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 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

• Serve as a technical expert for solutions built on NodeJS, Python, and Kafka, contributing to complex, scalable systems from design through production
• Lead architecture and design across multiple workstreams, ensuring scalable, resilient, and high-performing solutions
• Design and implement asynchronous processing patterns and event-driven architectures for high-throughput, real-time systems
• Provide hands-on technical leadership in the design, development, coding, testing, deployment, and debugging of distributed applications and microservices
• Collaborate directly with product owners to understand business requirements and translate them into scalable technical solutions and roadmaps
• Work closely with other engineers and stakeholders to define robust technical approaches for new product features
• Establish and promote best practices for software development, code quality, and maintainability
• Contribute to project prioritization, technical planning, and stakeholder communication across multiple initiatives
• Champion operational excellence, including building, deploying, monitoring, and supporting production services with a focus on reliability and scalability
• Mentor and guide engineers, fostering technical growth and promoting engineering excellence across the team
• Drive adoption of modern development practices and AI productivity tools to improve engineering efficiency
• Participate in incident response efforts; troubleshoot and resolve production issues, including involvement 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 strong expertise in NodeJS, TypeScript, Python, and event-driven architectures using Kafka
• Proven experience designing and implementing asynchronous processing, event handling, and distributed system patterns
• Experience with relational and/or NoSQL databases and data modeling
• Solid understanding of CI/CD pipelines, test automation, and modern DevOps practices
• Proven solid background in designing, developing, and deploying secured RESTful and/or GraphQL APIs

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Python frameworks (e.g., FastAPI, Flask) and modern NodeJS frameworks
• Experience working with Machine Learning models, including integration, evaluation, and performance tuning
• Solid understanding of concurrency models, async programming, and message-driven systems
• 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.