Optum Recruitment 2026 | Associate AI/ML Engineer Job in Hyderabad

Optum Recruitment 2026 – Associate AI/ML Engineer Job in Hyderabad | Apply Online

Optum is hiring candidates for the position of Associate AI/ML Engineer in Hyderabad, India. This is an opportunity for experienced technology professionals interested in artificial intelligence, machine learning, Generative AI, large language models (LLMs), data engineering and cloud-based AI solutions.

The selected candidates will work with an innovative engineering team focused on transforming healthcare delivery through advanced AI and machine learning technologies. The role involves designing, developing and deploying production-grade AI applications, including Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems, agentic workflows and conversational AI solutions.

Candidates with at least 3 years of software engineering experience and practical knowledge of Python, Spark, Scala, Azure Databricks, Snowflake, Kafka and GenAI frameworks can explore this opportunity.

Optum Associate AI/ML Engineer Recruitment 2026 – Overview

Company Name	Optum
Parent Organization	UnitedHealth Group
Job Role	Associate AI/ML Engineer
Job Category	Technology
Location	Hyderabad, India
Requisition Number	2390921
Date Posted	November 8, 2026
Experience Required	3+ Years
Employment Type	Not specified in the provided notification
Overtime Status	Exempt
Travel Requirement	No
Salary	Not Disclosed
Application Mode	Online

About Optum

Optum is a global organization that delivers healthcare services supported by technology, helping millions of people live healthier lives. The company works to connect people with the care, pharmacy benefits, data and resources they need to improve their health and well-being.

Optum offers an inclusive working environment with talented colleagues, comprehensive benefits and career development opportunities. Its work focuses on advancing healthcare through technology, innovation and improved access to services.

About the Job Role

As an Associate AI/ML Engineer, you will join an engineering team dedicated to transforming healthcare delivery through advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning solutions.

The position involves contributing directly to the design, development and operationalization of Generative AI, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems and agentic workflows to solve complex business and clinical challenges.

You will collaborate with cross-functional software and data teams to build secure, scalable and reliable production-grade AI applications using modern cloud services and enterprise data platforms.

Roles and Responsibilities

The major responsibilities of the Associate AI/ML Engineer position include:

• Design and implement AI systems for conversational search in M&R Sales content.
• Develop AI/ML-based data ingestion quality gates based on pattern analysis.
• Evaluate, debug and improve conversational AI systems to ensure accuracy and efficiency.
• Monitor and optimize system performance in terms of latency, cost and reliability.
• Explore and apply reinforcement learning and self-improving techniques.
• Collaborate and communicate effectively with cross-functional teams and stakeholders to deliver scalable solutions.
• Ensure responsible and ethical AI practices throughout all stages of development.
• Design, build and deploy production-grade AI-powered solutions, including agentic workflows, RAG architectures and conversational AI applications that solve complex enterprise challenges.
• Develop, optimize and maintain scalable batch and real-time streaming data pipelines using Spark, including Spark Structured Streaming, Scala and Python within Azure Databricks and Snowflake.
• Integrate event-streaming technologies such as Apache Kafka and Azure Event Hubs to process continuous, low-latency data feeds for real-time inference, dynamic context retrieval and vector store updates.
• Expose AI model outputs and streaming analytics through secure REST APIs and microservices.
• Connect data streams to downstream business platforms and interactive Power BI dashboards.
• Apply security best practices, data privacy standards and responsible AI principles across all data processing and application workflows.
• Comply with applicable company policies, procedures and business directives, including changes relating to work location, team assignments, work schedules and flexible work arrangements.

Required Qualifications

Interested candidates should meet the following required qualifications and technical experience:

• 3+ years of software engineering experience, including hands-on experience building AI/GenAI or LLM-based applications such as RAG systems, agentic workflows or AI chatbots.
• Experience designing and building both batch and real-time streaming data pipelines using Spark, Scala or Python.
• Hands-on experience working with event-streaming or distributed messaging platforms such as Apache Kafka, Azure Event Hubs or Spark Structured Streaming.
• Experience building data pipelines within cloud data platforms such as Azure Databricks or Snowflake.
• Practical experience integrating foundation models through commercial or open-source APIs such as Azure OpenAI, OpenAI, Anthropic or Amazon Bedrock.
• Hands-on experience with at least one GenAI orchestration framework such as LangChain, LangGraph or Spring AI.
• Firm understanding of RAG components, including chunking, embeddings, vector indexing, retrieval and prompt engineering.
• Understanding of agentic patterns, including tool/function calling, memory and orchestration.
• Solid understanding of REST APIs, microservices architecture, Git, CI/CD pipelines and Docker containerization.
• Awareness of security, privacy and responsible AI practices when building production systems.

Preferred Qualifications

The following qualifications and skills will be advantageous for candidates applying for this position:

• Relevant certifications in data engineering or cloud AI/ML, such as Databricks Certified Data Engineer, Azure AI Engineer Associate or Confluent Certified Developer for Apache Kafka.
• Experience modelling and serving streaming or batch datasets to Power BI for operational and executive reporting.
• Experience implementing LLM observability, evaluation and guardrail frameworks such as MLflow, Langfuse or TruLens.
• Familiarity with data governance, schema registry and data quality frameworks in streaming architectures.
• Good understanding of analytics tools such as Python, SQL, Databricks and Snowflake.
• Good knowledge of business intelligence tools such as Tableau and Power BI.
• Strong problem-solving skills.
• Good knowledge of predictive and prescriptive analytics techniques such as hypothesis testing, probability, supervised learning and unsupervised learning.
• Ability to work with different data structures and perform data slicing and analysis.
• Knowledge of Natural Language Processing (NLP).
• Fundamental understanding of Generative AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) is an advantage.

Technical Skills Required

This role involves working with modern AI engineering, data processing and cloud technologies. Some of the important technologies mentioned in the job description include:

• Programming Languages: Python and Scala.
• AI and Machine Learning: Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Generative AI, LLMs and Natural Language Processing.
• GenAI Frameworks: LangChain, LangGraph and Spring AI.
• AI Architectures: RAG systems, agentic workflows, conversational AI, embeddings and vector indexing.
• Cloud and Data Platforms: Azure Databricks and Snowflake.
• Streaming Technologies: Apache Kafka, Azure Event Hubs and Spark Structured Streaming.
• Data Engineering: Apache Spark, batch processing and real-time streaming pipelines.
• Foundation Model APIs: Azure OpenAI, OpenAI, Anthropic and Amazon Bedrock.
• Development Tools: Git, CI/CD and Docker.
• Data and Analytics: SQL, Power BI and Tableau.
• LLM Monitoring: MLflow, Langfuse and TruLens.

About UnitedHealth Group

UnitedHealth Group is a healthcare organization focused on helping people live healthier lives and making the health system work better for everyone.

The organization is committed to improving healthcare access, addressing health disparities and delivering equitable care. Its mission emphasizes creating better health outcomes while reducing barriers to quality healthcare.

Salary Details

The salary for the Associate AI/ML Engineer position in Hyderabad has not been disclosed in the provided job notification.

Compensation and benefits details can be confirmed through the official recruitment process. Candidates are advised to check with the company’s recruitment team for accurate information.

Job Location

The primary work location for this position is Hyderabad, India.

Location: Hyderabad, Telangana, India.

How to Apply for Optum Associate AI/ML Engineer Recruitment 2026?

Eligible and interested candidates can apply online through the official UnitedHealth Group careers portal. Follow the steps below:

1. Visit the official Optum and UnitedHealth Group careers website using the application link below.
2. Search for the Associate AI/ML Engineer position or use requisition number 2390921.
3. Open the job notification and carefully review the responsibilities and qualifications.
4. Click on the Apply option to begin the application process.
5. Log in to your account or register if you are a new applicant.
6. Enter your personal, educational and professional information.
7. Upload your updated resume and provide the required details.
8. Review your application and submit it through the official careers portal.

Apply Link: Click Here to Apply for Optum Associate AI/ML Engineer

Important Links

Organization	Optum / UnitedHealth Group
Official Job Notification	View Job Details
Apply Online	Apply Here
Requisition Number	2390921

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the job role offered by Optum?

Optum is hiring candidates for the Associate AI/ML Engineer position.

2. Where is the Associate AI/ML Engineer job located?

The primary job location is Hyderabad, India.

3. How much experience is required for this position?

Candidates should have at least 3+ years of software engineering experience, including hands-on experience with AI/GenAI or LLM-based applications.

4. What programming languages are required?

Experience with Python and Scala is relevant to this position. The role also involves working with Apache Spark and SQL.

5. Which GenAI frameworks are mentioned in the job notification?

The notification mentions LangChain, LangGraph and Spring AI as examples of GenAI orchestration frameworks.

6. Is experience with RAG and agentic workflows required?

Yes. Candidates should have experience building AI/GenAI or LLM-based applications, including RAG systems, agentic workflows or AI chatbots.

7. What is the requisition number for this job?

The requisition number is 2390921.

8. What is the salary offered by Optum?

The salary has not been disclosed in the provided job notification.

9. How can candidates apply for this opportunity?

Interested candidates can submit their applications online through the official UnitedHealth Group careers website.

Conclusion

Optum Associate AI/ML Engineer Recruitment 2026 is an opportunity for experienced software engineering professionals looking to work on Generative AI, machine learning, RAG architectures, agentic workflows and real-time data engineering solutions.

Candidates with 3+ years of relevant experience and practical knowledge of Python, Spark, Scala, Azure Databricks, Snowflake, Kafka and modern GenAI frameworks can explore this opportunity in Hyderabad.

Interested applicants should review the complete job requirements and apply through the official careers portal.

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