Lead AI​/ML Engineer - 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 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, 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.

Careers with Optum offer flexible work arrangements and individuals who live and work in the United States will have the opportunity to telecommute from a home-based office.

As a Lead AI/ML Engineer at Optum AI, you'll be designing and developing AI systems to improve patient care.

We often deliver the entire solution, from healthcare data ingest, generative agents and AI models deployment, data extraction, agent/model results and analytics, to the applications used for reviewing clinical data and AI results. Our current projects involve both leveraging and building cutting edge Generative AI technologies from scratch.

We have the data and resources to make an impact on a scale. When our solutions are deployed, they benefit millions of people.

We are a globally distributed and diverse team with the shared passion to improve patient outcomes, improve healthcare operations and streamline payments.

We pay attention to the details to make sure we deliver quality, the first time.

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.

• Lead and contribute to the design and hands‑on implementation of AI/ML systems that enables Optum to derive information from patient data in a scalable, reliable, and cost‑effective manner
• Partner with product managers, data scientists, prompt designers, engineers, and business stakeholders to translate business requirements into scalable AI systems
• Leverage AI‑assisted tools for design, implementation, code reviews, and testing
• Ensure the delivery of high‑quality, maintainable, and efficient code and specifications. Lead by example to deliver product quality the first time
• Drive architectural decisions and contribute to our long‑term technical strategy for AI/ML systems
• Own the full lifecycle of AI/ML initiatives – from problem definition and data exploration to agent development, deployment, and monitoring. Define project scope, success metrics, and timelines in collaboration with cross‑functional teams and ensure timely delivery while not compromising on quality
• Stay ahead of the curve on emerging AI/ML technologies, tools, and research, and evaluate their applicability to business problems. Embrace and promote a culture of innovation through rapid iteration, experimentation and data‑driven decision‑making
• Be a trusted technical advisor to management, internal stakeholders, and customers
• Mentor and lead other engineers to reach their potential

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.

• BS with 7+ years of experience or MS and 5+ years in Computer Science or similar experience
• 4+ years of experience in Python programming
• 4+ years of hands‑on experience in modern cloud infrastructure (AWS, Azure or Google). GCP is a plus
• 4+ years of experience working with various…