Principal 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 talented peers, comprehensive benefits and career development opportunities. Come make an impact on the communities we serve as you help us advance health equity on a global scale. Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together.
We are seeking a highly experienced and visionary Principal Engineer to lead the architecture and engineering efforts for our Voice Security Platform. This platform secures IVR interactions across enterprise contact centers, integrating fraud detection, authentication, and biometrics. The role involves deep technical leadership, cross-functional collaboration, and strategic oversight of vendor integrations and cloud-native transformations.
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:

• Responsible for integration with vendor for voice authentication and fraud detection
• Support enterprise-grade IVR and telephony architecture
• Implement carrier metadata ingestion and onboarding data of contact centers
• Design and implement API orchestration and migration across cloud and on-prem systems
• Architect high availability, disaster recovery and observability
• Daily coordination with cross platform teams

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 experience in backend development using Java and Python, with a focus on scalable, secure, and maintainable codebases
• 7+ years of experience designing and delivering enterprise-grade solutions across complex organizational landscapes
• 3+ years of hands-on experience architecting and deploying solutions using AWS services such as Lambda, ECS/EKS, and API Gateway
• 3+ years of experience in a principal engineering or equivalent technical leadership role, with a track record of guiding cross-functional teams and driving architectural alignment across business units
• 1+ years of experience building applications leveraging AI/ML or Generative AI technologies
• Expertise in asynchronous orchestration using Kafka, Kinesis, and EventBridge, with a solid foundation in designing real-time publish-subscribe systems
• Proficiency in Docker-based development, managing enterprise-grade container repositories, and implementing automated CI/CD pipelines for cloud environments
• Ability to design and implement multi-layered security frameworks, including ingress/egress controls, data encryption (at rest and in transit), and identity federation
• Proven deep understanding of architectural principles such as eventual consistency, fault tolerance, and horizontal scalability in microservices and NoSQL ecosystems
• Experience building and integrating observability stacks using OpenTelemetry, log aggregation platforms, and performance monitoring dashboards
• Proven working knowledge of prompt engineering, AI guardrails, and knowledge base integration to support intelligent voice interactions and fraud detection

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with biometric authentication and voiceprint analysis
• Familiarity with TEFCA certification and healthcare interoperability standards
• Experience implementing GitOps workflows and release management pipelines
• Exposure to enterprise governance processes and security assessments (e.g., DAST, MBO check-ins)
• Ability to produce architecture diagrams, onboarding materials, and technical documentation

*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 $132,200 to $226,600 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.