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 are seeking a visionary AI Engineering Lead who excels at the intersection of advanced AI expertise, strategic thinking, and impactful leadership. This role is ideal for someone who can architect and deliver enterprise-grade AI solutions, mentor AI engineering talent, and drive innovation in Generative AI. You will be instrumental in shaping our AI engineering culture, technology strategy, and customer-centric solutions, with a solid focus on accuracy, scalability, performance, and robust design.
Primary Responsibilities
- AI Strategy & Architecture
- Architect scalable, accurate, and high-performance AI systems leveraging Generative AI models (primarily GPT-based)
- Lead the design and development of reusable AI components and frameworks adopted across multiple teams and products
- Drive best practices in AI model deployment, monitoring, and optimization for accuracy and performance
- Champion solid design principles, maintainability, and instrumentation in all AI engineering efforts
- Collaborate with Project Level Software Leads to ensure seamless integration of AI services with broader software architecture
- Engineering Excellence
- Own delivery of high-impact, cross-functional AI projects with a focus on accuracy, scalability, and business value
- Lead the implementation of modern AI engineering practices including CI/CD, agile delivery, and code reuse strategies
- Proactively manage technical debt and continuously improve AI system design and operational efficiency
- Evaluate and apply emerging AI technologies (including RAG, Agentic AI, and other models) to enhance product capabilities and development velocity
- Leadership & Mentorship
- Act as a mentor and SME, guiding AI Engineers in architecture, design patterns, and modern AI development practices
- Foster a growth mindset and inclusive culture through coaching, delegation, and engagement management
- Lead initiatives that improve team delivery, solution outcomes, and engineering maturity
- Customer & Business Impact
- Engage with users and stakeholders to understand market needs, customer pain points, and business objectives
- Drive improvements in user experience, customer satisfaction, and operational metrics through AI-driven solutions
- Influence digital and channel strategies by designing AI solutions that span multiple platforms and touchpoints
- Recommend and implement AI technology solutions that optimize business processes and reduce redundancies
- Innovation & Thought Leadership
- Break down complex AI problems into actionable insights using systems thinking and critical analysis
- Lead the adoption of Generative AI, RAG, Agentic AI, and data-driven decision-making
- Influence stakeholders with ideas that drive measurable business value and strategic transformation
- 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 regard 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 or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field
- 4+ years of hands-on experience in Python for backend development and AI service orchestration
- 2+ years of experience in AI/ML, with a focus on Generative AI models
- Proven track record of leading complex AI projects and mentoring engineering teams
- Solid understanding of AI model design, architecture, and deployment at scale
- Experience with Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), Agentic AI, and other advanced AI paradigms is a plus
- Proven excellent communication skills with the ability to influence technical and non-technical stakeholders
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with other AI/ML frameworks and data engineering
- Hands-on expertise in cloud services (Azure, AWS, or GCP) for deploying and scaling AI solutions
- Proficient in .NET for backend integration and API development (added advantage)
- Familiarity with DevOps, CI/CD pipelines, and agile methodologies
- Solid business acumen with the ability to align AI technology with strategic goals
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.
