Senior Director, AI​/ML Applied Science - Remote

Optum Tech is a global leader in health care innovation. Our teams develop cutting-edge solutions that help people live healthier lives and help make the health system work better for everyone. Optum AI is United Health Group's enterprise AI team, specializing in AI/ML engineering for health care and developing AI/ML solutions across United Health Group businesses, including United Healthcare, Optum Financial, Optum Health, Optum Insight, and Optum Rx.

Our charter includes developing and supporting an enterprise AI/ML development platform.

• Develop and execute org-wide AI strategy and roadmap aligned with business objectives and growth initiatives
• Maintain hands-on involvement in key AI projects, actively contributing to code, model development, and technical solutions
• Drive innovation through research and adoption of cutting-edge AI technologies and methodologies
• Establish AI governance frameworks, ethical guidelines, and best practices across the organization
• Personally design, develop, and implement AI and machine learning models using statistical analysis and deep learning algorithms
• Collaborate with cross-functional leadership to translate business needs into AI strategy
• Collaborate with team leads in the deployment and maintenance of AI models in production environments, ensuring scalability, reliability, and cost-effectiveness
• Spearhead integration of AI solutions with existing systems and applications
• Establish KPIs and performance metrics for AI solutions and drive continuous improvement
• Present AI vision, roadmaps, and results to executive leadership and board members
• Lead research initiatives and partnerships to maintain competitive advantage in AI capabilities
• Mentor, develop, and retain top AI talent while building a culture of innovation

• Master's degree in Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, or a related field
• 15+ years of experience in AI/ML with demonstrable career progression from individual contributor to technical leadership roles
• Hands-on experience with machine learning libraries and frameworks
• Current and extensive hands-on experience with modern AI tools, frameworks, and methodologies
• Experience with data analysis tools and techniques
• Experience implementing machine learning fairness and bias mitigation techniques
• Public cloud experience (Azure, and/or GCP, and/or AWS)
• Comprehensive knowledge of statistical methods, machine learning algorithms, and AI principles
• Proven track record of hands-on development and implementation of enterprise-scale AI SaaS solutions with measurable business impact
• Demonstrated ability to balance strategic leadership with hands-on technical contribution
• Strong programming skills in Python or other relevant languages
• Proven ability to build and scale AI infrastructure and operations

• PhD or Master’s degree in Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, or a related field
• Active practitioner with current, deep technical expertise in AI technologies and applications; NLP and/or Large Language Models (LLM)
• Healthcare experience and Fin Tech solutions
• Proven exceptional leadership, communication, and executive presence skills
• All employees working remotely will be required to adhere to United Health Group's Telecommuter Policy

United Health Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or other protected status. United Health Group is a drug-free workplace. Candidates may be required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.