Lead AI/ML Engineer

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.

The Lead AI/ML Engineer will drive end‑to‑end execution of AI-enabled solutions supporting Sales and Distribution modernization, including integration across employer, broker, and enrollment ecosystems. This role focuses on building scalable platforms that enable sales intelligence, distribution optimization, quoting/enrollment workflows, and API-driven integrations across CRM, broker systems, and internal platforms. The Lead will design and implement AI-powered automation and agentic workflows to enhance sales processes, improve decision-making, and streamline distribution operations, while also supporting targeted capabilities such as benefits configuration and plan build automation. The role provides hands‑on technical leadership across machine learning, generative AI, RAG pipelines, and agent-based systems, ensuring seamless integration, performance, and reliability in production environments. The Lead will collaborate closely with product, sales, operations, and security teams to deliver modular solutions with minimal disruption, while ensuring compliance with enterprise AI governance and Responsible AI standards. Additionally, the role mentors offshore engineering teams, drives engineering best practices, and ensures consistent, high-quality execution with solid ownership.

Primary Responsibility:

• 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, engineering, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience)
• 12+ years of experience in software engineering, with at least 2+ years of hands-on experience building and deploying AI/ML systems in production environments, particularly within enterprise integrations, distribution systems, or sales platforms
• Solid expertise in designing and implementing API-based integrations, microservices architectures, and automation frameworks, along with experience in Python, machine learning, generative AI, and agentic workflows
• Solid understanding of sales and distribution ecosystems, including CRM integration patterns, data flows, and workflow automation, and demonstrated ability to apply AI to improve sales effectiveness and operational efficiency
• Experience with MLOps, system scalability, and performance optimization is essential, along with working knowledge of governance, Responsible AI, and security requirements in enterprise environments
• Proven experience leading and mentoring distributed or offshore engineering teams is required, along with solid problem-solving skills, stakeholder collaboration, and the ability to operate independently in a fast-paced, evolving environment

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.