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

UnitedHealth Group; Minnetonka (MN); Remote; USD 146,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

UnitedHealth Group is seeking a Lead AI/ML Engineer for the High-Cost Claimants Intelligence (HCCI) team within UHC E&I Software Development. You will lead end-to-end model development, deployment, and HITL safety-net design, building scalable AI orchestration to identify and price high-cost claims at scale.

The role offers remote work from anywhere in the U.S., with on-site four days/week in Minneapolis or DC if applicable, and a salary range of $145,500–$249,500 based on experience.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent software engineering experience.
• 6+ years of professional engineering experience.
• 3+ years of hands-on Python development.
• 2+ years with MLOps pipelines, CI and model deployment/monitoring.
• 2+ years Snowflake and Databricks for enterprise-scale analytics.

Responsibilities

• Serve as technical lead for the HCCI agentic pipeline, owning end-to-end model development and HITL safety-net design.
• Design, develop, and deploy AI-powered solutions addressing complex business challenges with responsible use of AI.
• Use enterprise AI tools to streamline workflows, automate tasks, and drive continuous improvement across engineering pipelines.
• Architect and maintain enterprise ML lifecycle management, including training, evaluation, deployment, and real-time monitoring.
• Evaluate emerging trends to inform solution design and strategic innovation across agentic ML orchestration and health data platforms.
• Accelerate data and reporting transformations to drive product adoption and cost efficiency.

Skills

Python

MLOps

ML Architecture

Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field

Master’s degree in CS/DS/AI (preferred)

Tools

Snowflake

Databricks

OpenTelemetry

Job description

Optum Tech is a global leader in health care innovation. Our teams develop cutting-edge solutions that help people live healthier lives and help make the health system work better for everyone. From advanced data analytics and AI to cybersecurity, we use innovative approaches to solve some of health care's most complex challenges. Your contributions here have the potential to change lives. Ready to build the next breakthrough? Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together.

As a Lead AI/ML Engineer on the High-Cost Claimants Intelligence (HCCI) team within UHC E&I Software Development, you will serve as the technical anchor for a high-impact initiative transforming how high-cost claims are identified, prioritized, and priced at scale. Supporting a mission-critical platform tracking over 10,700 members at risk across $702M in billed exposure, you will lead the architecture and deployment of a 7-agent AI orchestration pipeline leveraging ensemble models, Databricks Medallion architecture, Snowflake, and OpenTelemetry. In this role, you will work with emerging technology and cutting-edge agentic workflows to build scalable, regulatory-aware automation that delivers measurable business value and improves health outcomes.

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:

• Serve as technical lead for the High-Cost Claimants Intelligence (HCCI) agentic pipeline, owning end-to-end model development, confidence scoring, and Human-In-The-Loop (HITL) safety-net design
• Design, develop, and deploy AI-powered solutions to address complex business challenges with emphasis on responsible use of AI
• Use enterprise-approved AI tools to streamline workflows, automate tasks, and drive continuous improvement across engineering pipelines
• Architect and maintain enterprise ML lifecycle management, including training, evaluation, deployment, and real-time monitoring
• Evaluate emerging trends to inform solution design and strategic innovation across agentic ML orchestration and enterprise health data platforms
• Accelerate data and reporting transformations to drive external product adoption and deliver high-impact enterprise cost prevention and efficiency

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 or equivalent software engineering experience in lieu of degree
• 6+ years of professional engineering experience
• 3+ years of hands‑on experience programming in Python
• 2+ years of experience with MLOps pipelines, continuous integration, and model deployment/monitoring
• 2+ years Snowflake and Databricks for enterprise-scale analytics and AI solutions

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree or higher in Computer Science, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, or a related technical discipline
• 2+ years of healthcare domain knowledge and experience working with enterprise healthcare data systems
• Advanced expertise in agentic AI orchestration, multi-model ensemble architectures, and regulatory‑aware automation
• Demonstrated experience building Human-In-The-Loop (HITL) safety nets and confidence‑scoring frameworks for automated decision systems
• Hands‑on experience with Databricks Medallion architecture, Snowflake data warehouses, and OpenTelemetry monitoring

*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 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 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.