Senior AI/ML Engineer - Gen AI, LLM, AWS, Python/JAVA

UnitedHealth Group; Hyderabad; On-site; Confidential; Full time

Job summary

UnitedHealth Group's Optum division is seeking a senior AI/ML software engineer to advance responsible AI in healthcare. You will design and deploy AI-powered solutions, mentor teammates, and collaborate with product and engineering leadership to deliver scalable healthcare innovations.

The role emphasizes ethical AI, regulatory compliance, cloud modernization, and production-grade systems across Chatbots, NLP, and automation.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree or equivalent experience.
• 8+ years of software engineering experience.
• 5+ years of hands-on experience building AI/ML solutions, including LLMs, Generative AI, and traditional ML models.
• 4+ years of experience with Web and API development.
• 4+ years of experience hosting applications in cloud environments (AWS preferred).
• Solid experience with Chatbots, Conversational AI, and NLP-based solutions.
• Solid experience with Agentic AI (MCP or similar agent orchestration frameworks) and Strands Agents.
• Solid experience in Python or Java.
• Solid knowledge of security, access controls, logging, monitoring, performance tuning, disaster recovery, and production operations.

Responsibilities

• Drive responsible use of AI/ML adoption across the team, driving innovative use of Generative AI and traditional ML techniques.
• Design, develop, test, deploy, maintain, and improve AI-powered software solutions to meet customer and business needs.
• Build responsible AI solutions and service components to support the Provider community, ensuring compliance with ethical and regulatory standards.
• Develop new features leveraging AI/ML, including Generative AI models, predictive analytics, and automation capabilities.
• Provide technical leadership for AI initiatives, including Chatbots and conversational AI solutions.
• Partner with product management, architects, and engineering leadership to deliver scalable AI solutions for healthcare challenges.
• Drive alignment with enterprise AI strategies and ensure solutions meet business objectives and engineering best practices.
• Accountable for high-quality software deliverables and operational excellence.
• Mentor and train team members on AI/ML technologies, frameworks, and responsible AI practices.
• Collaborate with broader engineering teams to integrate AI into cloud modernization efforts and digital-first initiatives.
• Exercise independent judgment to prioritize, plan, and manage AI-related activities and projects.
• Collaborate with research, engineering, and product teams to translate cutting-edge AI advancements into production-ready capabilities, upholding ethical AI principles.

Skills

AI/ML development

Python/Java

Web/API development

Chatbots & Conversational AI

Cloud environments (AWS)

Security & production operations

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Job description

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.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Drive responsible use of AI/ML adoption across the team, driving innovative use of both Generative AI and traditional ML techniques
• Design, develop, test, deploy, maintain, and continuously improve AI-powered software solutions to meet customer and business needs
• Build responsible AI solutions and service components to support the Provider community, ensuring compliance with ethical and regulatory standards
• Develop new features leveraging AI/ML, including Generative AI models, predictive analytics, and automation capabilities
• Provide technical leadership for AI initiatives, including Chatbots and conversational AI solutions
• Partner with product management, architects, and engineering leadership to deliver creative, scalable AI solutions for healthcare challenges
• Drive alignment with enterprise AI strategies and ensure solutions meet business objectives and engineering best practices
• Accountable for high-quality software deliverables and operational excellence
• Mentor and train team members on AI/ML technologies, frameworks, and responsible AI practices
• Collaborate with broader engineering teams to integrate AI into cloud modernization efforts and digital-first initiatives
• Exercise independent judgment to prioritize, plan, and manage AI-related activities and projects
• Collaborate with research, engineering, and product teams to translate cutting-edge AI advancements into production-ready capabilities. Uphold ethical AI principles by embedding fairness, transparency, and accountability throughout the model development lifecycle
• Comply with the terms and conditions of the employment contract, company policies and procedures, and any and all directives (such as, but not limited to, transfer and/or re-assignment to different work locations, change in teams and/or work shifts, policies in regards to flexibility of work benefits and/or work environment, alternative work arrangements, and other decisions that may arise due to the changing business environment). The Company may adopt, vary or rescind these policies and directives in its absolute discretion and without any limitation (implied or otherwise) on its ability to do so

Required Qualifications:

• Undergraduate degree or equivalent experience
• 8+ years of software engineering experience
• 5+ years of hands-on experience building AI/ML solutions, including LLMs, Generative AI, and traditional ML models
• 4+ years of experience with Web and API development
• 4+ years of experience hosting applications in cloud environments (AWS preferred)
• Solid experience with Chatbots, Conversational AI, and NLP-based solutions
• Solid experience with Agentic AI (MCP or similar agent orchestration frameworks) and Strands Agents
• Solid experience in Python or Java
• Solid knowledge of security, access controls, logging, monitoring, performance tuning, disaster recovery, and production operations

Preferred Qualifications:

• BS in Computer Science, Engineering, or related technical field (or equivalent experience)
• Experience in the healthcare industry
• Full-stack engineering experience

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.

#NIC