Principal Security Architect- Remote or Hybrid in MN or DC

UnitedHealth Group•Eden Prairie, MN

9h•Hybrid

About The Position

Optum is a global organization that delivers care, aided by technology to help millions of people live healthier lives. The Security Architect serves as a technical security authority supporting mergers and acquisitions (M&A) security implementation programs. This role is responsible for defining, influencing, and implementing security architectures and controls that are being developed to be included within Optum’s current security portfolio, while ensuring integrations are executed securely, efficiently, and in alignment with enterprise risk tolerance. This role operates at the intersection of integration delivery, security architecture, and product/platform evolution. The Principal Security Architect partners closely with M&A targets, Enterprise Security, Infrastructure, Cloud, Application, and Product teams to translate integration-driven security needs into actionable architectures, capability gaps, roadmap recommendations, and ready to implement accordingly both individually and by others within the organization. Success in this role requires the ability to lead through influence without authority, operate effectively amid ambiguity, and balance identified risks with long-term platform and product strategy.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Security, Engineering, or equivalent experience
8+ years of experience in security architecture, enterprise security, or platform security roles, with demonstrated impact at an enterprise level
Proven experience supporting M&A integrations, complex enterprise transformations, or large-scale platform initiatives
Experience influencing product, platform, or service roadmaps based on architectural and security needs
Solid breadth across IT and security domains, including: Cloud (public, private, hybrid) security architectures; IAM, zero trust, and secure access models; Network, endpoint, and infrastructure security; Security orchestration & automated response
Demonstrated ability to operate in high ambiguity environments where requirements, solutions, or products are not yet fully defined
Proven exceptional ability to communicate complex security concepts to technical and non-technical audiences
Proven track record of leading through influence across organizational boundaries

Nice To Haves

Healthcare or other highly regulated industry experience
Expert level experience with the following tools: Zscaler; Palo Alto; Microsoft Entra; Splunk; Tanium
Experience designing or influencing enterprise security platforms or shared services
Experience working with executive stakeholders during acquisition due diligence and integration planning
Familiarity with regulatory and compliance frameworks (e.g., HIPAA, NIST, ISO, SOC)
Mentorship or thought leadership experience within architecture or security communities that can effectively span down towards younger engineers

Responsibilities

Serve as an architect for M&A integration initiatives, accountable for the overall security architecture, risk posture, and strategic alignment of acquired entities
Lead security discovery and architecture assessments of acquisition targets to identify gaps between current UHG capabilities and required future-state security outcomes
Define and recommend security solutions and architectural patterns where capabilities do not yet exist, including interim, compensating, and long-term solutions
Partner with downstream internal teams (Enterprise Security, Infrastructure, Cloud, IAM, Application Security, Product, and Engineering) to: Understand existing technical offerings and constraints
Translate integration-driven security requirements into capability enhancements or net-new solutions
Influence and shape security product and platform roadmaps to close identified gaps
Act as a trusted advisor to business and technology leaders, clearly articulating security risk, trade-offs, and architectural options
Lead the development of future-state security architectures, reference designs, and integration patterns applicable across multiple acquisitions
Provide architectural oversight through early implementation phases to ensure security intent is preserved and delivered
Drive alignment across multiple stakeholders with competing priorities, using influence rather than authority
Mentor and provide architectural guidance to other security and integration architects across the organization
Represent security architecture in executive-level discussions related to M&A strategy, integration planning, and risk decisions
Own and evolve security architecture standards and patterns for M&A, including: Identity and Access Management (IAM); Network and perimeter security; Cloud and hybrid security; Data protection and privacy controls
Evaluate and document security risks, assumptions, dependencies, and constraints associated with protecting acquired environments
Produce high-quality internal artifacts including: Security architecture diagrams and reference architectures; Gap analyses and capability assessments; Roadmap input and security design recommendations
Provide guidance on secure adoption of Optum platforms while recognizing when non-standard or emerging solutions are required
Develop automation where applicable that enables security deployments to be faster, more programmatic, and reduce human intervention