Director – Data Engineering

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 diversity and inclusion, talented peers, comprehensive benefits and career development opportunities. Come make an impact on the communities we serve as you help us advance health equity on a global scale. Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together. 

About the Role:

As a Fortune 5 business, we’re one of the world’s leading healthcare companies. There are no limits here on the resources you’ll have or the challenges you’ll encounter. 
We have been supporting global healthcare systems from Ireland and the UK for more than 20 years, building a dynamic and diverse team of more than 2,100 talented individuals. With a continued record of growth and stability, we’re on the constant lookout for fresh talent to join our expanding teams. 

The Director – Data Engineering  (Technical Delivery Director) will be responsible for overseeing the successful delivery of complex technical projects from inception to completion. You will lead a team of skilled professionals, ensuring that projects meet quality standards, are delivered on time, and within budget. Your role will involve close collaboration with cross-functional teams, effective stakeholder management, and the application of best practices in project management and software development.

The Technical Delivery Manager will work closely with the data, architecture, use case application teams to integrate and align the requirements, specifications and constraints of each element of the platform. They will also need to help identify gaps in resources, technology, or capabilities required, and work with the Program Leadership to identify and implement solutions.    

Careers with Optum offer flexible work arrangements and individuals who live and work in the Republic of Ireland will have the opportunity to split their monthly work hours between our  Dublin or Letterkenny offices and telecommuting from a home-based office in a hybrid work model. 

Primary Responsibilities:

•    Define and execute the long-term vision and strategic roadmap for solutions aligning it with overall business objectives and enterprise standards.
•    Lead and manage the end-to-end delivery of technical projects, ensuring they are completed on time, within scope, and budget.
•    Lead technical discussions with enterprise teams.
•    Develop and maintain detailed project plans, including resource allocation, timelines, and risk management strategies.
•    Coordinate with product managers, developers, QA teams, and other stakeholders to ensure alignment and successful execution of project objectives.
•    Serve as the primary point of contact for clients, providing regular updates, managing expectations, and addressing any issues or concerns.
•    Ensure the quality of deliverables through rigorous testing and adherence to industry standards.
•    Foster an agile, collaborative, and performance-driven team environment, encouraging continuous improvement and innovation.
•    Identify and resolve technical and project-related roadblocks, working proactively to mitigate risks.
•    Manage the project budget, including tracking expenditures and ensuring cost-effectiveness.
•    Implement best practices in technical project management, keeping up-to-date with the latest industry trends and technologies.
•    People manager of engineering delivery teams.
•    Mentor and develop team members, providing guidance and support to enhance their professional growth.

Required Qualifications:

•    Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Business, or a related field.
•    Proven experience in technical project management or a similar role, with a proven track record of successful project delivery.
•    Expertise in data integration techniques, including ETL processes, data pipelines, and data synchronization.
•    Good understanding of Data Modelling techniques i.e. DataVault, Kimble Star
•    Excellent understanding of Column-Store RDBMS (DataBricks, Snowflake, Redshift, Vertica, Clickhouse)
•    Extensive knowledge of data governance principles, data quality management, and data privacy regulations
•    Strong understanding of software development life cycle (SDLC) and agile methodologies.
•    Strong Experience working in projects with agile/scrum methodologies
•    Excellent leadership and team management skills, with the ability to motivate and guide a team of technical professionals.
•    Proficient in project management tools and software (e.g., Rally, AhA!).
•    Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the aptitude to engage effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
•    Analytical and problem-solving abilities, with keen attention to detail.
•    Experience in managing budgets and project finances.
•    PMP, Prince2, or equivalent project management certification is highly desirable.

Preferred Qualifications:

•    Experience with Azure Data product development in Databricks and Snowflake
•    Familiarity with production quality ML and/or AI model development and deployment.
•    Solution Architecture experience

Please note you must currently be eligible to work and remain indefinitely without any restrictions in the country to which you are making an application. Proof will be required to support your application.

All telecommuters will be required to adhere to the UnitedHealth Group’s Telecommuter Policy.

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 marginalised 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.

Diversity creates a healthier atmosphere: Optum is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, disability, religion, age, race, and membership of the Traveller