Director Architecture - Remote

UnitedHealth Group; Eden Prairie (MN); Hybrid; USD 135,000 - 231,000; Full time

Job summary

UnitedHealth Group seeks a senior leader to drive enterprise voice, calling, paging, and collaboration technology strategy, establishing vision and standards with a multi-year roadmap for secure, reliable, scalable services globally.

You will lead architects and engineers, ensure availability and security, manage vendor strategy, and collaborate with business, security, and workplace technology leaders to deliver strategic transformation initiatives while upholding engineering excellence.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a technical field or equivalent experience.
• 10+ years of leadership in enterprise voice/collaboration.
• 8+ years with enterprise voice & collaboration tech incl Teams, Webex.
• 5+ years leading architecture and global teams.
• 5+ years developing multi-year tech strategies and modernization.
• Experience in vendor governance, negotiations, and cost optimization.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for enterprise voice and collaboration portfolio.
• Lead architecture and engineering teams for modernization and lifecycle management.
• Ensure reliability, security, and availability of global communication services.
• Drive architecture governance and cost optimization across portfolio.
• Manage vendor strategy, negotiations, and supplier performance.
• Oversee multi-year roadmaps and investment planning.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Enterprise voice tech

Vendor governance

Global team leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree (MBA or related)

Tools

Microsoft Teams Phone

Direct Routing

Cisco Webex Cloud Calling

SIP-based platforms

Paging systems

Conferencing solutions

Unified communications tech

Job description

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 in making healthcare work better for everyone through people-led, responsible AI while 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:

• Provides strategic and operational leadership for the enterprise voice, calling, paging, meeting, and collaboration technology portfolio, establishing the technical vision, architecture standards, and multi-year roadmap that enables secure, reliable, and scalable communication services for global operations
• Leads a high-performing team of architects and engineers responsible for the design, engineering, modernization, and lifecycle management of enterprise collaboration platforms, ensuring alignment with business objectives, regulatory requirements, and evolving technology standards
• Accountable for the reliability, security, availability, and continuous improvement of enterprise calling, paging, conferencing, and collaboration services supporting a global workforce
• Drives technology strategy, architectural governance, service modernization initiatives, and operational excellence programs that enhance user experience, reduce risk, improve service resiliency, and optimize operational performance
• Owns vendor strategy and governance across key technology partners, leading contract negotiations, commercial discussions, licensing strategies, and supplier performance management to maximize business value and cost efficiency
• Oversees roadmap prioritization, investment planning, and financial stewardship for a multi-million-dollar technology portfolio, balancing innovation, operational sustainability, and business demand
• Partners closely with business, infrastructure, security, and workplace technology leaders to define future-state communication capabilities, influence enterprise technology direction, and ensure successful delivery of strategic transformation initiatives
• Provides executive-level leadership for architecture reviews, technology decisions, risk management, and service governance while fostering a culture of engineering excellence, accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement

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 degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, Telecommunications, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in enterprise voice, unified communications, collaboration platforms, telecommunications, or workplace technology engineering
• 8+ years of demonstrated expertise in enterprise voice and collaboration technologies, including Microsoft Teams Phone, Direct Routing, Cisco Webex Cloud Calling, SIP-based platforms, paging systems, conferencing solutions, and unified communications technologies
• 5+ years of experience leading architecture, engineering, or technology operations teams supporting large-scale global communication and collaboration environments
• 5+ years of proven experience developing and executing multi-year technology strategies, roadmaps, and modernization initiatives aligned to business objectives
• 5+ years in enterprise architecture, platform engineering, network integration, resiliency design, high availability, disaster recovery, and operational excellence practices
• Experience managing large-scale technology portfolios, including investment planning, budget management, financial accountability, and cost optimization initiatives
• Demonstrated success leading vendor governance, strategic sourcing activities, contract negotiations, licensing strategies, and supplier performance management
• Proven ability to lead global teams, influence senior executives, and align cross-functional stakeholders across business and technology organizations

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Business Administration (MBA), Information Technology, Engineering, Telecommunications, or a related field
• Industry certifications such as Microsoft Certified: Teams Administrator Expert, Azure Solutions Architect Expert, TOGAF, PMP, CISSP, CCNP Collaboration, or equivalent
• Experience leading enterprise-wide collaboration transformations, cloud migrations, UCaaS initiatives, or legacy PBX modernization programs
• Experience supporting highly regulated industries requiring stringent security, compliance, and operational resiliency controls
• Knowledge of enterprise service management disciplines, including ITIL, service portfolio management, service lifecycle management, and operational governance frameworks
• Experience leading geographically distributed organizations with responsibility for global service delivery and 24x7 operational support models
• Strategic and systems thinker with the ability to translate business priorities into scalable technology solutions

*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 $134,600 - $230,800 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 help make the health system work better for everyone. Together, we are shaping the future of healthcare by harnessing technology and innovation to make care simpler to navigate, more affordable and more connected for the people we serve. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels welcomed, valued, heard and respected, empowering people to bring their authentic selves to work and strengthening our collective impact through diverse talents, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.

UnitedHealth Group and its affiliated brands are 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 and its affiliated brands are a drug-free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.