The Role
Leads and mentors software engineers building secure, cloud-native AI applications. Designs and deploys AI agents, LLM workflows, RAG systems, and shared agent frameworks using Microsoft Azure. Owns AI-centric SDLC practices, including governance, evaluation, CI/CD, observability, testing, guardrails, and incident response. Embeds security, privacy, compliance, identity, encryption, and least-privilege controls into AI systems while contributing production code and collaborating with product, platform, security, and compliance teams.
Summary Generated by Built In
Requisition Number: 2374581
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.
Primary Responsibilities:
Required Qualifications:
Preferred Qualifications:
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.
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.
Primary Responsibilities:
- Lead and mentor a team of software engineers through the design, development, and delivery of secure, cloud-native AI-powered applications
- Act as technical lead and coach, providing architecture guidance, code reviews, and hands-on implementation
- Design, develop, and deploy AI agents and LLM-powered systems (task automation, decision support, orchestration, RAG, tool-use)
- Architect and implement cloud-native solutions using Azure services with high availability, scalability, and cost awareness
- Own end-to-end delivery using an AI-centric SDLC, including spec-driven development, governance checkpoints, evaluation pipelines, CI/CD, and observability
- Build secure-by-design applications using modern cloud security patterns: identity-first design, secrets management, encryption, and least-privilege access
- Embed security, privacy, and compliance controls into AI workflows (data handling, model access, prompt safety, logging, auditability)
- Define and enforce engineering best practices for AI systems: testing, guardrails, monitoring, performance, and incident response
- Collaborate closely with product, platform, security, and compliance teams to deliver reliable and responsible AI solutions
- Develop shared cloud and agent frameworks to accelerate reuse and standardization across teams
- Contribute directly to production code and participate in operational support as required
- Comply with the terms and conditions of the employment contract, company policies and procedures, and any and all directives (such as, but not limited to, transfer and/or re-assignment to different work locations, change in teams and/or work shifts, policies in regard to flexibility of work benefits and/or work environment, alternative work arrangements, and other decisions that may arise due to the changing business environment). The Company may adopt, vary or rescind these policies and directives in its absolute discretion and without any limitation (implied or otherwise) on its ability to do so
Required Qualifications:
- 6+ years of professional software engineering experience delivering and operating production systems.
- 2+ years of hands-on experience developing AI solutions, including AI agents and LLM-powered workflows.
- Demonstrated experience leading software engineers (Lead Engineer, Tech Lead, or similar role).
- Solid experience building secure applications, including:
- Authentication and authorization (OAuth/OIDC, RBAC, managed identities)
- Secure APIs and data protection (encryption in transit/at rest, secrets management)
- Secure SDLC practices (threat modeling, secure code reviews, vulnerability remediation)
- Solid experience with cloud platforms, with emphasis on Microsoft Azure, including:
- Azure App Services, Azure Functions, Containers / AKS
- Azure Storage, Azure SQL / Cosmos DB, messaging services
- Azure identity, networking, monitoring, and security controls
- Proficiency in Python (preferred) and/or Java, TypeScript/Node.js, or C#, with strong system design fundamentals
- Familiarity with AI engineering tools and workflows, including:
- ChatGPT (OpenAI), Claude (Anthropic), and Codex-style AI coding/engineering tools
- Experience with AI-centric SDLC practices and tooling, such as:
- GitHub Spec-Kit or equivalent spec-driven development tooling
- Amazon AI-DLC or similar AI development lifecycle frameworks
- Solid understanding of AI-specific risks and controls (hallucinations, prompt injection, data leakage, privacy)
- Excellent communication and leadership skills with the ability to align teams and stakeholders
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience leading multi-engineer teams delivering AI capabilities at scale in cloud environments
- Experience with agent orchestration frameworks or patterns (LangGraph/LangChain, Semantic Kernel, or equivalent)
- Experience implementing RAG architectures, vector databases, and embedding strategies
- Experience with cloud DevOps practices: CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure-as-code, monitoring, and cost optimization
- Experience in regulated or security-sensitive environments (e.g., healthcare, finance)
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.
Skills Required
- 6+ years of professional software engineering experience delivering and operating production systems
- 2+ years of hands-on experience developing AI solutions, including AI agents and LLM-powered workflows
- Experience leading software engineers as a Lead Engineer, Tech Lead, or similar
- Experience with authentication and authorization, including OAuth/OIDC, RBAC, and managed identities
- Experience building secure APIs and protecting data through encryption and secrets management
- Experience with secure SDLC practices, threat modeling, secure code reviews, and vulnerability remediation
- Experience with cloud platforms, especially Microsoft Azure
- Experience with Azure App Services, Azure Functions, containers or AKS, Azure Storage, Azure SQL or Cosmos DB, messaging, identity, networking, monitoring, and security controls
- Proficiency in Python, Java, TypeScript/Node.js, or C#, with strong system design fundamentals
- Familiarity with ChatGPT/OpenAI, Claude/Anthropic, and Codex-style AI coding tools
- Experience with AI-centric SDLC practices such as GitHub Spec-Kit or equivalent and Amazon AI-DLC or similar frameworks
- Understanding of AI-specific risks and controls, including hallucinations, prompt injection, data leakage, and privacy
- Excellent communication and leadership skills
- Experience leading multi-engineer teams delivering AI capabilities at scale in cloud environments
- Experience with agent orchestration frameworks such as LangGraph, LangChain, or Semantic Kernel
- Experience implementing RAG architectures, vector databases, and embedding strategies
- Experience with cloud DevOps practices, including CI/CD, infrastructure as code, monitoring, and cost optimization
- Experience in regulated or security-sensitive environments such as healthcare or finance
Optum Compensation & Benefits Highlights
-
Healthcare Strength — Official materials highlight copay and HSA medical plan choices with in‑network preventive care at 100%, prescription coverage, and low/no‑cost virtual visits, plus company HSA contributions. Dental preventive services are 100% in network, and mental health resources include an EAP and premium Calm access.
-
Parental & Family Support — Programs include six weeks paid parental leave, up to two weeks paid caregiver leave, and Bright Horizons back‑up care with enhanced family supports. Adoption assistance up to $10,000 for full‑time employees reinforces family‑oriented benefits.
-
Equity Value & Accessibility — Financial benefits include an Employee Stock Purchase Plan at a 10% discount, expanding access to equity ownership.
Optum Insights
Am I A Good Fit?
Get Personalized Job Insights.
Our AI-powered fit analysis compares your resume with a job listing so you know if your skills & experience align.
Success! Refresh the page to see how your skills align with this role.
The Company
What We Do
Optum, part of the UnitedHealth Group family of businesses, 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. At Optum, we support your well-being with an understanding team, extensive benefits and rewarding opportunities. By joining us, you’ll have the resources to drive system transformation while we help you take care of your future. We recognize the power of connection to drive change, improve efficiency and make a difference in health care. Join a team where your skills and ideas can make an impact and where collaboration is key to creating technology that produces healthier outcomes.
Gallery
Optum Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
Optum has three workplace models that balance the needs of the business and the responsibilities of each role. These models, core on‑site (5 days/week), hybrid (4 days/week) and telecommute or fully remote, vary by country, role and location.
Typical time on-site:
Not Specified
