Vice President, Compliance & AI Governance

UnitedHealth Group is a health care and well-being company that’s dedicated to improving the health outcomes of millions around the world. We are comprised of two distinct and complementary businesses, UnitedHealthcare and Optum, working to build a better health system for all. Here, your contributions matter as they will help transform health care for years to come. Make an impact with a diverse team that shares your passion for helping others. Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together.

This position is an impactful and strategic leadership role for the organization’s Responsible AI Program.  We are seeking an experienced and results-driven Vice President to lead a team of compliance professionals and data scientists focused on responsible AI governance.  The Vice President will uphold the highest standards of ethics and transparency within responsible AI governance while supporting business enablement of AI.  This position reports to the Vice President of Compliance and has solid matrixed relationships with key leaders in the legal and AI strategy and technology functions.  The Vice President of Compliance & AI Governance will lead a dedicated team to ensure that AI initiatives are developed and deployed ethically, transparently, and in compliance with relevant regulations. This role encompasses oversight of the Responsible AI Program, AI Review Board operations, including data science review of AI use cases, and management of external engagements related to AI governance. The ideal candidate will possess a blend of technical expertise, strategic vision, familiarity with the healthcare regulatory environment, and solid leadership abilities to foster a culture of responsible AI within the organization.   The Responsible AI team is organized into three towers: Strategy & External Engagement, Responsible AI Operations, and Data Science Center of Excellence.

Primary Responsibilities:

Strategic Program Management

• Develop and execute the strategic vision for Responsible AI governance, ensuring alignment with UnitedHealth Group’s mission, AI strategy, and long-term business objectives
• Establish, monitor, and analyze key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness and impact of AI governance practices, identifying areas for continuous improvement, including targeted training, awareness, monitoring and auditing
• Prepare comprehensive reports on AI governance metrics and performance to senior leadership and the Board of Directors, providing actionable insights and recommendations
• Coordinate with internal and external auditors to respond to audit requests and monitor key risk indicators relevant to AI governance
• Continuously evaluate and refine AI governance frameworks to stay current with evolving industry standards and technological advancements, fostering a culture of innovation and excellence
• Work closely with software engineers, data scientists, and product managers to integrate responsible AI governance into the development lifecycle, ensuring standards are embedded from the outset and establish mechanisms for feedback to refine and adapt AI governance to changing technology

Responsible AI Operations

• Manage the operations of the Responsible AI program, ensuring efficient and effective governance of all AI review processes within the organization
• Create and implement risk-based review processes to ensure thorough and timely evaluation of AI use cases, meeting ethical, regulatory, and organizational standards
• Lead the technical review of AI models, ensuring they adhere to quality, performance, and bias mitigation standards, and support best practices in model development and deployment
• Develop and enforce comprehensive guidelines for ethical AI development and deployment, ensuring alignment with industry standards and regulatory requirements, and maintaining detailed documentation of AI models

Data Science Center of Excellence

• Create and document best practices for Responsible AI, ensuring consistency and excellence across all AI projects within the organization
• Establish a centralized repository of resources, including guidelines, tools, and templates, to support AI governance and ethical AI development efforts
• Implement advanced techniques for detecting and mitigating bias in AI models and data sets, ensuring fairness and transparency in AI outcomes
• Establish and maintain protocols for the continuous monitoring and evaluation of AI models to ensure they remain compliant and unbiased over time, supported by automated tools and dashboards for real-time performance tracking

External Engagements

• Stay informed about emerging regulations, standards, and best practices related to AI governance, ensuring the company’s AI practices remain compliant both domestically and internationally
• Working with legal and technical stakeholders, respond to legislative and regulatory inquiries relating to AI governance
• Regularly benchmark UnitedHealth Group’s AI governance practices against industry standards, incorporating necessary improvements to maintain leadership in Responsible AI
• Participate in industry-led interest groups and research initiatives to advance the state of Responsible AI, contributing to the development of best practices and innovative governance solutions

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 in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, Ethics, Law, or a related field. Advanced degree (JD, Master’s or Ph.D.) preferred
• Minimum of 7-10 years of experience in AI, data science, technology governance, compliance, or a related area
• 5+ years of direct leadership experience
• Proven track record in leading governance or compliance teams, preferably within the AI or tech industry
• Experience with AI ethics frameworks, regulatory environments, and risk management associated with AI
• Solid understanding of AI/ML technologies, data science methodologies, and model development processes
• Familiarity with ethical AI principles, bias detection, and mitigation techniques
• Excellent team player with a demonstrated ability to lead, mentor, and develop high-performing teams in a highly matrixed business environment
• Strategic thinker with bias for action and the ability to drive initiatives from concept to implementation
• Business acumen and high tolerance for ambiguity
• Self-awareness and solid emotional intelligence
• Executive presence, ability to recognize and elevate complex and/or controversial issues to senior management in a timely and effective manner
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; excellent presentation creation and delivery skills

*All employees working remotely will be required to adhere to UnitedHealth Group’s Telecommuter Policy.

The salary range for this role is $191,800 to $364,800 annually based on full-time employment. Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to local labor markets, education, work experience, certifications, etc. UnitedHealth Group complies with all minimum wage laws as applicable. In addition to your salary, UnitedHealth Group offers 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 UnitedHealth Group, you’ll find a far-reaching choice of benefits and incentives.

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.