Director of AI/ML Engineering - Remote Nationwide or Hybrid in MN/DC

Requisition Number: 2366656
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.
As a Director of AI/ML Engineering within our team, you will lead a highly skilled engineering team focused on building, deploying, and scaling robust AI and machine learning systems. You will collaborate with cross-functional partners to drive strategic innovation, implement modern MLOps pipelines, and deliver high-impact AI capabilities that directly improve health outcomes. In this role, you will have the opportunity to leverage cutting-edge technologies, design scalable architectures, and shape the future of healthcare technology on an enterprise scale.
You'll enjoy the flexibility to work remotely * from anywhere within the U.S. as you take on some tough challenges. This position follows a hybrid schedule with four in-office days per week.
Primary Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic direction and technical leadership for the AI/ML engineering team, strategically using AI to solve complex business problems, unlock new opportunities, and deliver tangible business value
• Manage, mentor, and grow a high-performing team of AI/ML engineers, aligning hiring with technical and AI competencies, setting clear developmental goals, and actively removing barriers to accelerate adoption
• Champion AI as a core driver of team success, proactively shaping how AI models and systems are developed, deployed, and utilized across the organization
• Champion the ethical use of AI by embedding transparency, fairness, accountability, and robust governance throughout the entire AI/ML system lifecycle
• Drive the design, architecture, and deployment of scalable, production-grade AI/ML pipelines and modern MLOps practices, including automated testing, continuous integration/deployment (CI/CD), and model monitoring
• Collaborate with data science, product, and business partners to translate cutting-edge AI advancements and business opportunities into reliable, production-ready capabilities
• Standardize engineering practices across the team, ensuring high code quality, system performance, and integration with robust security protocols
• Evaluate emerging AI/ML technologies, tools, and methodologies to drive continuous innovation and streamline engineering workflows

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:

• 9+ years of software engineering experience
• 5+ years of experience leading, managing, or mentoring technical engineering teams (direct people management or lead architect/delivery lead experience)
• 4+ years of hands-on experience designing, building, and deploying AI/ML solutions, including LLMs, Generative AI, and traditional ML models
• 3+ years of experience with MLOps practices, including ML pipeline orchestration, model monitoring, and automated deployment (CI/CD)
• 3+ years of experience working with major cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP) and containerization technologies (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes)
• 3+ years of experience with security, access controls, logging, monitoring, performance tuning, disaster recovery, and production operations

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related technical field (or equivalent experience)
• Experience in healthcare or another highly regulated industry
• Experience implementing Responsible AI frameworks, AI safety protocols, and governance standards
• Proven excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts to non-technical business leaders
• Solid proficiency in programming languages such as Python, PyTorch, TensorFlow, or other modern ML frameworks

*All employees working remotely 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 $176,700 - $302,900 annually based on full-time employment. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.
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.
#BI-Hybrid