Senior AI/ML Engineer - Hybrid in Eden Prairie, MN

UnitedHealth Group•Eden Prairie, MN

9h•$120,100 - $214,500•Hybrid

About The Position

As a Senior AI/ML Engineer within the Optum Health & Financial Tech team, you will design, build, and deploy production-grade AI and machine learning solutions that revolutionize healthcare payer and financial operations. You will focus on high-impact areas such as Claims Processing Automation, Eligibility Verification, Prior Authorization, and Payment Integrity. Operating with an innovative mindset, you will leverage advanced technologies—including Natural Language Processing (NLP), Generative AI, and Agentic AI digital workers—to enable touchless processing and drive payment accuracy. Joining a mission-driven team, you will help connect patients, providers, and data, modernizing critical platforms and scaling responsible AI to improve the care and financial experience for millions.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field, or 4+ years of equivalent experience
6+ years of experience in software engineering, data engineering, or AI/ML, with a proven track record of deploying production-grade AI/ML solutions
3+ years of experience working with healthcare data, claims processing, eligibility, and workflows
3+ years of hands-on experience in modern cloud infrastructure (Azure or Google GCP)
3+ years of hands-on experience building, training, evaluating, and deploying ML, AI, LLM, or agentic AI solutions in production environments
2+ years of experience building cloud-based applications, backend services, APIs, or CI/CD pipelines using Azure or GCP
Experience implementing model monitoring, validation, and performance tracking in a production environment
Proficiency in Python and experience with distributed data processing frameworks

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, or a related field
Professional certification or training in cloud-based AI platforms (e.g., Azure ML, Databricks)
Experience in healthcare domain and claims automation
Experience with Agentic AI implementations in enterprise operations
Familiarity with Facets or similar healthcare payer platforms
Proven solid ownership, curiosity, adaptability, and learning agility, with the ability to navigate ambiguity and deliver impactful technical solutions

Responsibilities

Design, develop, and deploy production-grade AI-powered solutions and machine learning models to address complex business challenges in claims processing, eligibility, and payment integrity, emphasizing the responsible use of AI
Use enterprise-approved AI tools to streamline operational workflows, automate repetitive tasks, and drive continuous improvement across payer and financial systems
Evaluate emerging trends, such as Agentic AI, GenAI, and automation frameworks, to inform solution design and strategic innovation
Build and optimize scalable data pipelines for real-time and batch processing, integrating AI models with core platforms and systems (e.g., Facets, claims engines)
Create AI-driven automation solutions to automate repetitive workflows and support touchless claims and eligibility processing
Partner with cross-functional teams to define scope, success criteria, and delivery milestones, then execute with solid engineering rigor through CI/CD, environment readiness, and quality gates to deliver on schedule without compromising reliability or maintainability
Monitor, validate, and retrain AI/ML models in production to track accuracy, mitigate drift, and optimize performance metrics (such as cost reduction, cycle time, and quality)
Ensure HIPAA-compliant design, PHI-safe pipelines, and align all AI solutions with Responsible AI governance and auditability standards
Partner closely with operations, product, and compliance teams to translate payer business requirements into measurable AI solutions and communicate outcomes