serve as you help us advance health equity on a global scale. Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together.

As an AI/ML Engineer, you will join our innovative technology team at Optum Technology to design, build, and deploy cutting-edge artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities that transform healthcare operations. In this role, you will develop scalable GenAI models, Large Language Model (LLM) applications, agentic frameworks, and robust Python inference APIs deployed on Kubernetes infrastructure. Working in a fast-paced, collaborative environment, you will leverage modern developer tools and semantic search capabilities to deliver highly accessible, impactful AI solutions across enterprise healthcare data.

You'll enjoy the flexibility to telecommute* from anywhere within the U.S. as you take on some tough challenges.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Design, develop, and validate machine learning models using GenAI (LLMs, agentic frameworks) and traditional ML techniques on cloud platforms
• Write and deploy scalable Python APIs for model inference running on Kubernetes, ensuring efficient containerization and orchestration of agentic flows
• Implement and integrate semantic search capabilities to enhance data accessibility and retrieval for analytics and business intelligence
• Design, develop, and deploy AI-powered solutions to address complex business challenges with an emphasis on responsible use of AI
• Evaluate emerging technology trends and best practices to inform solution design, architecture, and strategic innovation
• Leverage enterprise-approved AI tools to streamline developer workflows, automate tasks, and drive continuous software delivery improvement
• Utilize agentic coding and version control tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Claude) for efficient code creation, repository management, and technical collaboration
• Maintain rigorous coding standards, thorough documentation, and effective performance monitoring across all deployed AI/ML pipelines

You'll be rewarded and recognized for your performance in an environment that will challenge you and give you clear directions on what it takes to succeed in your role as well as provide development for other roles you may be interested in.

Required Qualifications:

• 4+ years of software development, data engineering, or AI/ML experience
• 4+ years of professional experience in Python using core data science and machine learning libraries (e.g., scikit-learn, Databricks)
• 3+ years of experience applying machine learning techniques in a commercial enterprise, including supervised/unsupervised learning, time-series forecasting, or statistical analysis
• 2+ years of experience applying NLP (transformers, GPT) or LLMs (RAG, vector databases, embeddings) in a production setting with large-scale datasets
• 1+ years of experience building, deploying, and maintaining RESTful APIs for machine learning model inference

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
• Strong analytical, quantitative, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present detailed technical analyses to diverse technical and business stakeholders
• Experience with vision and speech models in GenAI (multimodal architectures)
• Background in healthcare data analytics (e.g., claims, eligibility, enrollment) and working within regulated compliance environments
• Hands-on experience with containerization and container orchestration technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes
• Experience utilizing AI-assisted developer and coding tools to accelerate software production and technical documentation
• Demonstrated familiarity with agentic frameworks, Model Context Protocol (MCP), and Agent-to-Agent (A2A) architectures

*All Telecommuters will be required to adhere to UnitedHealth Group's Telecommuter Policy.

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). 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 $98,500 to $176,000 annually based on full-time employment. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

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 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.