Senior Director, Software Engineering - Hybrid in MN

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.

We are looking for a Sr Dir Software Engineering to lead our engineering teams within UnitedHealthcare Employer & Individual (E&I) Technology. In this highly strategic role, you will drive the architectural design, development, and deployment of complex, enterprise-scale software solutions and cutting-edge AI-powered applications. You will collaborate closely with product and business leaders to solve critical healthcare challenges, leveraging advanced technology to streamline processes, automate tasks, and significantly improve healthcare experiences for millions of members. If you are passionate about building scalable platforms, guiding engineering excellence, and integrating responsible AI to transform healthcare delivery, we want you on our team.

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:

• Provide strategic leadership and technical direction for a large-scale software engineering organization, guiding the architecture, design, and deployment of complex, multi-platform systems
• Lead the design, development, and deployment of enterprise-scale AI-powered solutions and platforms to address complex business and healthcare challenges, with an emphasis on responsible and ethical use of AI
• Strategically use AI to solve problems, unlock opportunities, and deliver tangible business value to the organization
• Champion AI as a core driver of your team's success and proactively shape how that AI is developed, deployed, and utilized
• Champion the ethical use of AI by embedding transparency, fairness, and accountability throughout the entire AI lifecycle
• Integrate enterprise AI tools, set AI goals in development plans, and align hiring with AI competencies, actively removing barriers to accelerate adoption
• Evaluate emerging technologies and AI trends to inform solution design, drive strategic innovation, and keep the organization at the forefront of technical capabilities
• Empower and guide engineering teams to leverage enterprise-approved AI tools and technologies to streamline workflows, automate repetitive tasks, and continuously improve software delivery velocity and quality
• Drive engineering excellence, modern development practices (DevSecOps, CI/CD, cloud-native architectures), and product-centric delivery across engineering squads
• Foster a culture of continuous learning, innovation, and collaboration, mentoring principal engineers and engineering leaders
• Collaborate with business leaders, product owners, and other stakeholders to translate business vision into robust, scalable technology solutions

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:

• 10+ years of professional software engineering experience, including designing and building large-scale, multi-platform applications
• 5+ years of experience in direct people management or leadership, overseeing multi-disciplinary engineering teams or principal engineers
• 3+ years of experience designing, developing, and deploying AI-powered applications, machine learning systems, or automated software solutions
• 3+ years of experience working with enterprise cloud platforms (e.g., Azure, AWS, GCP) and modern architecture patterns (microservices, API design, event-driven systems)
• 2+ years of experience establishing engineering standards, architectural patterns, and driving the adoption of modern DevOps/CI-CD pipelines
• Current or previous experience in the healthcare domain

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field (or equivalent practical experience)
• Solid hands‑on experience with modern AI/ML frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch) or GenAI/LLM application development tools (e.g., LangChain, OpenAI APIs)
• Deep understanding of secure software development lifecycles (SSDLC) and data privacy standards in a highly regulated industry (e.g., healthcare, financial services)
• Proven track record of successfully driving AI‑driven business transformations or automation strategies within a large enterprise
• Proven excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to convey complex technical concepts to non‑technical business leaders

*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 $159,300 - $273,200 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.