Optum is a global leader in health care innovation, 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 requires hands-on involvement in designing and deploying advanced AI and machine learning solutions that drive clinical and operational excellence while mentoring top talent and presenting strategic insights to executive leadership.
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
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
- 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