Principal AI or ML Engineer

Description – External
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.

As the Principal AI/ML Engineer, you will be responsible for the development and execution of the vision for enabling Generative AI based solutions on United AI Studio (enterprise ML platform). As a thought leader, you will establish guidance on how to use and implement Generative AI in compliance with enterprise standards. As an AI/ML engineering leader, you will enable the usage via preferred services, playbooks on United AI Studio. As a subject matter expert, you will work closely with other engineering teams and leaders to drive the adoption of Generative AI in healthcare solutions delivery.

Primary Responsibilities:

Develop and execute the vision for Generative AI services enablement and solution delivery on United AI Studio (enterprise ML platform) to enable thousands of developers to build their own applications
Stay up to date with latest Generative AI technologies and literature recommending solutions to improve business goals
Create and manage best practices for us of Generative AI that will ensure secure, consistent, and efficient use of resources across the UHG enterprise
Evangelize the benefits of generative AI through proofs-of-concept and demos to drive adoption for employees and functional roles across the UHG enterprise including technology, operations, marketing, legal, compliance, people team, internal infrastructure, and more
Mentor AI/ML entering teams in both understanding the details of ML literature to ensuring the delivery of AI/ML projects
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to determine applicability of AI to business problems.
Closely collaborate with the Responsible Use of AI (RUAI) team to ensure that the delivered solutions are compliant with the company policies and standards
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
– Undergraduate degree in applicable area of expertise or equivalent experience.
Qualifications – External
Required Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Math, Statistics, or a related STEM field with equivalent experience
10+ years of experience in a technical engineering role including 5+ years focused on AI/ML solutions delivery
Demonstrated experience leading and implementing AI/ML projects from ideation to delivery and evaluation
Working knowledge of Software Development tools and practices including DevOps and CI/CD tools (Git, Jenkins, Docker, Kubernetes, etc.)
Demonstrable proficiency in cloud platforms and services (Azure, AWS, GCP, etc.)
Demonstrable proficiency in Gen AI solution pipeline engineering, RAG, Evaluations
Demonstrable proficiency in Large Language Modeling and Transformer Architectures (BERT, GPT, etc.)
Demonstrable proficiency in AI/ML engineering systems with Python
Demonstrable proficiency of AI/ML frameworks and tools (MLFlow, TensorFLow, PyTorch, JAX)
Proven excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to explain complex AI/ML concept and results to technical and non-technical audiences

Preferred Qualifications:

Master’s in computer science, Mathematics, Statistics, or a related STEM discipline
Experience in healthcare (AI)
Experience working with cross-functional and distributed teams in a global and diverse environment
Experience in mentoring and coaching AI/ML talent
Experience in establishing AI/ML best practices, standards, and ethics
A proven track record of delivering high-impact AI/ML solutions for real-world problems and use cases
A portfolio of AI/ML publications, patents, or awards
Demonstrated superior written and verbal presentation skills with a wide range of size and types of audiences including executive leadership
Careers with Optum. Here’s the idea. We built an entire organization around one giant objective; make the health system work better for everyone. So when it comes to how we use the world’s large accumulation of health-related information, or guide health and lifestyle choices or manage pharmacy benefits for millions, our first goal is to leap beyond the status quo and uncover new ways to serve. Optum, part of the UnitedHealth Group family of businesses, brings together some of the greatest minds and most advanced ideas on where health care has to go in order to reach its fullest potential. For you, that means working on high performance teams against sophisticated challenges that matter. Optum, incredible ideas in one incredible company and a singular opportunity to do your life’s best work.^SM

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.