About this role
The Senior Software Engineering Lead at UnitedHealth Group (Optum) will deliver hands-on AI-first engineering within an agile team to build, operate, and scale a production AI platform and intelligent automation capabilities. The role focuses on driving continuous AI innovation to enhance platform resilience, security, and enterprise-scale performance while designing reusable services and tools to improve engineering productivity. Responsibilities include advancing team maturity in agile, DevOps, and AI engineering practices, and leading by example in applying AI-enabled DevOps to deliver high-value solutions. Required Qualifications: Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, Engineering, Information Technology, or a related field; 4+ years of practical experience writing software with Python, Ruby, JavaScript, C/C++, Rust, or Go; experience with container orchestration (Kubernetes or Nomad); experience with cloud-enabled stacks (Azure or AWS); and experience with AI workflows, LLMs, and RAG pipelines (Claude, Codex, Copilot, AIDLC). Preferred Qualifications: Knowledge of healthcare information systems and data transactions; familiarity with Optum business platforms; knowledge of modern computer vision concepts; and strong written and verbal communication skills.