Associate 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.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Administer and support Kafka infrastructure, including associated hardware, software, and ecosystem components across cloud and on-premises environments
• Assist with capacity planning and infrastructure growth by partnering with application teams to understand future messaging and data requirements
• Support the design, implementation, testing, and maintenance of Kafka Disaster Recovery (DR) solutions to ensure business continuity
• Manage and maintain Kafka clusters hosted in Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and Kubernetes-based on-premises environments
• Develop and enhance infrastructure automation using tools such as Terraform, Ansible, Git, and Jenkins to improve operational efficiency and reliability
• Configure, implement, and maintain Kafka security controls, including Kerberos, ACLs, SSL/TLS, SASL, and SCRAM authentication mechanisms
• Research, evaluate, and implement new technologies and capabilities to enhance Enterprise Messaging Services
• Assist in the development and support of AI-enabled solutions and emerging technologies where applicable
• Understand upstream and downstream data dependencies to ensure reliable, scalable, and resilient messaging solutions
• Design, build, configure, and support application and technical architecture components based on business and technical requirements
• Establish and maintain best practices for Kafka Source and Sink Connector configuration, deployment, and monitoring
• Monitor platform performance, troubleshoot issues, and support production environments to meet service level objectives
• Analyze complex technical and operational data, identify trends, and provide recommendations to improve system performance and reliability
• Collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality solutions and support enterprise messaging initiatives
• Demonstrate a proactive, customer-focused mindset by identifying opportunities for continuous improvement and innovation
• Maintain flexibility and professionalism while working in a fast-paced environment with evolving priorities and deadlines
• Adhere to all company policies, procedures, security standards, and employment requirements while supporting changing business needs

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, Information Technology, Engineering, or equivalent practical experience
• 3+ years of experience administering and supporting Apache Kafka platforms, including production environments, cluster management, broker configuration, capacity planning, monitoring, and troubleshooting
• 3+ years of experience managing containerized workloads on Kubernetes, including deployments in both cloud and on-premises environments
• 3+ years of experience working with Google Cloud Platform (GCP), infrastructure services, and cloud-native solutions
• 3+ years of experience with Linux/Unix administration (RHEL preferred), including system configuration, troubleshooting, and performance tuning
• 3+ years of experience implementing Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and automation using tools such as Terraform, Ansible, Helm, Jenkins, Git, or equivalent technologies
• 3+ years of experience designing, deploying, monitoring, and maintaining highly available, scalable, and resilient distributed systems
• 2+ years of experience supporting disaster recovery, backup, replication, and business continuity solutions for mission-critical platforms
• 2+ years of experience building and supporting event-driven architectures, data streaming solutions, or enterprise messaging platforms
• 2+ years of experience with CI/CD pipelines, automated deployments, and DevOps practices
• 1+ years of experience with scripting or programming languages such as Python, Bash, or similar technologies used for automation and operational tooling
• 1+ years of experience working with AI technologies, AI-assisted development tools, or machine learning platforms

Preferred Qualifications:

• 2+ years of experience with Kafka ecosystem components such as Kafka Connect, Schema Registry, MirrorMaker, Confluent Replicator, REST Proxy, ksqlDB, ZooKeeper, and Control Center
• Experience establishing standards and best practices for messaging platform deployment, security, monitoring, and operational support
• Knowledge of Kafka APIs and application integration patterns; software development experience is a plus
• Strong understanding of performance tuning, capacity planning, high availability, and disaster recovery for distributed platforms
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and troubleshooting skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to collaborate across engineering, architecture, and business teams
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and perform effectively in a fast-paced, evolving environment

*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 $60,200 to $107,400 annually based on full-time employment. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.  

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

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.

Diversity creates a healthier atmosphere: UnitedHealth Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

UnitedHealth Group is a drug-free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.

#RPO, #GREEN