Lead Software Engineer – Remote

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.

 

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

 

Primary Responsibilities:  
We are seeking a highly skilled and innovative Lead AI/ML Engineer to join our healthcare team. The successful candidate will drive the development and primarily application deployments of advanced AI and machine learning solutions, including generative AI, to transform healthcare delivery. This individual role requires understanding of traditional Machine Learning as well as modern AI algorithms and methods, full proficiency in Python and Spark, hands-on experience with the modern GenAI stack (RAG, agents, etc.), mastery of AI evaluation tools and techniques and a continual commitment to the responsible use of AI in a regulated domain as healthcare.

• AI/ML Solution Development: Design, develop, and deploy innovative AI and machine learning solutions to solve complex healthcare problems using our internal AI platform (UAIS)
• Generative AI Leadership: Leverage large language models (LLMs), prompt engineering, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) to enhance AI applications, while addressing their limitations and ensuring optimal performance
• Question-Answering Systems: Develop and evaluate robust question-answering pipelines that allow users to pose complex queries about medical or operational data and receive detailed, context-aware responses
• Agentic Framework Design: Implement (multi)agentic workflows where LLMs autonomously decompose complex questions, “reason”, interact with heterogeneous tools to perform actions and synthesize accurate answers across multiple sources
• Fine-tuning LLMs for Healthcare: Customize pre-trained language models to align with healthcare terminology and compliance requirements (e.g., HIPAA) for better performance on domain-specific tasks
• Content Creation: Oversee the creation of BRD materials from several internal resources to enhance the understanding and adoption of AI/ML technologies within the organization
• Research & Innovation: Conduct cutting-edge research in AI/ML to identify opportunities for improving healthcare outcomes and operational efficiencies
• Collaboration: Partner with cross-functional teams, such as clinicians, data scientists, and product managers, to integrate AI solutions into existing workflows and systems
• Ethics and Compliance: Advocate for and implement principles of responsible AI use, ensuring adherence to regulations and ethical standards in healthcare
• Performance Monitoring: Establish KPIs for AI models and oversee their monitoring, evaluation, and continuous improvement to maintain accuracy and reliability

 

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:

• 12+ years of total IT work experience 
• 8+ years of experience in hands-on software development, machine learning, with a strong track record in developing and deploying advanced machine learning models preferably in Azure Cloud
• 8+ years of experience in Python, Spark with hands-on experience in traditional machine learning, deep learning, and generative AI frameworks
• 5+ years of hands-on experience with cloud-based AI/ML platforms such as Azure ML, AWS SageMaker, or Google AI
• 2+ years of experience in working with large language models (LLMs) and generative AI techniques, including prompt engineering and RAG
• 2+ years of Hands-on experience on Databricks
• 2+ years of experience in scaling tools, such as ADF/Airflow 
• 2+ years in Bigdata tools. i.e. Hadoop, MapReduce, HDFS, Spark, Kafka Streaming, Docker, and/or Kubernetes 
• 2+ years of experience in MySQL and NoSQL databases 
• 2+ years of experience with Agile/Scrum methodology and best practices
• 2+ years of experience in developing (frontend, backend, or full stack) such as Pyral, React, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, TypeScript, Node JS or Angular 
• Experience with Github, Jenkins CI/CD, JUnit and Docker

 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Data Science, Machine Learning, AI, or Computer Science
• PhD degree in computer science, information technology, or a related field
• Experience in the healthcare industry, with familiarity in clinical workflows and datasets
• Experience working in regulated industries, with knowledge of ethical AI/ML practices and compliance requirements 
• Published patents or research or in the fields of AI, machine learning, or generative or other computer science conferences and/or medical journals
• Proven solid problem-solving skills and ability to communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders

 

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

 

Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to local labor markets, education, work experience, certifications, etc. In addition to your salary, we offer 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 us, you’ll find a far-reaching choice of benefits and incentives. The salary for this role will range from $110,200 to $188,800 annually based on full-time employment. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.

 

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.