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.

The Principal Data Engineer will join the Surest/Optum Data Engineering Enablement organization, a team responsible for developing shared frameworks, architectural patterns, standards, and cross plan data capabilities used by all Data Engineering delivery teams. This role requires deep expertise in cloud native engineering, distributed data processing, and healthcare data domains. You will design, build, and optimize scalable data solutions that span the full health plan ecosystem—including eligibility, claims, provider, pharmacy, utilization, pricing, and member experience data.

This role plays a critical part in advancing enterprise data modernization, improving platform efficiency, and enabling teams across the organization to develop high quality, governed, secure data solutions.
Principal Data Engineers include broad engineering responsibilities across analysis, design, development, testing, standards, tooling, and influencing organizational data strategy.

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:

• Partner in the design, development and communication of technology patterns and standards needed to manage Surest healthcare data
• Provide technical leadership, guidance and training to team of data engineers on individual and group levels
• Implement data processes and pipelines which incorporate product requirements with data storage, lifecycle, accessibility, performance, and security standards
• Solve complex data development issues within data development software
• Support Agile development practices, including refining user stories and collaborating with product owners and stakeholders
• Develop large scale, flexible data pipelines to efficiently process health care data supporting all aspects of a health plan
• Work with peers across Surest to ensure alignment on data capabilities and software development lifecycle (SDLC)

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:

• Undergraduate degree in engineering, mathematics, computer science, software development, or related technical field, or equivalent experience
• 10+ years of solid SQL or NoSQL query experience
• 5+ years designing and implementing efficient, end-to-end, flexible data pipelines
• 5+ years with both batch and near real-time data architectures
• 3+ years of PySpark & Python data development experience
• Experience implementing parallel processing data strategies
• Experience integrating strategies for data pipeline introspection at sca
• Experience working with Data Lake or Delta Lake architecture
• Proven solid analytical thinking, creativity, and willingness to be hands-on
• Proven solid drive to evolve development efficiency, data quality, and pipeline improvements
• Demonstrated excellent problem-solving, documentation, teamwork, and communication skills
• Proven superior attention to detail
• Experience working in Agile Development Framework

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Post-graduate degree in engineering, mathematics, computer science, software development, or other technical field
• Experience working with healthcare data
• Experience developing and operating Databricks jobs as data pipelines using pyspark

*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.