Optum - Lead AI Engineer

Lead AI Engineer

Role Overview :

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Lead AI Engineer to drive the design, development, and deployment of scalable AI and Machine Learning solutions. The ideal candidate will have strong expertise in Python, cloud technologies, data engineering, and AI product development, with the ability to lead technical teams and deliver innovative, production-ready AI systems.

Key Responsibilities :

- Lead the architecture, design, and implementation of scalable AI/ML platforms and data processing systems.

- Design and develop solutions for ingesting, processing, storing, and analyzing large-scale structured and unstructured data.

- Collaborate with data scientists, product managers, and business stakeholders to translate business requirements into AI-driven solutions.

- Drive the end-to-end delivery of AI products, from ideation and prototyping to deployment and production support.

- Build and optimize cloud-native AI applications on AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform.

- Ensure high standards of software quality through code reviews, testing, CI/CD pipelines, and engineering best practices.

- Evaluate and recommend technology, framework, and build-versus-buy decisions to accelerate AI innovation.

- Serve as a trusted technical advisor to leadership and cross-functional teams.

- Mentor and guide engineers, fostering technical excellence and professional growth.

- Lead agile development processes and contribute to architectural and technical strategy discussions.

Required Qualifications :

- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.

- 7+ years of software engineering experience (or 5+ years with a Master's degree).

- 4+ years of hands-on experience in Python development.

- 4+ years of experience working with cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud.

- 2+ years of experience leading engineering teams or technical projects.

- Strong experience with GitHub, CI/CD pipelines, and modern software development practices.

- Proven experience designing and delivering AI/ML products from concept to production.

- Strong understanding of data engineering, system design, and scalable distributed architectures.

Preferred Qualifications :

- Experience deploying and managing Large Language Model (LLM) applications in production environments.

- Experience with Generative AI, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), AI Agents, and MLOps frameworks.

- Experience in healthcare, life sciences, or regulated industries.

- Familiarity with AI governance, model monitoring, and responsible AI practices.