Senior 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 .
Primary Responsibilities:

• Design, develop, and deploy scalable AI/ML models to solve complex business challenges
• Lead end-to-end ML workflows, including data preprocessing, model training, hyperparameter tuning, and deployment
• Apply classical machine learning techniques (e.g., boosting, ensemble methods) and modern deep learning frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow) to deliver innovative solutions
• Work with large datasets using tools such as PySpark, Databricks, Pandas, and Numpy to enable data-driven decision-making
• Develop and fine-tune Generative AI and large language models (LLMs) using tools like Hugging Face, LangChain, and similar frameworks
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate AI/ML solutions with existing systems and applications
• Leverage cloud platforms like Azure AI, Azure ML, Google Cloud Platform, and OpenAI to build and deploy AI/ML models at scale
• Utilize ML lifecycle management tools (e.g., MLflow) to track and monitor model performance
• Conduct thorough data analysis using SQL to derive actionable insights and optimize model performance
• Explore and implement conversational AI systems (e.g., Dialogflow, Vertex AI) to enhance user interactions
• Stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in AI/ML technologies and recommend their adoption where relevant
• 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 regard 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 in Computer Science, Data Science, Machine Learning, or a related field
• Skill or experience:
  • 5+ years of overall hands-on AI/ML project development using Python programming
  • 5+ years of deep learning using PyTorch
  • 5+ years of classical machine learning (e.g., sklearn, boosting, NLP)
  • 5+ years of data analysis using SQL
  • 2+ years of working with large datasets using PySpark, Databricks, Pandas, Numpy, etc.
  • 2+ years of experience with Transformers, Hugging Face, LLMs, Generative AI, LangChain
  • 2+ years of proficiency with Azure AI, Azure ML, OpenAI
  • 2+ years of ML model deployment (e.g., MLflow, Databricks, Azure)
  • 1+ years of healthcare domain and system knowledge
  • 1+ years of familiarity with Google Cloud Platform (e.g., Dialogflow, Vertex AI)
• AI Scientist experience
• Experience in the healthcare domain, including working with clinical or patient datasets
• Hands-on experience with Generative AI applications and building conversational agents
• Solid understanding of data engineering principles, including ETL pipelines and data workflows
• Demonstrated ability to design and develop foundational AI models and core components that power the organization's AI ecosystem, enabling scalable, reusable intelligence across products and services. Optimize infrastructure including model architecture, training pipelines, and deployment framework to ensure high performance and reliability
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with research, engineering, and product teams to translate cutting-edge AI advancements into production-ready capabilities. Upload ethical AI principals by embedding fairness, transparency, and accountability throughout the model developmental life cycle
• Proven ability to handle unstructured datasets, such as text, images, and audio
• Proven excellent problem-solving and critical-thinking skills
• Proven solid communication skills and the ability to collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders

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.