The Role
Design, build, and deploy generative AI applications and traditional ML models. Implement RAG, embeddings, vector search, prompt engineering, fine-tuning, and scalable services integrating third-party AI APIs. Establish model evaluation, monitoring, CI/CD, and guardrails. Collaborate with product, data, and engineering teams to productionize ML features and ensure reliability and low-latency performance.
Summary Generated by Built In
Requisition Number: 2367408
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.
Primary Responsibilities:
Required Qualifications:
Preferred Qualifications:
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.
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.
Primary Responsibilities:
- Generative AI Application Development:
- Design, build, and deploy features using Large Language Models (LLMs), including conversational AI, summarization, and knowledge extraction
- Implement and optimize Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) pipelines, from data preprocessing and embedding to vector search
- Apply advanced prompt engineering, fine-tuning (e.g., LoRA), and other model adaptation techniques to enhance performance and accuracy
- Machine Learning Model Development & Deployment:
- Develop and productionize a range of machine learning models, including both traditional ML (e.g., regression, classification, clustering) and deep learning models
- Conduct feature engineering on large-scale datasets to create robust inputs for model training
- Establish and manage processes for model evaluation, performance monitoring, and continuous retraining
- AI Systems & Integration:
- Build and maintain scalable services that integrate with third-party AI APIs (e.g., OpenAI, Azure) and open-source models
- Develop agentic workflows that orchestrate multiple tools, models, and data sources to solve complex problems
- Work with vector databases (e.g., Pinecone, pgvector) and implement caching strategies to ensure low-latency performance
- Collaboration & AI Quality:
- Partner with product, data, and engineering teams to translate business needs into deployable AI/ML features
- Implement guardrails and other techniques to improve model reliability and reduce issues like hallucination
- Participate in code reviews, design discussions, and contribute to the team's Responsible AI practices
- Comply with the terms and conditions of the employment contract, company policies and procedures, and any and all directives (such as, but not limited to, transfer and/or re-assignment to different work locations, change in teams and/or work shifts, policies in regards to flexibility of work benefits and/or work environment, alternative work arrangements, and other decisions that may arise due to the changing business environment). The Company may adopt, vary or rescind these policies and directives in its absolute discretion and without any limitation (implied or otherwise) on its ability to do so
Required Qualifications:
- 8+ years of professional experience in Data Science, including 2+ years of hands-on experience building and deploying AI/ML solutions in a production environment
- Core Programming & Data Skills:
- Experience with large-scale data processing and feature engineering
- Solid proficiency in Python & Pyspark for ML and backend development
- Generative AI Expertise:
- Proven experience developing applications using LLMs (e.g., GPT series, Llama) and common frameworks (e.g., LangChain, LlamaIndex)
- Practical knowledge of prompt engineering, RAG, and model fine-tuning
- Machine Learning Foundations:
- Hands-on experience building, training, and evaluating ML models
- Solid understanding of both supervised and unsupervised learning, deep learning fundamentals, and statistical principles
- Cloud & Communication:
- Experience with at least one major cloud AI platform (e.g. AWS SageMaker, Google Vertex AI)
- Proven solid ability to communicate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
Preferred Qualifications:
- Hands-on experience with MLOps practices, including CI/CD for ML, model monitoring, and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes)
- Experience with distributed computing for ML (e.g., Spark)
- Familiarity with multimodal AI (handling text, image, or speech data)
- A proven ability to connect ML solutions to tangible business outcomes and product improvements
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.
Skills Required
- 8+ years of professional experience in Data Science
- 2+ years hands-on experience building and deploying AI/ML solutions in production
- Experience with large-scale data processing and feature engineering
- Proficiency in Python and Pyspark for ML and backend development
- Experience developing applications using LLMs (e.g., GPT series, Llama) and frameworks (e.g., LangChain, LlamaIndex)
- Practical knowledge of prompt engineering, RAG pipelines, and model fine-tuning
- Hands-on experience building, training, and evaluating ML models; understanding supervised and unsupervised learning, deep learning, and statistics
- Experience with at least one major cloud AI platform (e.g., AWS SageMaker, Google Vertex AI)
- Ability to communicate complex technical concepts to technical and non-technical stakeholders
- MLOps practices including CI/CD for ML, model monitoring, and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes)
- Experience with distributed computing for ML (e.g., Spark)
- Familiarity with multimodal AI (text, image, or speech)
- Proven ability to connect ML solutions to business outcomes and product improvements
Optum Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — PTO accrues each pay period with eight paid U.S. holidays plus a floating holiday, and generous time away is consistently emphasized. This breadth supports planned and unplanned time off beyond standard vacation days.
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Parental & Family Support — Six weeks of paid parental leave, up to two weeks of paid caregiver leave, Bright Horizons back‑up care, and adoption assistance signal strong family-oriented support. EAP access with counseling sessions further extends help to employees and their households.
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Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Company‑paid short‑ and long‑term disability, Calm app membership, tuition reimbursement, commuter and FSA accounts, and broad employee discounts expand everyday wellbeing resources. Free or low‑cost virtual visits complement these lifestyle supports.
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The Company
What We Do
Optum, part of the UnitedHealth Group family of businesses, 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. At Optum, we support your well-being with an understanding team, extensive benefits and rewarding opportunities. By joining us, you’ll have the resources to drive system transformation while we help you take care of your future. We recognize the power of connection to drive change, improve efficiency and make a difference in health care. Join a team where your skills and ideas can make an impact and where collaboration is key to creating technology that produces healthier outcomes.
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Optum Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
Optum has three workplace models that balance the needs of the business and the responsibilities of each role. These models, core on‑site (5 days/week), hybrid (4 days/week) and telecommute or fully remote, vary by country, role and location.
Typical time on-site:
Not Specified
