Senior AI or ML Engineer – Gen AI, RAG, Azure Services, LLM

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 highly skilled and innovative AI/ML Engineer to join our Prior Authorization engineering team. This role focuses on designing, developing, and deploying cutting-edge solutions using Generative AI (GenAI), Large Language Models (LLMs), Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), and Azure OpenAI Services. The ideal candidate will also bring a solid understanding of DevOps practices and CI/CD pipelines to ensure scalable and reliable AI deployments.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Design and implement AI/ML models with a focus on GenAI, LLMs, and RAG architectures
• Develop and fine-tune models using Azure OpenAI and Semantic Kernel SDK
• Integrate AI solutions into enterprise applications using Azure AI and App Services
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define use cases and deliver AI-powered features
• Develop and maintain Solid relationships with stakeholders, customers, and partners internally and externally
• Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines for AI model training, testing, and deployment
• Ensure responsible AI practices, including bias mitigation, explainability, and compliance
• Monitor model performance and retrain as needed to maintain accuracy and relevance
• Stay up to date with the latest AI and machine learning technologies and trends
• Conduct evaluations and assessments of new tools and technologies to ensure that the team stays at the frontier of Artificial Intelligence & Machine
• Contribute to internal AI/ML knowledge sharing and mentoring initiatives
• 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/IT/Math/Statistics/Engineering, or equivalent work experience
• 10+ years of overall experience with 4+ years of experience in AI/ML engineering or related fields
• Healthcare Industry experience
• Experience leading and implementing AI/ML projects with demonstrable value to the organization, from ideation to delivery and evaluation
• Hands-on experience with GenAI tools, LLMs (eg, GPT, LLaMA), and RAG pipelines
• Experience with CI/CD tools such as Jenkins, GitHub Actions, Docker, and Kubernetes
• Exposure to cloud-native AI deployment and monitoring practices
• Knowledge of ethical AI principles and responsible AI deployment strategies
• Solid programming skills in Python and experience with ML frameworks (eg, PyTorch, TensorFlow)
• Proficiency in Azure OpenAI Services, Azure Machine Learning, and Azure DevOps
• Familiarity with prompt engineering, semantic search, and vector databases
• Proven excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to disaggregate issues, identify root causes and recommend solutions
• Proven good conflict management and prioritization skills

Preferred Qualifications:

• Microsoft certifications in Azure AI, Data Engineering, or DevOps (eg, AZ-204, DP-100, AZ-2001)
• Experience with LangChain, LlamaIndex, or similar GenAI orchestration frameworks
• Understanding of MLOps and model lifecycle management will be preferred

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.