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 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 an AI/ML Engineer within Optum Technology, you will design, develop, and deploy AI-powered solutions to address complex business challenges with a focus on responsible AI practices. In this role, you will implement and iterate on AI and machine learning solutions-including Generative AI-by building prototypes, integrating models into microservices, and optimizing performance based on evaluation results. Working in collaboration with senior engineers and cross-functional partners, you will leverage enterprise-approved AI tools, cloud platforms, Databricks, PySpark, and API frameworks to drive continuous quality improvement across our healthcare ecosystem.

You will enjoy the flexibility to telecommute* from anywhere within the U.S. as you take on some tough challenges.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Design, develop, and deploy AI-powered solutions to address complex business challenges with an emphasis on responsible use of AI
• Implement and iterate on AI and machine learning solutions (including Generative AI) by building prototypes, integrating models into services, and improving quality based on evaluation results
• Use enterprise-approved AI tools to streamline engineering workflows, automate tasks, and drive continuous improvement
• Support proof-of-concept projects and model experiments, establishing performance baselines using clear metrics and standard tooling
• Contribute to training and inference pipelines using Databricks, PySpark, and cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform) under guidance from senior engineers
• Learn and apply Generative AI building blocks such as Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) and prompt orchestration tools (e.g., LangChain)
• Contribute to building and testing REST APIs (e.g., FastAPI) and learn delivery fundamentals such as containerization (Docker) and application frameworks (e.g., Flask/Streamlit)
• Support performance and cost optimizations (e.g., caching, batching, quantization, or distillation) to enhance system efficiency
• Collaborate with cross-functional partners to understand business needs, ask clarifying questions, participate in code reviews, and maintain team standards for quality, safety, and trust

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, IT, Data Science, or a related field (or 4+ years of equivalent software engineering experience in lieu of degree)
• 2+ years of software engineering experience delivering well-tested applications and services (including co-ops, internships, academic, or personal projects)
• 1+ years of AI/ML engineering experience, including prototyping, evaluation, and supporting deployment/monitoring in collaboration with senior engineers
• 1+ years of hands-on experience with Python and SQL through coursework, internships, or professional projects
• 1+ years of experience with at least one major cloud platform (AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform)

Preferred Qualifications:

• Exposure to Generative AI building blocks (RAG, prompt orchestration tools like LangChain, and vector databases)
• Experience building and testing APIs (e.g., REST with FastAPI) and working with containers (Docker) or application frameworks (Flask/Streamlit)
• Familiarity with MLOps concepts (experimentation tracking, model packaging, deployment patterns, and monitoring basics)
• Exposure to Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools such as Terraform or CloudFormation
• Awareness of data governance and access control concepts; familiarity with Databricks features like Delta Lake and Unity Catalog
• Exposure to big data technologies such as Spark (PySpark/SparkSQL) and streaming/messaging tools (e.g., Kafka/Hadoop)
• Basic understanding of data science fundamentals (statistics, probability, metrics, and data modeling) and performance optimization techniques (caching, batching, quantization, or distillation)

*All Telecommuters 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 $98,500 to $176,000 annually based on full-time employment. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

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.

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