Senior Software Engineer

Our Company

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, and data 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.

Position Summary

As a Senior Software Engineer, you will lead the design, development, and deployment of enterprise-scale AI solutions and cloud-native platforms. Working within a high-performing software engineering team, you will drive the end-to-end lifecycle of cutting-edge agentic AI services, leveraging frameworks like Google ADK and MCP alongside modern cloud architectures (GCP/AWS). In this role, you will champion technical excellence, mentor team members, define AI engineering standards, and partner with product, architecture, security, and governance teams to build highly reliable, scalable, and responsible AI-powered capabilities.

You'll enjoy the flexibility to telecommute* from anywhere within the U.S. as you take on some tough challenges.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Lead the design, architecture, development, and deployment of scalable, secure, cloud-native AI platforms and backend services
• Own the end-to-end AI service lifecycle, including design, development, deployment, performance tuning, deep profiling, and production support
• Define and enforce AI engineering standards, evaluation frameworks, reliability improvements, and observability practices across backend AI systems
• Lead and mentor scrum team members to deliver AI solutions, fostering collaboration, accountability, and continuous technical improvement
• Partner with product owners, architects, engineers, security, and business stakeholders to align on priorities, risk management, and on-time delivery
• Communicate project status, risk assessments, and complex technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Design, develop, and deploy AI-powered solutions to address complex business challenges with an emphasis on responsible AI governance and compliance
• Leverage enterprise-approved AI tools to optimize coding efficiency, automate workflows, streamline test automation, and drive continuous software delivery
• Evaluate emerging AI trends, frameworks, and tools to inform solution design and drive strategic innovation

You'll be rewarded and recognized for your performance in an environment that will challenge you and give you clear directions on what it takes to succeed in your role as well as provide development for other roles you may be interested in. 

Required Qualifications:

• 6+ years of software development experience
• 3+ years of hands-on experience building, deploying, and maintaining applications in GCP or AWS
• 3+ years of experience in Python and Java
• 3+ years of experience with SQL/NoSQL databases
• 2+ years of experience with RESTful API development (FastAPI) and microservices architecture
• 1+ years of experience with containerization (Docker), Kubernetes orchestration
• 1+ experience utilizing AI development lifecycle (DLC) tools to optimize coding efficiency, test automation, and software delivery

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related technical field
• Hands-on experience in AI/ML engineering or related technical field
• Familiarity with ethical AI governance frameworks and privacy-enhancing technologies
• 2+ years of hands-on experience with AI agents or multi-agent systems (e.g., LLMs, prompt engineering, Google ADK, MCP, or agentic AI frameworks)
• Demonstrated experience implementing testing patterns, automated testing frameworks, and continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) practices
• Customer-focused and quality-driven mindset with proven technical leadership, strategic thinking, and communication skills

 *All Telecommuters 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 $91,700 to $163,700 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.

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.

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