Chief Architect, Optum Health Technology

Requisition Number: 2356411
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 Chief Architect for Optum Health Technology (OHT) is a transformational leader charged with redefining how technology enables care delivery, clinician experience, and consumer engagement at scale. This role is not a traditional architecture function - it is a mandate to modernize, simplify, and fundamentally re-architect OHT into an AI-first, platform-driven enterprise. The Chief Architect will aggressively drive the transition from fragmented, legacy systems to a unified, intelligent, and composable ecosystem powered by cloud, data, and AI. This leader is accountable for accelerating innovation velocity, eliminating structural complexity, and embedding intelligence into every layer of the technology stack - enabling Optum Health to lead in value-based, personalized, and digitally enabled care. Success in this role requires decisive leadership, enterprise influence, and the ability to challenge the status quo while delivering measurable business and clinical outcomes.
You'll enjoy the flexibility to work remotely * from anywhere within the U.S. as you take on some tough challenges.
For all hires within 30 minutes of an office in Minnesota or Washington, D.C., you'll be required to work a minimum of four days per week in-office.
Primary Responsibilities:
Enterprise Transformation Leadership

• Lead the end-to-end transformation of OHT's technology landscape-from legacy, siloed systems to a unified, AI-enabled platform architecture
• Define and execute a bold, outcome-driven architecture strategy with clear milestones tied to cost reduction, speed-to-market, and care quality improvement
• Own and continuously evolve a rolling 3-year transformation roadmap, actively driving adoption and holding leaders accountable to execution
• Serve as a central force in enterprise decision-making, influencing investment strategy, operating models, and technology direction

AI-First Architecture & Intelligent Automation

• Establish AI as a foundational capability across OHT-operationalizing reusable AI services, agentic workflows, and decision intelligence at enterprise scale
• Drive pervasive adoption of AI across engineering, operations, and business processes, including AI-assisted development, testing, and support
• Partner with the AI Center of Excellence to move from experimentation to production-grade AI systems that deliver measurable ROI
• Enforce responsible AI practices, ensuring governance, transparency, and compliance without slowing innovation

Platform Modernization & Simplification

• Ruthlessly simplify the technology ecosystem by reducing redundancy, rationalizing platforms, and enforcing standard architectural patterns
• Partner on acquired entities on how to bring their technology and capabilities into the OHT ecosystem
• Accelerate the shift to cloud-native, API-first, and event-driven architectures to enable scalability and interoperability
• Lead the creation of a composable platform model that enables rapid product innovation and reuse across lines of business
• Drive interoperability standards (e.g., FHIR, APIs) to unlock longitudinal patient insights and seamless care experiences

Engineering Excellence & Organizational Shift

• Elevate engineering maturity by embedding modern practices (platform engineering, DevSecOps, SRE) and AI-powered productivity across teams
• Shift the organization toward product- and platform-centric operating models, reducing dependency on project-based delivery
• Attract, develop, and empower top-tier architecture and engineering talent capable of operating in an AI-native environment
• Foster a high-accountability culture that prioritizes speed, experimentation, and continuous improvement

Governance, Accountability & Execution

• Establish architecture governance as an enforcement mechanism-not advisory-ensuring adherence to standards, patterns, and strategic direction
• Lead enterprise-wide cloud transformation with clear accountability for adoption, cost optimization, and performance
• Ensure uncompromising compliance with security, privacy (HIPAA), and regulatory requirements while enabling rapid innovation
• Optimize strategic vendor partnerships to accelerate capability delivery and reduce time-to-value
• Drive transparent execution through architecture forums, metrics, and continuous tracking of transformation progress

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:

• 15+ years of technology leadership experience, including 5+ years in an executive role driving enterprise transformation
• Proven track record of leading large-scale modernization initiatives, including cloud, data, and AI transformation
• Experience operating in highly regulated environments (healthcare preferred) with the ability to balance innovation and compliance
• Demonstrated success influencing executive stakeholders and driving change across complex, matrixed organizations

Skills & Competencies:

• Deep expertise in enterprise architecture, cloud platforms, AI/ML, and modern data ecosystems
• Solid command of AI-native architectures, including MLOps, model lifecycle management, and intelligent automation
• Relentless focus on outcomes-cost efficiency, speed, scalability, and experience improvement
• Exceptional executive presence with the ability to challenge constructively and lead through influence
• High tolerance for ambiguity with a bias toward action and measurable results

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in the Integrated Care Delivery / Value Based Care industry

*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 $200,400 to $343,500 annually based on full-time employment. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.
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.