Lead AI Engineer - Remote

UnitedHealth Group•Charleston, WV

3d•$112,700 - $193,200•Remote

About The Position

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. From advanced data analytics and AI to cybersecurity, we use innovative approaches to solve some of health care’s most complex challenges. Your contributions here have the potential to change lives. Ready to build the next breakthrough? Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together. We are seeking a Lead Engineer to guide and define the AI-First engineering vision and roadmap for our PATH initiative. In this role, you will lead the adoption of AI-enabled SDLC across requirements, architecture, coding, testing, deployment, operations, and support while building secure, scalable, and resilient enterprise software solutions. You will drive intelligent automation, generative and agentic AI tools, and knowledge-driven workflows to optimize operational costs and streamline software delivery across complex health and human services platforms. 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.

Requirements

10+ years of enterprise software engineering experience
5+ years of experience in Lead Engineer, Architect, or senior technical leadership roles
3+ years of demonstrated experience leading AI transformation, AI-enabled SDLC initiatives, or enterprise AI adoption programs
Hands-on experience with Generative AI, Agentic AI, Large Language Models (LLMs), RAG, vector databases, AI orchestration, and model evaluation
Experience with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS), DevSecOps, CI/CD automation, monitoring, and observability tools
Experience working in government or regulated environments (e.g., Human Services, Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, Child Welfare, or Eligibility systems)
Experience measuring AI-driven productivity gains, efficiency improvements, and key engineering KPIs

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related technical field.
Experience building AI Centers of Excellence, AI governance programs, or enterprise AI platforms.
Proven ability to establish responsible AI controls, security guardrails, and compliance frameworks.
Solid track record of influencing cross-functional technical delivery without relying on direct reporting authority.

Responsibilities

Define and execute the AI-First engineering vision, architecture, and roadmap for the PATH platform
Lead AI Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) adoption across requirements, design, coding, testing, deployment, operations, and support
Establish measurable productivity, quality, and efficiency goals through AI-powered engineering practices
Drive adoption of Generative AI, Agentic AI, copilots, intelligent automation, and knowledge-driven workflows
Implement AI-assisted software development, code reviews, test generation, documentation, incident analysis, and DevSecOps automation
Build governance frameworks, responsible AI controls, model evaluation frameworks, security guardrails, and compliance standards
Mentor teams on prompt engineering, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), agent frameworks, AI observability, and AI solution architecture
Act as a senior technical leader and escalation point for critical application, integration, data, batch, cloud architecture, and production issues
Translate complex business and regulatory requirements into technical designs, implementation plans, and engineering deliverables
Integrate enterprise AI tools, set AI goals in development plans, and champion responsible and ethical technology usage across engineering teams