Lead Software Engineer - Remote or Hybrid in MN and DC

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.

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.

Primary Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain scalable, high-performance full stack applications using Java and modern frameworks
• Provide hands-on coding and actively contribute to critical components and complex features
• Analyze and debug production issues, perform root cause analysis, and drive timely resolution
• Support production systems, ensure application stability, and improve reliability and performance
• Understand existing applications and propose improvements for scalability, maintainability, and performance
• Drive system design and architecture discussions; ensure adherence to design principles and best practices
• Guide team members on technical issues, troubleshooting, and implementation approaches
• Perform code reviews and ensure adherence to coding standards, testing practices, and quality guidelines
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including product, QA, DevOps, and architecture
• Contribute to continuous improvement through adoption of DevOps, CI/CD, and automation practices
• Leverage AI-assisted development tools (e.g., code generation, test automation) to improve engineering productivity
• Understand and integrate AI/ML capabilities (APIs/models) into applications where applicable
• Evaluate opportunities to use AI for automation, monitoring, and intelligent decisioning within the platform

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:

• 12+ years of experience in software engineering with strong hands-on development experience
• 5+ years of hands-on experience with cloud platforms (AWS / Azure / GCP) and cloud-native development
• 5+ years of Full Stack development with Angular or React
• 5+ years of experience with SQL / NoSQL databases and performance optimization
• 5+ years of experience with CI/CD pipelines, DevOps practices, and modern engineering tools
• Demonstrated experience in troubleshooting production issues and application support
• Demonstrated experience driving improvements in system design, performance, and reliability
• Demonstrated experience balancing development, production support, and continuous improvement initiatives
• Demonstrated understanding of distributed systems, REST APIs, and system design
• Demonstrated expertise in Java, Spring Boot, and Microservices architecture
• Demonstrated encourage adoption of AI-driven engineering practices within the team

Preferred Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree or equivalent experience
• Experience in Healthcare domain (payer/provider)
• Experience with large-scale product development and customer-facing applications
• Proven solid hands-on technical ownership with ability to lead by example
• Proven guide and support team members on complex technical challenges
• Basic understanding of AI/ML concepts such as model usage, APIs, prompt-based systems, or GenAI integrations
• Proven exposure to containerization and orchestration tools (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Proven solid problem-solving and debugging skills
• 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 $112,700 - $193,200 annually based on full-time employment. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.

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.