Lead Software Engineer - Remote

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:

• Oversee the full software development lifecycle for solutions built on Java, Spring Boot, and Kafka, managing complex, scalable projects from inception to production
• Lead an engineering team in the design, development, coding, testing, deployment, and debugging of distributed applications and microservices
• Collaborate directly with product owners to understand business requirements, develop strategies, and create technical roadmaps aligned with business objectives
• Work closely with other lead engineers and stakeholders to design robust technical solutions and approaches for new product features
• Instill best practices for software development, code quality, documentation, and delivery of high-quality work within tight timelines
• Manage project prioritization, feature planning, stakeholder communication, and tracking of external commitments
• Translate business requirements into effective technical solutions; recommend alternative approaches to meet aggressive deadlines with optimal results
• Champion operational excellence, including building, deploying, monitoring, and supporting production services, with a focus on reliability and scalability
• Guide and mentor junior developers, fostering career growth and technical skill development within your team
• Drive the adoption of AI productivity tools and modern development practices to improve engineering efficiency
• Lead incident response efforts; troubleshoot and resolve production issues efficiently, including participation in war rooms when required
• Promote quality through Test-Driven Development (TDD), Agile methodologies, and continuous improvement initiatives

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:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field
• 6+ years of hands-on experience in software engineering, with deep expertise in Java, Spring Boot, and event-driven architectures using Kafka
• Proven experience leading engineering teams, including mentoring, technical guidance, and team development
• Experience with relational databases and data modeling
• Experience with cloud-native development (AWS, Azure, or GCP), containerization (Docker), and orchestration (Kubernetes)
• Experience working within Agile development teams
• Experience with event streaming, high-throughput data processing, and real-time systems
• Experience managing and resolving production incidents, including root cause analysis and postmortem documentation
• Solid understanding of CI/CD pipelines, test automation, and modern DevOps practices
• Familiarity with design and architectural patterns including Domain-Driven Design
• Familiarity with using AI-powered tools to enhance productivity and streamline development processes
• Proven solid background in designing, developing, and deploying secured RESTful APIs
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize work, manage multiple projects, and communicate effectively with product teams and other engineering leads
• Proven excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with a collaborative mindset

Preferred Qualifications:

• Proven solid problem-solving and analytical skills, with the ability to think critically and propose innovative technical solutions
• Proven excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Demonstrated passion for continuous learning and staying up to date with the latest advancements in cloud technologies and AI/ML

*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.