Lead AI/ML 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.    

As a Lead AI/ML Engineer on the Optum Rx technology team in Eden Prairie, MN, you will lead the architectural design, development, and enterprise deployment of advanced machine learning models and AI-driven solutions that transform pharmacy benefit management, medication access, and prescription fulfillment operations. In this role, you will collaborate closely with data science, software engineering, and business leaders to solve complex health technology problems, automate key workflows, and scale robust, secure AI solutions across our digital pharmacy platforms.

You'll enjoy the flexibility to work remotely * from anywhere within the U.S. as you take on some tough challenges. For all hires in the Minneapolis or Washington, D.C. area, you will be required to work in the office a minimum of four days per week.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Design, develop, and deploy scalable, production-grade AI-powered solutions and machine learning architectures to address complex business challenges in pharmacy services, with a strong emphasis on responsible and ethical AI
• Leverage enterprise-approved AI tools, automation platforms, and MLOps practices to streamline software engineering workflows, automate tasks, and drive continuous operational improvement
• Evaluate emerging technology trends, Generative AI models, and machine learning techniques to inform solution design, platform architecture, and strategic enterprise innovation
• Lead the end-to-end lifecycle of machine learning systems, including data engineering, model training, validation, containerized deployment, and real-time model monitoring
• Partner with cross-functional teams, data scientists, and business leaders to translate healthcare requirements into reliable, high-performance AI services and microservices
• Provide technical leadership, architectural guidance, and code reviews, establishing best practices and mentoring engineering team members

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, Software Engineering, Data Science, or a related technical field, OR 4+ years of equivalent software engineering experience
• 5+ years of software engineering experience with a strong focus on building, scaling, and deploying machine learning models and AI systems
• 3+ years of experience designing, implementing, and managing production MLOps workflows, ML pipelines, and automated deployment architectures
• 3+ years of experience programming in Python and utilizing core ML/DL frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow, scikit-learn)
• 2+ years of hands-on experience with cloud platform infrastructure (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP) and containerization/orchestration technologies (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes)
• 2+ years of experience with big data technology stacks (e.g., Spark) and database systems (SQL/NoSQL)

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's or Ph.D. degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, or related quantitative field
• Experience building and deploying Generative AI applications, Large Language Models (LLMs), and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) patterns in cloud environments
• Experience working with pharmacy benefit management (PBM) data, clinical workflows, healthcare transaction systems, or HIPAA compliance standards
• Solid knowledge of Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools (e.g., Terraform) and continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) practices
• Proven leadership experience guiding cross-functional technical projects and mentoring mid-level engineers

*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 $145,500 - $249,500 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. 

#optumtechpj