AI/ ML Engineer - On Site MN, IL or NJ

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.
The Enterprise Information Security (EIS) team is responsible for cybersecurity across our organization. We support our business and members by reducing risk, rapidly responding to threats, focusing on business resiliency and securing new acquisitions.
The GenAI Security Program is dedicated to safeguarding data, mitigating risks, and promoting responsible AI usage across the enterprise. Our mission is to empower innovation through Generative AI while maintaining the highest standards of security, privacy, compliance, and ethical conduct.
We ensure the secure deployment of Generative AI technologies by aligning with established security policies, regulatory requirements, and industry best practices. The program provides governance, oversight, and technical controls to support safe and effective AI adoption throughout the organization.
To ensure the security and integrity of our company's data, employees must use only company-approved internet AI tools/service/models for evaluation or testing.
Primary Responsibilities

Process secure access requests and ServiceNow tickets with accuracy and adherence to SLAs
Host regular office hours to assist internal customers and respond to general inquiries
Maintain, update, and organize documentation to ensure consistency and compliance with internal standards
Create and manage change requests, ensuring correct configuration details, especially for proxy-related changes
Meet with customers to clearly communicate program policies, processes, and expectations
Coordinate with technical teams to ensure seamless execution of change requests and incident resolutions
Maintain awareness of access management and security governance requirements
Ensure change requests are properly categorized and documented for audit readiness
Security Analyst Foundation

Proven experience in cybersecurity, including threat detection, incident response, and vulnerability management
Familiarity with frameworks like NIST AI RMF, OWASP AI Security, and MITRE ATLAS
Certifications such as CISSP, CISA, or the new ISC2 Cybersecurity AI Certificate are highly recommended
AI & Machine Learning Expertise

Understanding of supervised, unsupervised, and reinforcement learning models
Experience with tools like TensorFlow, PyTorch, HuggingFace Transformers, and scikit-learn
Ability to assess AI model risks, bias, and explainability (XAI)
AI Security Specialization

Knowledge of adversarial AI threats, model inversion, data poisoning, and secure model lifecycle management
Familiarity with AI-specific security tools and workflows (e.g., AI UEBA, threat triage bots, Graph API consent automation)
Experience in red teaming and vulnerability testing for AI systems
Fast Learning & Adaptability

Ability to stay current with emerging threats and evolving AI technologies
Participation in ongoing training programs like the ESRO AI Security curriculum and AI persona development tracks
Communication & Collaboration

Solid written and verbal communication skills to articulate risks, mitigation strategies, and technical concepts to diverse stakeholders
Experience contributing to governance frameworks, OKRs, and cross-functional working sessions
You'll be rewarded and recognized for your performance in an environment that will challenge you and give you clear direction on what it takes to succeed in your role as well as provide development for other roles you may be interested in.
Required Qualifications

3+ years of experience delivering statistical models, machine learning (ML), or artificial intelligence (AI) solutions in a large organization
3+ years of real-world data science experience in or supporting a large organization
3+ years of real-world data engineering experience
Experience with Generative AI (GenAI)
Proven knowledge of adversarial AI threats, including model inversion, data poisoning, and secure model lifecycle management
Proven fluency in Python and SQL
Proven ability to stay current with emerging threats and evolving AI technologies
Preferred Qualifications

Experience in the cybersecurity domain, ideally as a Security Operations Center (SOC) analyst
Demonstrated familiarity with frameworks such as NIST AI Risk Management Framework (RMF), OWASP AI Security, or MITRE ATLAS
Customer-facing experience
Proven broad knowledge of information technology, including hardware, networking, architecture, protocols, file systems, and operating systems
Proficiency in data querying and reporting
Proven solid written and verbal communication skills to clearly articulate risks, mitigation strategies, and technical concepts to diverse stakeholders
Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to local labor markets, education, work experience, certifications, etc. In addition to your salary, we offer benefits such as, a comprehensive benefits package, incentive and recognition programs, equity stock purchase and 401k contribution (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements). No matter where or when you begin a career with us, you'll find a far-reaching choice of benefits and incentives. The salary for this role will range from $72,800 to $130,000 annually based on full-time employment. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.
At UnitedHealth Group, our mission is to help people live healthier lives and make the health system work better for everyone. We believe everyone-of every race, gender, sexuality, age, location and income-deserves the opportunity to live their healthiest life. Today, however, there are still far too many barriers to good health which are disproportionately experienced by people of color, historically marginalized groups and those with lower incomes. We are committed to mitigating our impact on the environment and enabling and delivering equitable care that addresses health disparities and improves health outcomes - an enterprise priority reflected in our mission.
UnitedHealth Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer under applicable law and qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations.
UnitedHealth Group is a drug - free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.