Vice President of Software Engineering - Payment Integrity

Requisition Number: 2392350
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.
As Vice President of Software Engineering for Optum Payment Integrity within the Optum Insight Payer Market Technology team, you will serve as an engineering delivery leader for one of our highest-value enterprise businesses. In this role, you will protect payment accuracy and program integrity for leading national health plans, including UnitedHealthcare and external commercial payer clients. Reporting directly to the CIO for Optum Insight Payer Market, you will lead a global, matrixed software engineering organization driving the end-to-end delivery of capital project portfolios and operational systems. You will accelerate AI/ML model adoption, operationalize modern cloud and interoperability standards, and foster an outcomes-driven engineering culture centered on speed, quality, financial discipline, and security.
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:

• Own end-to-end engineering execution and delivery for the Payment Integrity capital projects and operations portfolio, translating multi-year business strategy into predictable, on-time, and on-budget software releases
• Lead, scale, and transform a global engineering organization across onshore and offshore locations, establishing high-performing pod structures, optimal spans-of-control, and clear team accountability
• Integrate enterprise AI tools, set AI goals in team development plans, and align hiring with technical competencies to accelerate adoption while embedding transparency, fairness, and governance into regulated workflows
• Execute within enterprise architecture, security, cloud, and interoperability standards (such as FHIR, X12, and EDI), ensuring seamless integration across claims editing, payment accuracy, and operational platforms
• Partner with Product, Clinical, and Operations executives to align engineering delivery roadmaps with financial baselines, unit-cost targets, and revenue growth commitments
• Drive engineering excellence, modern DevSecOps, automated testing, and FinOps practices, leveraging statistical anomaly detection, automated observability, and daily cost-out disciplines
• Oversee reliability, compliance, and security posture across regulated payer workflows, adhering strictly to HIPAA, HITRUST, PHI/PII protection, and risk management criteria
• Coach, mentor, and elevate senior engineering leaders and directors, fostering a culture of continuous learning, succession planning, and outcome-driven execution

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 software engineering experience in enterprise-scale technology environments
• 8+ years of experience leading multi-layer, global engineering organizations (including managing directors and senior engineering managers) across onshore and offshore locations
• 5+ years of experience delivering complex, capital-funded technology portfolios with demonstrated budget and delivery management
• 3+ years of experience adopting and scaling AI/ML models, automated tooling, or AI-native development practices within production environments
• Demonstrated experience operating in a regulated healthcare environment, ensuring compliance with HIPAA, HITRUST, and PHI/PII security requirements

Preferred Qualifications:

• Deep domain expertise in health plan payer operations, payment integrity, claims editing/coding, clinical validation, or Fraud, Waste, and Abuse (FWA) systems
• Hands-on familiarity with healthcare data and interoperability standards (e.g., FHIR, X12, EDI, HL7)
• Experience implementing human-in-the-loop controls, agentic AI governance, and statistical anomaly detection in operational workflows
• Proven background applying FinOps disciplines and unit-cost governance across cloud and AI infrastructure
• Track record of building succession pipelines and developing strategic technical leaders
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical/business discipline

*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.