Associate AI/ML Engineer - Python, Agentic AI, Machine Learning

Optum is a global organization that delivers care, aided by technology to help millions of people live healthier lives. The work you do with our team will directly improve health outcomes by connecting people with the care, pharmacy benefits, data and resources they need to feel their best. Here, you will find a culture guided by inclusion, talented peers, comprehensive benefits and career development opportunities. Come make an impact on the communities we serve as you help us advance health optimization on a global scale. Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together.

Summary The Associate AI/ML Engineer will design, develop, and deploy AI-powered solutions that improve operational efficiency, automation, observability, and decision-making within Network and Infrastructure environments. The role combines software engineering, Generative AI, machine learning, and cloud technologies to build intelligent applications, AI agents, and automation capabilities. While AI/ML engineering expertise is the primary focus, knowledge of network engineering, infrastructure operations, cloud platforms, observability, and IT operations is considered a solid advantage.

Design, develop, and integrate AI-powered applications, services, and automation solutions that improve network, infrastructure, and operational outcomes Build and maintain scalable APIs, microservices, AI agents, and intelligent automation capabilities using LLMs, Generative AI, and modern AI frameworks Develop and optimize RAG solutions, vector databases, semantic search, and knowledge-grounding capabilities to support operational and business use cases Collaborate with Network, Infrastructure, Cloud, Platform Engineering, Product, and Data Science teams to identify, design, and deliver AI-driven solutions Integrate AI capabilities with monitoring, observability, ITSM, cloud, and infrastructure management platforms to enhance reliability and operational efficiency Evaluate, fine-tune, deploy, monitor, and continuously improve AI/ML models, ensuring performance, quality, scalability, and operational reliability Apply Responsible AI principles, security, privacy, governance, and compliance requirements throughout the solution lifecycle Lead technical design discussions, contribute to architecture decisions, and mentor engineers on AI-enabled development and engineering best practices Drive software engineering excellence through code reviews, testing automation, CI/CD, observability, documentation, and knowledge sharing Stay current with emerging AI technologies, industry trends, and best practices, and recommend their adoption where appropriate Comply with the terms and conditions of the employment contract, company policies and procedures, and any and all directives (such as, but not limited to, transfer and/or re-assignment to different work locations, change in teams and/or work shifts, policies in regards to flexibility of work benefits and/or work environment, alternative work arrangements, and other decisions that may arise due to the changing business environment). The Company may adopt, vary or rescind these policies and directives in its absolute discretion and without any limitation (implied or otherwise) on its ability to do so Required Qualifications: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience 3+ years of software engineering experience with solid proficiency in Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, or similar programming languages Hands-on experience building and deploying AI/ML and Generative AI solutions using platforms such as Azure OpenAI, Azure AI, Copilot technologies, OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, or similar services Experience developing applications using APIs, microservices, cloud-native architectures, and modern software engineering practices Experience with AI agents, RAG architectures, vector databases, semantic search, prompt engineering, model