Principal Software Engineer - Digital Consumer Platforms

UnitedHealth Group Inc.•Minnetonka, MN

34d•Remote

About The Position

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. We are seeking an experienced Principal Software Engineer professional to lead reliability, security, and operational excellence across critical applications in our Digital Consumer Engineering organization. This role combines strategic leadership with hands-on technical expertise to ensure our platforms are resilient, secure, and scalable-supporting millions of users and driving business growth. 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. 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.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field (or equivalent experience)
12+ years of experience in SRE, cloud engineering, security operations, or technology operations
Solid knowledge of CI/CD pipelines, observability, and incident management
Familiarity with operational and security tools (e.g., monitoring systems, automation tools, SIEM, IDS/IPS)
Proven success in global digital consumer environments
Proven expertise in cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), container orchestration (Kubernetes), and automation scripting (Python, Go, Bash)
Proven excellent communication, leadership, and collaboration skills
Proven ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple priorities

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in a related field
Experience with AI-driven reliability or security solutions
Minneapolis presence
All employees working remotely will be required to adhere to UnitedHealth Group's Telecommuter Policy

Responsibilities

Champion a culture of reliability, security, and continuous improvement across engineering teams
Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to embed best practices into product and platform development
Explore innovative approaches, including AI-driven solutions, to enhance security and reliability
Ensure high availability and performance through proactive risk modeling and mitigation
Automate operational tasks to improve efficiency and reduce manual intervention
Define and monitor SLAs, SLOs, and SLIs to drive reliability improvements for critical customer journeys
Implement proactive threat detection and automated response strategies
Partner with enterprise security and application teams to strengthen prevention capabilities
Utilize advanced security tools and processes for consistent protection across systems
Oversee infrastructure stability, scalability, and resilience across hardware, software, and networks
Develop robust processes for provisioning, configuration, and maintenance
Drive continuous improvement and accelerate technology delivery through automation and innovation