Lead AI/ML Engineer-Remote Nationwide or Office Based in MN/DC

Optum; Boston (MA); Remote; USD 146,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits

Equity stock purchase

401k contribution

Telecommuter policy

Job summary

Optum is seeking a Lead AI Engineer to design and scale Generative AI, RAG-based and agentic workflows for healthcare data, transforming complex datasets into actionable insights.

You will mentor engineers, collaborate with product and clinical teams, and drive production-grade AI solutions across cloud platforms, with remote work flexibility within the U.S.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of software/AI engineering experience.
• 2+ years building Generative AI apps utilizing LLMs and AI agents.
• 3+ years developing production-grade Python applications.
• Experience with vector databases and orchestration frameworks.
• Cloud experience deploying apps on Azure or AWS with containers.
• Strong practices: GitHub, code reviews, automated tests, CI/CD.
• Experience integrating AI with enterprise data platforms and APIs.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and implementation of Generative AI and agentic automation.
• Build LLM-powered apps, conversational assistants, and AI workflows.
• Develop prompts, retrieval strategies, and production AI pipelines.
• Maintain production-grade APIs and scalable AI services.
• Enforce engineering best practices for lifecycle, observability, and security.
• Deploy AI workloads on Azure or AWS with containers and Databricks.
• Set standards for code reviews, testing, and design reviews.
• Collaborate with product, clinical, and business teams; mentor engineers.

Skills

Generative AI

LLMs

AI engineering

Python

CI/CD

GitHub

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

PhD

Tools

Databricks

Spark

LangChain

LangGraph

Vector databases

Job description

OptumInsightis improving the flow of health data and information to create a more connected system. We remove friction and drive alignment between care providers and payers, andultimately consumers. Our deepexpertisein the industry and innovative technology empower us to help organizations reduce costs while improving risk management,qualityand revenue growth. Ready to help us deliver results that improve lives? Join us in making healthcare work better for everyone through people-led, responsible AI while Caring. Connecting. Growing together.

Our Value Connect team is building an AI-first platform for value-based care that leverages Large Language Models (LLMs), Generative AI, AI agents, intelligent automation, and advanced analytics to improve provider performance, care outcomes, cost management, and operational efficiency.

The team is developing capabilities such as conversational AI assistants, agentic workflows, Registry automation, ambient listening, knowledge discovery, and AI-powered decision support. The Lead AI Engineer will provide hands-on technical leadership to build scalable, production-ready AI solutions that transform complex healthcare data into actionable workflows for care, quality, finance, and provider enablement teams.

You'll enjoy the flexibility to work remotely * from anywhere within the U.S. as you take on some tough challenges. For all hires in the Minneapolis or Washington, D.C. area, you will be required to work in the office a minimum of four days per week.

Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the design, architecture, and implementation of Generative AI, RAG-based, agentic, and intelligent automation solutions
• Design and build LLM-powered applications, conversational assistants, workflow automation, and knowledge retrieval systems
• Develop and optimize prompts, retrieval strategies, AI agents, evaluation frameworks, and production AI workflows
• Develop and maintain production-grade APIs and services to expose AI capabilities at scale.
• Implement engineering best practices for AI application lifecycle management, monitoring, observability, governance, security, and reliability
• Deploy and operate AI workloads on cloud platforms such as Azure or AWS using containerization, Databricks, PySpark, and modern data platforms
• Establish engineering best practices for software quality, testing, responsible AI, design reviews, and code reviews
• Partner with product, clinical, operational, and business stakeholders while mentoring engineers and evaluating emerging AI technologies
• Leverage enterprise-approved AI tools and technologies to improve developer productivity and accelerate innovation

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

• Bachelor's degree with 6+ years, Master's degree with 4+ years, or PhD with 3+ years of relevant software engineering, AI engineering, or related experience
• 2+ years of hands-on experience building Generative AI applications utilizing LLMs, RAG frameworks, AI agents, conversational AI, or workflow automation solutions
• 3+ years of professional experience developing production-grade applications using Python and modern software engineering practices
• Experience building and deploying AI systems utilizing vector databases, orchestration frameworks (e.g., LangChain, LangGraph), or similar technologies
• Experience deploying and operating cloud-native applications on Azure or AWS utilizing containerization technologies
• Solid experience with software engineering practices including GitHub, code reviews, automated testing, and CI/CD pipelines
• Experience integrating AI solutions with enterprise data platforms and APIs

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Databricks, Spark, and large-scale data processing
• Experience with traditional machine learning, predictive analytics, or statistical modeling
• Experience fine-tuning open-source models or optimizing LLM inference performance
• Experience evaluating and benchmarking AI systems for quality, safety, and business impact
• Experience with healthcare technology, clinical data processing, or value-based care platforms
• Ability to translate complex business requirements into scalable technical solutions and communicate effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders
• All employees working remotely 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 $145,500 - $249,500 annually based on full-time employment. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.

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 help make the health system work better for everyone. Together, we are shaping the future of healthcare by harnessing technology and innovation to make care simpler to navigate, more affordable and more connected for the people we serve. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels welcomed, valued, heard and respected, empowering people to bring their authentic selves to work and strengthening our collective impact through diverse talents, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.

UnitedHealth Group and its affiliated brands are 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 and its affiliated brands are a drug-free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.

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