Software Engineering Lead - Python ,Gen AI, Agentic Systems

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 experienced Senior AI Engineer with strong expertise in Python, LLMs, FastAPI, vector stores, and LangGraph-based agent orchestration. The ideal candidate will have hands‑on experience designing and building production‑ready GenAI solutions, including retrieval‑augmented intelligence, agentic workflows, and integration with cloud platforms. Experience with SQL and modern engineering practices is essential.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Design, develop, and optimize GenAI applications using Python, FastAPI, and modern LLM frameworks
• Build agentic workflows using LangGraph, including tool‑calling and multi-step reasoning
• Implement and manage vector‑store-based retrieval systems (FAISS / Pinecone / Chroma etc.)
• Develop scalable AI services integrated with APIs, microservices, and cloud platforms
• Ensure performance, reliability, and correctness of AI pipelines (latency, evaluation, observability)
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to deliver high‑impact AI capabilities
• Write efficient, clean, and well‑tested code following engineering best practices
• Participate in architecture discussions, code reviews, and mentor junior engineers
• Leverage AI/ML tools for team productivity and business effectiveness (e.g., copilots, intelligent automation)
• 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 or Master's degree in Computer Science or related field
• 6+ years of hands‑on software engineering experience
• Practical experience with LLMs, prompt engineering, tool‑calling, and LLM frameworks
• Hands‑on experience with LangGraph (or similar orchestration frameworks)
• Experience with vector databases and semantic search
• Experience with cloud services (Azure/AWS/GCP)
• Understanding of CI/CD pipelines and deployment best practices
• Experience working within Agile/Scrum methodologies
• Good SQL skills; ability to work with relational data and ETL-like flows
• Proven solid expertise in Python, including API development (FastAPI preferred)

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with Databricks, Spark, or big‑data systems
• Knowledge of RESTful API design and integration patterns
• Familiarity with Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, Jenkins, or similar DevOps tools
• Proven exposure to application development using .NET or ReactJS

Soft Skills

• Excellent analytical and problem‑solving abilities
• Solid communication skills for both technical and non‑technical audiences
• Self‑motivated, proactive, and able to work independently
• Collaborative team player with a continuous‑learning mindset

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.