Principal Architect - Remote

UnitedHealth Group•Minnetonka, MN

3h•Remote

About The Position

Optum Tech is a global leader in health care innovation. Our teams develop cutting-edge solutions that help people live healthier lives and help make the health system work better for everyone. From advanced data analytics and AI to cybersecurity, we use innovative approaches to solve some of health care’s most complex challenges. Your contributions here have the potential to change lives. Ready to build the next breakthrough? Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together. The Senior Director of Software Engineering is a senior enterprise technology leader within the Claims GCO (Global Claims Operations) organization, accountable for Claims Core Operations Enterprise Applications that underpin the UnitedHealthcare (UHC) core claims platform. This role provides end-to-end accountability for claims operational capability, performance, and outcomes, regardless of application ownership, and serves as the engineering leader responsible for reliability, modernization, and strategic evolution of mission-critical claims systems. The leader will partner closely with Claims Product, Enterprise Architecture, Claims Platform LOB teams, and enterprise application teams to define and execute a multi-year technology strategy and roadmap for capabilities within direct ownership, while influencing cross-application and cross-portfolio outcomes across the broader claims ecosystem. 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.

Requirements

12+ years of progressive software engineering experience, including 5+ years in senior people leadership roles managing managers
6+ years of experience with ownership of a platform modernization and transformation, large scale integration with a externally hosted SaaS platform, accountable end to end from architecture through production
6+ years of experience modernizing or scaling a transaction heavy platform that could not meet business growth, performance, or reliability needs
5+ years of experience with end-to-end platform accountability for reliability, stability, availability, observability and operational health of mission critical systems
5+ years of experience with hands on technical leadership capability-able to direct teams on architectural and technical decisions and operate credibly with senior engineers
5+ years of experience integrating internal platforms with third party SaaS vendors, serving as the technical and execution bridge between systems
Healthcare background
Proven direct leadership of 15-25 engineers, including 3-4 direct manager reports within a multi-layer organization
Proven deep understanding of secure SDLC and DevSecOps practices, with experience operating in regulated environments (e.g., PCI, SOC, HIPAA)
Demonstrated scaled engineering leadership capability by hiring, developing, and retaining managers and senior engineers, including ownership of succession planning, performance management, and leadership readiness

Nice To Haves

Experience with commercial payment networks or financial transaction platforms
Experience leading distributed or hybrid teams across multiple locations
Demonstrated leadership of platform integration teams responsible for external data exchange, validation, and vendor testing
Demonstrated background in SaaS to enterprise integration models, including shared responsibility vendor operating models
Proven accountability for platform modernization initiatives replacing or augmenting legacy systems
Demonstrated familiarity with high availability, high correctness platforms where uptime and data integrity are critical

Responsibilities

Provide enterprise-wide engineering leadership for Claims Core Ops applications, overseeing multi-layer organizations across Software Engineering, QA, DevOps, SRE, and Production Operations
Own end-to-end accountability for claims operational capability including intake, adjudication, pricing, edits, routing, pends, financial accuracy, and downstream integration regardless of system ownership
Serve as the senior engineering counterpart to Claims Operations and Product leadership for platform outcomes, delivery commitments, and operational health
Partner with Claims Product and Enterprise Architecture to define and execute a multi-year modernization and capability roadmap for Claims Core Ops
Establish and govern architectural direction, ensuring alignment with enterprise standards, security frameworks, and long-term claims strategy
Balance legacy platform stability with cloud migration, re-architecture, and platform simplification initiatives
Own production stability, availability, correctness, and performance for Claims Core Ops systems supporting high-volume, high-accuracy transactions
Maintain solid governance over risk posture, audit readiness, and remediation plans
Lead delivery of regulatory mandates, client commitments, new capabilities, and modernization initiatives
Drive adoption of cloud-native patterns, API-first design, and scalable platform architectures
Sponsor use of AI-enabled engineering tools to improve productivity and quality
Ensure platforms meet HIPAA, SOC, PCI (as applicable), and enterprise security standards
Build, develop, and retain high-performing engineering leaders and senior technical talent
Foster a culture of ownership, accountability, inclusion, and continuous learning
Prepare and deliver executive-level updates on delivery health, operational performance, and risk
Represent Claims Core Ops Engineering in enterprise governance forums