Sr AI/ML Engineer - Remote Nationwide or Office-Based in MN/DC/NJ

UnitedHealth Group•Minnetonka, MN

4d•$120,100 - $214,500

About The Position

Optum Tech is seeking a Senior AI/ML Engineer to develop full-stack applications and AI-powered solutions that address complex business challenges, with an emphasis on responsible AI. The role combines frontend development, Java-based backend and API engineering, database design, event-driven streaming, Kubernetes operations, CI/CD, application observability, testing, and security practices. The position also participates in product lifecycle management, code reviews, architectural discussions, and agile ceremonies, with responsibility for maintaining documentation on application features and security controls. The role is remote from anywhere in the U.S. or office-based in Minnesota, Washington, D.C., or New Jersey. Hires in the Minneapolis or Washington, D.C. area must work in the office at least four days per week. Remote employees must follow UnitedHealth Group’s Telecommuter Policy. The annual salary range is $120,100–$214,500 for full-time employment, subject to factors such as labor market, education, and experience.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
At least 4 years of full-stack engineering experience with backend and frontend development expertise.
At least 3 years of experience building AI/ML solutions leveraging LLMs, Generative AI, and models.
At least 3 years of hands-on experience building, deploying, and maintaining cloud applications, such as on AWS, GCP, or Azure.
At least 3 years of experience implementing event-driven streaming solutions with Apache Kafka, including schema design and partitioning strategies.
At least 3 years of experience designing high-performance MySQL database schemas for high-volume transactional workloads.
At least 3 years of experience configuring, deploying, scaling, and troubleshooting microservices on Kubernetes-based container platforms.
At least 3 years of experience with CI/CD tools, automated testing frameworks, and modern build pipelines.

Nice To Haves

At least 3 years of experience developing responsive frontend applications using JavaScript/TypeScript, React.js, and TanStack Query.
At least 3 years of experience with enterprise monitoring and observability platforms such as Splunk, Dynatrace, Zabbix, and Grafana to track application health and resolve issues.
Experience building and deploying AI/ML solutions or integrating machine learning models into enterprise web applications.
Familiarity with organizational release governance, PLM compliance, and automated security scanning workflows.
Hands-on experience using AI-powered development tools such as GitHub Copilot to improve test coverage, code quality, and productivity.

Responsibilities

Develop responsive and intuitive frontend applications using modern JavaScript frameworks, preferably React.js, and TanStack Query.
Design and build REST and GraphQL APIs in Java and integrate them with high-performance MySQL schemas for high-volume transactional workloads.
Design and implement Kafka producers and consumers, including schema design, partitioning strategies, and reliable message processing.
Deploy, configure, scale, and troubleshoot services on Kubernetes-based platforms.
Set up and manage GitHub Actions deployment pipelines, including reusable workflows, environment secrets, automated deployment rules, and JFrog Artifactory integration.
Use enterprise-approved AI-powered development tools for code generation, refactoring, debugging, workflow automation, and documentation.
Monitor logs and performance trends and proactively troubleshoot production issues using observability tools such as Splunk, Dynatrace, Zabbix, and Grafana.
Write JUnit tests with high code coverage and use static and dynamic analysis tools such as CodeQL and SonarQube to identify and remediate security and quality issues.
Participate in PLM activities, code reviews, architectural discussions, and agile ceremonies, and maintain detailed documentation for application features and security controls.
Design, develop, and deploy AI-powered solutions for complex business challenges, emphasizing responsible AI use.