Principal Software Engineer

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. 

We operate within the Payer Data Engineering space, focusing on the intake, validation, transformation, and distribution of commercial client data. Our mission is to sanitize and deliver high-quality data to downstream systems for analytics and adjudication. This enables us to provide actionable insights to clients, helping them optimize claims processing and improve data integrity.

As a Principal Software Engineer, you will play a pivotal role in designing and delivering scalable, secure, and high-performing data solutions. You’ll lead development efforts, architect AI-driven systems, and guide the team in adopting modern engineering practices. This role requires a solid technical foundation, leadership experience, and a passion for innovation.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Lead and mentor engineering teams in solution design, development, and deployment
• Architect and implement AI-driven solutions using Python and Spark/Scala
• Design and manage cloud-native applications on Microsoft Azure, including:
  • Azure Data Factory (ADF)
  • Azure Databricks
  • Function Apps
• Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines using GitHub Actions
• Implement Infrastructure as Code (IaC) using Terraform
• Develop and integrate internal and external RESTful APIs
• Design asynchronous and event-driven architectures using Azure-native services
• Ensure system security and compliance by identifying and resolving vulnerabilities
• Configure and manage Azure network perimeter security, including firewalls and access controls
• Evaluate new tools, frameworks, and strategies to drive engineering excellence
• 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 degree or equivalent experience
• 12+ years of experience in software engineering
• 3+ years of hands-on development with Python and Spark/Scala
• 3+ years of experience with Microsoft Azure services
• 1+ years of experience designing and deploying AI solutions
• Proven experience as a Principal Software Engineer or Solution Architect
• Solid understanding of cloud security and network architecture
• Proficiency in Terraform, CI/CD pipelines, and RESTful services

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with Agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban)
• Experience with various database systems (SQL Server, Cosmos DB, MySQL, etc.)
• Familiarity with React and modern web technologies

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.