Senior AI or ML Engineer

Optum; Gurugram District; On-site; INR 4,000,000 - 7,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Optum seeks a hands-on Senior AI/ML Engineer to design, build, and productionize AI/GenAI solutions that improve healthcare operations and outcomes. You will own end-to-end delivery—from problem framing and data pipelines to models, MLOps/LLMOps, and monitoring—while mentoring a small team and partnering with product, data engineering, and clinical stakeholders.

Requirements include 10+ years in software/ML engineering, strong GenAI experience with LLMs, PyTorch/TensorFlow, and deep learning;

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Math, or related field; MS/PhD preferred.
• 10+ years of professional software/ML engineering experience, including 3+ years leading projects or teams.
• Hands-on GenAI experience: LLMs, embeddings, RAG, fine-tuning, evaluation; familiarity with Hugging Face and LangChain/LlamaIndex.
• Strong foundation in statistics and ML (experiments, feature engineering, methods).
• Deep learning expertise (PyTorch or TensorFlow) and NLP.
• Expert Python and pandas; vectorized high-performance code; solid testing (pytest) and Git.
• Data engineering: SQL; Spark/Dask; Airflow/Prefect.
• Cloud (AWS/Azure/GCP) and containerization (Docker/Kubernetes); CI/CD and IaC (Terraform).
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead architecture and delivery of ML/GenAI solutions at production scale.
• Build data/feature pipelines over large clinical/claims data; write Python and SQL.
• Develop and deploy LLM capabilities: prompt design, fine-tuning, RAG, vector indexing.
• Ensure data privacy and compliance and champion Responsible AI and model governance.
• Translate business problems into technical roadmaps; communicate trade-offs to executives.
• Mentor engineers and set engineering standards (code reviews, docs, observability).
• Collaborate with research, engineering, and product to productionize AI advancements.
• Uphold ethical AI principles across the model lifecycle.

Skills

GenAI leadership

Python & pandas

ML engineering

Big data

Communication

Stakeholder mgmt

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Engineering/Math

MS/PhD preferred

Tools

Hugging Face

LangChain

LlamaIndex

Spark

Airflow

Docker

Kubernetes

Terraform

Job description

Improve the lives of others while Caring. Connecting. Growing together.

Job Description - Senior AI or ML Engineer (2384091)

Senior AI or ML Engineer - 2384091

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’re looking for a hands-on technical leader to design, build, and productionize AI/ML and GenAI solutions that improve healthcare operations and patient outcomes. You will own end-to-end delivery-from problem framing and data pipelines to models, MLOps/LLMOps, and ongoing monitoring-while mentoring a small team and partnering with product, data engineering, and clinical/operations stakeholders.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Lead architecture and delivery of ML/GenAI solutions (classification, forecasting, NLP, deep learning, LLM apps) at production scale
• Build robust data/feature pipelines over large clinical/claims datasets; write efficient, well-tested Python (pandas/NumPy) and SQL
• Develop and deploy LLM capabilities: prompt design, fine-tuning, RAG pipelines, vector indexing, and evaluation with guardrails
• Ensure data privacy and compliance (HIPAA/PHI handling, access controls, auditability) and champion model governance and Responsible AI
• Translate business problems into technical roadmaps; communicate trade-offs and results to executives and non-technical partners
• Mentor engineers and set engineering standards (code reviews, documentation, reliability, observability)
• Scientist Responsibilities:
  • 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:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Math, or related field required; MS/PhD preferred or equivalent experience
• 10+ years of professional experience in software/ML engineering, including 3+ years leading projects or teams
• Hands-on GenAI experience: LLMs, embeddings, RAG, fine-tuning, evaluation; familiarity with Hugging Face and LangChain/LlamaIndex
• Solid foundation in statistics and ML (hypothesis testing, experimental design, feature engineering, supervised/unsupervised methods)
• Deep learning expertise (PyTorch or TensorFlow) and modern NLP (transformers)
• Expert Python and pandas stack; ability to write vectorized, high-performance code; solid testing practices (pytest) and Git
• Solid data engineering skills: SQL; experience with Spark/Dask and workflow orchestration (Airflow/Prefect)
• Cloud proficiency (AWS/Azure/GCP) and containerization/orchestration (Docker/Kubernetes); CI/CD and IaC (Terraform) exposure
• Proven excellent communication and stakeholder management skills

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 committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you need special assistance or accommodation for any part of the application process, please call 1-866-566-8715 to be connected to Recruitment Services. Recruitment Services hours of operation are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CT, Monday through Friday.

UnitedHealth Group is a registered service mark of UnitedHealth Group, Inc. The UnitedHealth Group name with the dimensional logo, as well as the dimensional logo alone, are both service marks for the UnitedHealth Group, Inc.

Diversity creates a healthier atmosphere: UnitedHealth Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

UnitedHealth Group is a drug-free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.