Vice President, AI Consumer Experience Engineering

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 diversity and inclusion, talented peers, comprehensive benefits and career development opportunities. Come make an impact on the communities we serve as you help us advance health equity on a global scale. Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together.

The Optum Consumer Engineering Leadership team is transforming Optum to be an industry-leading Consumer brand, delivering personalized digital solutions that empower direct to consumer digital first experiences that educate, guide and empower consumers to the right care across all lines of business for Optum.

Optum Serves

Consumers – Enabling health care for 132 million individual consumers

Care providers – Empowering nearly 130,000 physicians and advanced practice clinicians, 9 out of 10 U.S. hospitals and more than 67,000 U.S. pharmacies

Health plans – Improving performance and member health for 4 out of 5 U.S. health plans

Employers – Engaging with nearly 9 out of 10 Fortune 100 companies

Government – Engaging through partnerships in all 50 states and the District of Columbia

Life sciences – Advancing clinical research with nearly 120 global life sciences

In this newly created leadership role, you will lead the vision and development of AI-driven solutions to simplify and curate healthcare experiences for patients, providers, and consumers. This role is pivotal in using artificial intelligence and design thinking to create intuitive, personalized, and accessible healthcare journeys. You will oversee a multidisciplinary team of engineers, designers, and data scientists to ensure AI technologies are seamlessly integrated, driving better health outcomes and enhancing patient satisfaction.

The VP, AI Consumer Experience Engineering will report to the Senior Vice President of Optum Consumer Engineering and have end-to-end accountability for leading the AI consumer experience engineering for consumers of the Optum platforms  This role will partner across Optum and external partners to oversee (and be accountable for) end-to-end AI consumer experiences.

Candidates for this role will need to be seasoned engineering leaders with deep expertise in cross-team digital product delivery, have proven experience designing and executing on cross-brand and/or line of business mobile and web properties, deep understanding of direct-to-consumer digital products and ecosystems, and how to optimize cost and reuse for multiple brands.

You’ll enjoy the flexibility to work remotely * from anywhere within the U.S. as you take on some tough challenges.

Primary Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Lead a high-performing, multi-disciplinary global engineering team of 50+ engineers across web, mobile and conversational AI solutions
•         Develop and deliver a transformative vision for AI-powered healthcare experiences, ensuring alignment with organizational goals to improve patient engagement and satisfaction
•         Collaborate with executive leadership to identify areas where generative AI can streamline the healthcare delivery process, from appointment scheduling to patient follow-ups and personalized treatment plans
•         Lead as a thought leader in AI, staying informed of industry trends and emerging technologies to continuously improve patient care and experience

 

AI Experience Design 

• Oversee the design and implementation of AI solutions aimed at simplifying the healthcare experience, including virtual assistants, symptom checkers, and personalized care recommendations
•        Lead teams in the application of AI/ML models that personalize patient journeys, from managing chronic conditions to guiding patients through treatment plans
•        Ensure that engineering and design teams collaborate to develop intuitive, user-centric AI applications that enhance patient-provider interactions and empower users to take control of their health

 

Engineering & Technology Management

• Lead engineering teams to build scalable, secure, and compliant AI solutions that improve operational efficiency and patient outcomes
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including healthcare providers, compliance, data science, and UX/UI design, to meet the unique needs of healthcare consumers
• Champion the adoption of cutting-edge AI frameworks and healthcare-specific tools that enhance the delivery of personalized healthcare experiences

 

Healthcare Experience Innovation

•        Foster a culture of innovation by driving experimentation with AI to curate simplified, personalized healthcare journeys, making interactions more patient-friendly and accessible
•        Integrate AI tools that address critical pain points, such as reducing administrative burdens, improving care coordination, and enhancing telehealth services
•        Use data analytics and patient feedback to continuously refine AI solutions and measure their impact on patient engagement, care outcomes, and overall satisfaction

 

Team Development 

•        Build and mentor a multidisciplinary team of engineers, designers, and data scientists, fostering collaboration and creativity in solving complex healthcare challenges
•        Promote a culture of inclusivity, innovation, and continuous learning within the AI Experience Design Engineering team
•        Oversee resource allocation, budgeting, and performance management to ensure the team delivers high-impact healthcare AI solutions

Required Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience in engineering, AI, or product development
• 5 + years of leading direct to consumer digital engineering teams delivering direct to consumer solutions (Digital, eCommerce and mobile)
• Proven success in leading large, multidisciplinary teams in the development of AI-driven consumer experiences
• Expertise in AI technologies, machine learning, and design
• Background in creating new consumer facing AI assets and/or new go to market consumer channels
• Excellent communication skills with proven ability to collaborate with technical and business leadership teams
• Demonstrated track record of driving AI product delivery and successfully leading engineering through a product model culture across multiple brands or lines of business
• Track record of success leading global digital organizations using design thinking principles that resulted in amazing consumer experiences
• History of success leading through (and developing) other leaders
• Track record of effectively leading global engineering organizations of 50+ team members (with both employees & strategic vendor partners)
• Experience using modern software engineering technologies and practices including, but not limited to: public cloud (AWS, Azure & GCP); micro-services; CI/CD; DevSecOps
• Demonstrated history of applying product and engineering practices to drive business value

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with healthcare or patient-facing digital solutions
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, AI, or a related field
• MBA, advanced degree in healthcare administration, or related certification

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

California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Washington, Washington, D.C. Residents Only: The salary range for this role is $188,000 to $357,600 annually. 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.

Diversity creates a healthier atmosphere: UnitedHealth Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

UnitedHealth Group is a drug – free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.