VP AI/ML Engineering
Overview
The VP, AI/ML Engineering is a strategic leadership role responsible for defining, building, and delivering an AI strategy and roadmap that aligns with enterprise business priorities. You will collaborate with senior technology and business leaders to influence an AI-driven agenda, including innovation and high-value use cases that deliver measurable impact. This role requires a visionary leader who can drive AI adoption, anticipate emerging trends, and guide responsible implementation at scale.
You'll enjoy the flexibility to work remotely from anywhere within the U.S. as you take on some tough challenges. For all hires within 30 minutes of an office in Minnesota or Washington, D.C., you'll be required to work a minimum of four days per week in-office.
Primary Responsibilities
- Strategic Leadership: Define and deliver a comprehensive AI strategy and roadmap aligned with enterprise goals, ensuring accountability for outcomes
- Executive Collaboration: Partner with senior leaders to shape and prioritize an AI agenda focused on innovation and business value
- Innovation & Value Realization: Identify and advance high-impact AI opportunities, from proof of concept through scaled deployment
- Governance & Responsible AI: Establish frameworks for responsible AI, risk management, and compliance to ensure ethical and secure adoption
- External Engagement: Maintain awareness of industry trends and emerging technologies to inform strategy and accelerate adoption
- Team Leadership: Lead and grow a multidisciplinary team, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and delivery excellence
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
- Proven experience in senior leadership roles driving enterprise AI strategy
- Demonstrated ability to influence executive stakeholders and align AI initiatives with business objectives
- Solid understanding of AI/ML trends, applications, and governance best practices along with solid technical background in AI
- Experience in complex environments (regulated preferred)
- Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to simplify complex concepts for diverse audiences
- Track record of leading cross-functional teams and driving organizational change
Additional Information
All employees working remotely will be required to adhere to UnitedHealth Group's Telecommuter Policy.
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).
Travel requirement: "Yes, 10% of the Time"
UnitedHealth Group is a health care and well-being company with team members in two distinct and complementary businesses – Optum and UnitedHealthcare – working to help build a modern, high-performing health system.
Our mission is to help people live healthier lives and help 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.
Optum Tech is a global leader in health care innovation. Our teams develop cutting-edge solutions that help people live healthier lives and help make the health system work better for everyone. From advanced data analytics and AI to cybersecurity, we use innovative approaches to solve some of health care's most complex challenges.
April 10, 2026
5-7 business days
After submission
- •Role is explicitly focused on enterprise AI strategy, adoption, and scaling — strong strategic application signal.
- •Responsibilities include moving high-impact use cases from proof-of-concept to scaled deployment and establishing governance, indicating significant workflow integration.
- •Job emphasizes innovation, trend awareness, and leading multidisciplinary teams — strong signals for experimentation and creation.
This VP, AI/ML Engineering role at UnitedHealth Group scores well on foundational needs: explicit and competitive compensation and benefits, strong organizational stability, and clear senior-level responsibilities that support esteem. The job also shows evidence of higher-order fulfillment through strategic influence, innovation opportunity, and responsible AI governance. Gaps are primarily informational: limited detail about the immediate team's size and structure, concrete career development programs, and exact success metrics. The hybrid/remote policy nuance should be clarified before proceeding.
- •Unclear team/reporting structure and resourcing: the posting lacks specifics about the size of the organization to be led, direct reports, and where the role sits in the org — makes it hard to assess scope and support.
- •Ambiguity in remote/hybrid expectations: the post allows remote work from anywhere in the U.S. but requires hires within 30 minutes of Minnesota or D.C. to be in-office 4 days/week — this could create confusion about flexibility and expectations for local candidates.
- •Vague professional development details: the description promises "development for other roles you may be interested in" but provides no concrete programs, budget, or examples, which can be a red flag when growth is advertised but not substantiated.
- •Clear, competitive salary range provided ($200,400 - $343,500) and mention of comprehensive benefits, equity purchase, and 401k contributions.
- •Employer is UnitedHealth Group — large, established organization; role is full-time VP-level with executive collaboration responsibilities.
- •Role explicitly emphasizes strategy, governance/responsible AI, and enterprise-scale delivery — strong signals for senior ownership and impact.
- •Can you describe the AI/ML organization I would lead (team size, roles, current direct reports) and where this role reports within the enterprise technology/org chart?
- •What are the top 3 measurable business outcomes expected from this role in the first 12 months, and how will success be evaluated (KPIs, review cadence, stakeholders)?
- •What formal professional development resources are available for senior leaders (training budgets, conference allowance, executive coaching, internal mobility pathways) and examples of recent leader development?
Location
Salary Range
$200k - $344k
Employment Type
Full-time
Experience Level
Senior
Posted
January 10, 2026 (2 weeks ago)
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