Lead Software Engineer - Remote

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.

As a Lead Software Engineer within the Optum Insight Engineering AI team, you will play a pivotal role in driving the next generation of healthcare technology. Our team's vision is to leverage Salesforce and advanced AI capabilities to solve complex healthcare challenges, making clinical and administrative processes simpler and more efficient. In this role, you will lead the technical strategy, design, and architecture for modern, enterprise-scale platforms. You will work with innovative technologies, including modern cloud-native architectures, API-first designs, event-driven systems, Salesforce platforms, and enterprise AI/ML solutions (such as Einstein, LLMs, NLP, and predictive models) to build high-impact capabilities that improve patient and customer experiences.

You'll enjoy the flexibility to work remotely * from anywhere within the U.S. as you take on some tough challenges. For all hires in the Minneapolis or Washington, D.C. area, you will be required to work in the office a minimum of four days per week.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Translate enterprise business strategy, market trends, and customer needs into Salesforce- and AI-enabled capabilities, while designing, developing, and deploying AI-powered solutions to address complex business challenges with an emphasis on the responsible use of AI
• Serve as a strategic partner to business and product leaders, shaping roadmaps, influencing investment decisions, and orchestrating execution across multiple teams and domains to ensure seamless delivery
• Own the technical vision and architecture for Salesforce and AI-enabled platforms across a portfolio, ensuring alignment with enterprise standards and long-term scalability
• Drive adoption of modern engineering practices, including cloud-native architectures, API-first design, event-driven systems, and reusable platform capabilities
• Establish and scale DevOps, CI/CD, automation practices, and quality engineering standards to improve engineering productivity, observability, and overall operational excellence
• Lead responsible adoption of AI capabilities (such as Einstein, LLMs, NLP, and predictive models) and use enterprise-approved AI tools to streamline workflows, automate tasks, and drive continuous improvement
• Partner with data and analytics teams to leverage large, complex datasets for decision support, automation, personalization, and scaling high-impact AI use cases
• Ensure all solutions adhere to enterprise security, privacy, and regulatory requirements, particularly within a highly regulated healthcare environment, while embedding secure engineering practices across the development lifecycle
• Influence, align, and communicate complex technical strategies and trade-offs clearly to executive and non-technical audiences
• Mentor and develop engineering talent, fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, continuous learning, and platform standardization
• Evaluate emerging trends to inform solution design and strategic innovation

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:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent experience, such as an additional 8+ years of software engineering experience in lieu of a degree)
• 8+ years of software engineering experience, including deep expertise in the Salesforce platform (Apex, LWC, integrations, APIs)
• 5+ years of experience leading the architecture and delivery of enterprise-scale platforms and distributed systems
• 5+ years of experience with cloud architectures, modern engineering practices, DevOps, and automation
• 3+ years of experience influencing technical strategy and driving execution across multiple teams or domains
• 1+ years of experience applying AI/ML, natural language processing (NLP), large language models (LLMs), or advanced analytics in production environments

Preferred Qualifications:

• Salesforce certifications (e.g., Platform Developer II, Application/System Architect, Technical Architect, AI/Einstein)
• Experience integrating enterprise applications with AI/ML platforms or LLM-based services
• Experience in healthcare or other highly regulated industries
• Experience driving enterprise platform standardization and reuse
• Understanding of secure software development, data privacy, and regulatory compliance
• Proven track record of mentoring engineers and leading high-performing teams
• Proven ability to translate complex business problems into scalable, high-performing technical solutions

*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). 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 $112,700 - $193,200 annually based on full-time employment. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.

Application Deadline: This will be posted for a minimum of 2 business days or until a sufficient candidate pool has been collected. Job posting may come down early due to volume of applicants.

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.