AI Engineer - AI/ML

Optum•Minnetonka, MN

fulltime

Engineering and Information Technology

5+ years

About the role

Description - External

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 motivated AI/ML Engineer to lead innovation in claims adjudication through advanced Generative AI solutions. This role emphasizes Large Language Models (LLMs), agentic frameworks, and prompt engineering to automate complex workflows. You will design and deploy secure, scalable, and responsible AI systems while collaborating across teams to deliver measurable impact.

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.

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/ML and Generative AI models for predictive, prescriptive, and generative analytics across healthcare datasets
Implement advanced architectures including LLMs (GPT, Gemini, LLaMA), Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), and Agentic Frameworks
Build and optimize end-to-end pipelines using Python (Sci-kit Learn, Pandas, Flask, LangChain), PySpark, T-SQL and SQL
Develop and fine-tune multiple GenAI models for NLP, summarization, prompt engineering, and conversational AI
Apply MLOps best practices: model versioning, drift analysis, quantization, MLFlow, containerization with Docker, and CI/CD pipelines
Work with cloud platforms: Azure (Databricks, ML Studio, Data Factory, Data Lake, Delta Tables), AWS, and GCP for scalable deployments
Integrate data warehousing solutions like Snowflake and manage large-scale data pipelines.
Collaborate in an Agile environment, participate in sprint planning, and maintain code repositories using GitHub/Git
Ensure compliance with security and governance standards for healthcare data
Coach and mentor junior team members.
Design, develop, and deploy AI-powered solutions to address complex business challenges with emphasis on responsible use of AI

Technical Skillset

AI/ML Foundations

Design and implement machine learning and deep learning models for classification, NLP tasks
Build and maintain end-to-end ML pipelines including data preprocessing, model training, evaluation, and deployment

Generative AI & LLM Engineering

Develop and fine-tune LLM-based applications using LangChain, LangGraph, and other GenAI frameworks
Build Multi Agentic workflows and RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) pipelines for enterprise use cases
Leverage AWS Bedrock and Google Vertex AI for scalable and production-grade GenAI deployments

LLM Security & Responsible AI

Implement guardrails to prevent prompt injection, reduce hallucinations, and ensure safe model outputs
Apply best practices for LLM security, including output moderation, access control, and auditability
Ensure compliance with Responsible AI principles-fairness, transparency, and explainability

Cloud-Native AI Development

Deploy and manage GenAI solutions on AWS and Google Suite, utilizing services like Bedrock, SageMaker, Vertex AI
Integrate LLMs with enterprise systems using REST APIs, SDKs, and orchestration tools

Collaboration & Mentorship

Work closely with product managers, data scientists, and platform teams to translate business needs into GenAI solutions
Mentor junior engineers and contribute to internal knowledge-sharing initiatives

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 CS or IT related field
5+ years of hands-on experience in AI/ML techniques like Prompt Engineering , RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation) and Agentic AI
5+ years of experience and strong expertise in Python, PySpark, T-SQL, SQL, and big data technologies (Hadoop, Spark)
2+ years of experience in statistics, data modeling, and simulation
1+ years of experience with Generative AI frameworks/architectures (LangChain, HuggingFace, OpenAI APIs)
1+ years of experience with any one of the cloud technologies: Azure (Databricks, ML Studio), AWS Bedrock, Azure Foundry, Kafka, GCP, and cloud-native AI services
1+ years of experience with CI/CD pipelines, GitHub Actions, and containerization tools
1+ years of experience with LLM security, prompt engineering, and responsible AI practices

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with LLMs (GPT, Gemini, LLaMA) and prompt-based learning
Knowledge of Kafka, TensorFlow, and advanced deep learning architectures (CNNs, Autoencoders)
Strong understanding of Agile methodologies and DevOps practices
Internal Data management and Big data handling experience
Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to handle ambiguity
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 $72,800 to $130,000 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. #RPO #GREEN

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