Sr Director AI/ML Engineering

UnitedHealth Group; Minneapolis (MN); Hybrid; USD 203,000 - 348,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits package

Equity stock purchase

401(k) contribution

Job summary

Optum Tech is seeking a senior AI leader to define and drive an enterprise AI strategy, turning proofs of concept into scalable systems. You will oversee AI engineering, deployment, and operations, shaping how AI is used across the team.

The role requires deep leadership, ML/AI expertise, and experience with healthcare or regulated environments. Remote work is allowed within the U.S., with onsite at Minneapolis/DC as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience including 4+ years in software/systems engineering.
• 10+ years of progressive experience leading technical leadership or director-level responsibilities.
• 8+ years building and deploying enterprise-scale software or AI/ML SaaS in production.
• 5+ years hands-on programming with Python or Bash and ML libraries/frameworks.
• 3+ years with public cloud platforms (AWS/Azure/GCP) for AI deployment and infra management.
• 3+ years applying statistical methods, data pipelines, and ML algorithms.
• Experience defining system performance KPIs and implementing model monitoring, fairness and bias mitigation.
• Masters or PhD preferred in CS/ML/AI.
• Experience with NLP/LLMs/retrieval-augmented generation/agentic workflows preferred.
• Experience deploying AI in healthcare or regulated environments preferred.
• Security and compliance standards for AI models handling PHI/HIPAA data preferred.

Responsibilities

• Define and drive an enterprise-wide AI strategy and roadmap aligned with business goals and growth priorities.
• Lead enterprise AI engineering, deployment, and operations, turning proofs of concept into production systems.
• Apply AI to solve problems, uncover opportunities, and generate value while guiding development across the team.
• Integrate enterprise AI tools, align hiring with AI capabilities, and remove obstacles to adoption.
• Promote ethical AI use with transparency, fairness and accountability, ensuring standards compliance.
• Lead design and rollout of AI models including statistical methods, DL/LLMs, agentic workflows, data pipelines.
• Collaborate with engineering and client teams to integrate AI into existing systems and provide guidance.
• Track AI system performance, scalability, reliability, and cost efficiency via KPIs and optimization.
• Mentor and retain top AI talent and share best practices through reusable playbooks.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Executive presence

Stakeholder management

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Master's degree or PhD in CS/ML/AI

Tools

Python

Bash

ML frameworks

Job description

Requirements

Must have:

• We require a bachelors degree or equivalent experience, such as 4+ additional years in software or systems engineering in place of a degree.
• We need 10+ years of progressive experience that has led to technical leadership or director-level responsibility.
• We require 8+ years building and deploying enterprise-scale software solutions or AI/ML SaaS products in production.
• We need 5+ years of hands‑on programming experience with Python, Bash, or similar languages, along with machine learning libraries and frameworks.
• We require 3+ years working with public cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform for AI/ML deployment and infrastructure management.
• We need 3+ years applying statistical methods, data pipelines, and machine learning algorithms.
• We require experience defining system performance KPIs and implementing model monitoring, fairness, and bias mitigation practices.
• Preferred: a masters degree or PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, AI, or a related technical field.
• Preferred: direct technical expertise in NLP, LLMs, retrieval-augmented generation, and agentic workflows.
• Preferred: experience designing and deploying AI solutions in healthcare or another highly regulated environment.
• Preferred: experience creating security and compliance standards for AI models handling sensitive data such as PHI or HIPAA-regulated information.
• Preferred: strong communication, executive presence, and stakeholder management skills, including the ability to present technical strategies to C-level leaders.

Responsibilities

• We will define and drive an enterprise-wide AI strategy and roadmap aligned with business goals and growth priorities, and present vision, plans, and outcomes to executive leadership.
• We will lead enterprise AI engineering, deployment, and operations, turning proofs of concept into production-ready systems that create measurable business impact.
• We will apply AI strategically to solve problems, uncover opportunities, and generate tangible value while shaping how AI is developed, deployed, and used across the team.
• We will integrate enterprise AI tools, incorporate AI objectives into development plans, align hiring with AI capabilities, and remove obstacles to accelerate adoption.
• We will promote the ethical use of AI by embedding transparency, fairness, and accountability throughout the AI lifecycle and ensuring compliance with standards and client expectations.
• We will lead the design and rollout of AI models, including statistical approaches, deep learning, LLMs, agentic workflows, data pipelines, and retrieval frameworks.
• We will collaborate closely with engineering and client teams to integrate AI into existing systems, tailor solutions, and provide technical support and guidance.
• We will track AI system performance, scalability, reliability, and cost efficiency by defining KPIs and driving ongoing optimization.
• We will mentor, develop, and retain top AI talent while fostering a culture of innovation and capturing best practices in reusable playbooks.

Company

We are Optum Tech, a global leader in health care innovation, building advanced data analytics, AI, and cybersecurity solutions that help people live healthier lives and improve how the health system works for everyone. In this senior leadership role, we focus on transforming AI proofs of concept into scalable enterprise systems for Optum Health Technology. We offer remote work anywhere within the U.S., with Minneapolis or Washington, D.C. hires required onsite at least four days per week. We provide a comprehensive benefits package, incentive and recognition programs, equity stock purchase, and a 401(k) contribution, with an annual salary range of $203,200 to $348,400 based on full-time employment, subject to eligibility and local labor market factors.