Director, Client Scientific Solutions - 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 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.

Optum AI is United Health Group's enterprise AI team. We are AI/ML scientists and engineers with deep expertise in AI/ML engineering for health care. We develop AI/ML solutions for the highest impact opportunities across United Health Group businesses including United Healthcare, Optum Financial, Optum Health, Optum Insight, and Optum Rx. In addition to transforming the health care journey through responsible AI/ML innovation, our charter also includes developing and supporting an enterprise AI/ML development platform.

Optum AI team members:

• Have impact at scale:
  We have the data and resources to make an impact n our solutions are deployed, they have the potential to make health care system work better for everyone
• Do ground-breaking work:
  Many of our current projects involve cutting edge ML, NLP and LLM techniques. Generative AI methods for working with structured and unstructured health care data are continuously being developed and improved. We are working in one of the most important frontiers of AI/ML research and development
• Partner with world‑class experts on innovative solutions:
  Our team members are developing novel AI/ML solutions to business challenges. In some cases, this includes the opportunity to file patents and publish papers about the methods we develop. We also collaborate with AI/ML researchers at some of the world's top universities

The Optum AI Director, Client Scientific Solutions manages an applied research team focused on transitioning AI models from research to production. This role emphasizes operational execution, team leadership, and implementation of best practices for model development and deployment, while contributing to strategic discussions within the scope of assigned client projects.

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.

• Applied Research to Production:
  Manage the development and deployment of production‑ready models, ensuring adherence to quality and scalability standards. Guide the team in converting research outputs into operational solutions that meet client needs
• Collaboration:
  
  Work closely with product managers and engineering leads to define technical requirements and prioritize tasks for successful delivery
• Innovation Leadership:
  Introduce and apply innovative AI techniques within client projects to improve model performance and efficiency
• Responsible AI:
  Apply ethical AI principles and ensure compliance with organizational standards in all development activities
• Ecosystem Development:
  Implement best practices for model development, testing, and deployment to maintain operational excellence
• Talent Strategy:
  Coach and develop team members, fostering technical growth and collaboration

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.

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, Statistics, or related quantitative field
• 7+ years of experience in AI/ML or software engineering with a track record of delivering production‑ready models and solutions
• Hands‑on experience with cloud computing platforms and scalable infrastructure
• Proficiency in Python or similar programming languages; familiarity with modern ML frameworks
• Experience managing technical teams and coordinating…