Principal Data Engineering

Requisition Number: 2357794
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 Principal Data Engineer is a senior technical leader within the OHBI program, responsible for designing, building, and evolving enterprise-scale, AI-enabled data platforms that power analytics, reporting, and machine learning.
This role combines hands-on engineering with architectural leadership, owning end-to-end data platform design across Azure, Snowflake, dbt, and modern Lakehouse technologies. The Principal Data Engineer sets engineering standards, ensures production excellence, and serves as a key partner to architecture, product, analytics, and data science teams.
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:
Enterprise Data Platform Architecture

• Partner closely with Platform Solution Architect to evolve the end-to-end data platform architecture across Azure, Snowflake, dbt, and future architecture changes using lake house technologies (including Iceberg where applicable)
• Define reference architectures, reusable frameworks, and engineering standards for ingestion, transformation, and consumption
• Partner with Platform Solution Architect Drive decisions around scalability, performance, resiliency, security, and cost optimization
• Partner with Tech Engineering Delivery Owner / Platform Architect / Data Architect / Offshore Tech Lead and Offshore Snowflake Admin defining best practices, data models, integration patterns, and implementation strategies

Advanced Data Engineering & Pipeline Development

• Design, build, and operate high-volume, high-reliability batch and near real-time data pipelines using Azure Data Factory, dbt, Python, SQL, Snowflake, and related tools
• Implement scalable transformation logic to deliver trusted, analytics-ready datasets
• Support event-driven and streaming architectures were needed
• Apply canonical/common data modeling practices to ensure consistency and reusability across domains

AI / ML Data Enablement

• Enable AI/ML and GenAI use cases by building AI-ready data platforms and pipelines
• Support:
  • Feature engineering and model training pipelines
  • Historical and point-in-time datasets
  • Data versioning and ML lifecycle integration
• Leverage enterprise tools such as Snowflake Cortex and MCP Server deliver governed AI capabilities
• Partner closely with Data Science and ML Engineering teams to enable scalable, production-ready AI solutions

Data Quality, Reliability & Production Ownership

• Establish and enforce data quality, observability, reconciliation, and auditability standards
• Own production stability, including monitoring, incident response, root cause analysis, and long-term remediation
• Implement practices for schema evolution, backward compatibility, and error handling
• Define and track KPIs for data freshness, pipeline reliability, platform performance, and cost efficiency

CI/CD, Governance & Security

• Design and manage CI/CD pipelines for data and ML workloads, including automated testing and release orchestration
• Ensure alignment with enterprise governance, security, and regulatory requirements (HIPAA, SDLC, data governance)
• Implement lineage, monitoring, and audit frameworks to support compliance and traceability

Technical Leadership & Mentorship

• Serve as a senior technical authority and escalation point, driving solution design and resolving complex challenges
• Provide design reviews, code reviews, and technical guidance to engineers across levels
• Mentor and develop engineers, fostering a culture of engineering excellence, ownership, and accountability
• Influence cross-team delivery and coordinate across onshore/offshore teams and stakeholders

Leadership Expectations

• Operate independently with platform-level ownership and accountability
• Balance hands-on execution with long-term architecture thinking and working with senior architect for OHBI
• Influence engineering strategy beyond immediate team scope
• Act as a trusted partner across engineering, architecture, and business teams

Stakeholder Collaboration

• Translate business and product requirements into scalable technical solutions and delivery plans
• Partner with data architecture, analytics, BI, and product teams to ensure alignment and value delivery
• Communicate complex technical concepts effectively to both technical and non-technical stakeholders

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:

• Extensive experience with cloud data platforms, especially Azure and Snowflake
• Solid hands-on expertise in:
  • SQL and Python
  • Azure Data Factory - Data pipeline design and orchestration
  • Snowflake - tasks and steams design and orchestration
• Deep understanding of data integration patterns (batch, micro-batch, streaming, near real-time)
• Experience with data quality, observability, monitoring, and production support
• Proven ability to design for performance tuning, scalability, and cost optimization
• Experience enabling AI/ML data pipelines and solutions
• Experience in implementing a new platform including new technologies and solutioning to ensure the business needs are met before technology needs
• Demonstrated technical leadership and mentorship experience

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree, Computer Science or related field
• Experience with Databricks and/or modern data ecosystem tools
• Familiarity with BI/Analytics platforms (e.g., Power BI)
• Prior experience within Optum / UHG environments
• Experience with Lakehouse patterns and Apache Iceberg
• Solid communication skills with ability to influence senior stakeholders

*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 to $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.