Senior Director, AI/ML Applied Science - Remote

UnitedHealth Group•Eden Prairie, MN

10h•$159,300 - $273,200•Remote

About The Position

Optum Tech is a global leader in health care innovation, developing cutting-edge solutions that help people live healthier lives and make the health system work better for everyone. Optum AI is UnitedHealth Group’s enterprise AI team, comprised of AI/ML scientists and engineers with deep expertise in AI/ML engineering for healthcare. We develop AI/ML solutions for high-impact opportunities across UnitedHealth Group businesses and are focused on transforming the healthcare journey through responsible AI/ML innovation, while also developing and supporting an enterprise AI/ML development platform. Team members have the opportunity to make an impact at scale, do ground-breaking work with cutting-edge ML, NLP, and LLM techniques, and partner with world-class experts on innovative solutions, potentially leading to patents and publications. We are seeking a dynamic and visionary Sr Director of AI/ML Engineering to lead the development and execution of a transformative AI strategy within the healthcare sector. This role blends strategic leadership with deep technical expertise, requiring hands-on involvement in designing and deploying advanced AI and machine learning solutions that drive clinical and operational excellence. You will spearhead innovation through cutting-edge research, establish ethical AI governance, and ensure scalable, reliable integration of AI technologies across complex healthcare systems. Collaborating with cross-functional leaders, you will translate critical healthcare challenges into impactful AI initiatives, while mentoring top talent and presenting strategic insights to executive leadership. This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of AI in healthcare and improve outcomes at scale.

Requirements

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
Demonstrated solid and current programming skills in Python or other relevant programming languages
Proven ability to build and scale AI infrastructure and operations

Nice To Haves

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; Natural Language Processing (NLP) and/or Large Language Models (LLM)
Healthcare experience and FinTech solutions
Proven exceptional leadership, communication, and executive presence skills

Responsibilities

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