Lead Engineer – Automation Modernization

United; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 112,000 - 147,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental benefits

Flight privileges

Paid time off

Job summary

United Airlines is seeking a Lead Software Engineer to design, develop and maintain RESTful APIs and reusable automation services across enterprise platforms. You will partner with platform, infrastructure, DevOps and application teams to modernize workflows and deliver scalable, secure self-service capabilities.

This role emphasizes API design, observability, documentation, and reliable integrations, with opportunities to influence modernization roadmaps and drive adoption, while ensuring high

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in CS/IS/business-related field.
• 3+ years of relevant experience in software engineering.
• Strong experience developing RESTful APIs and microservices.
• Experience with enterprise automation tools, job schedulers, or file transfer platforms.
• Proficiency in object-oriented programming (e.g., Java, Python).
• Understanding of API design, authentication (OAuth/JWT), and service orchestration.
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills; ability to work in complex environments.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills; self-driven with continuous improvement mindset.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain REST APIs to enable automation across enterprise platforms.
• Modernize legacy automation workflows by exposing reusable services and APIs.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate automation solutions.
• Drive adoption of self-service capabilities via API-driven interfaces and documentation.
• Implement best practices for API design, versioning, scalability, and security.
• Contribute to architectural design and modernization roadmaps for reusable automation solutions.
• Integrate observability and monitoring to ensure high availability and performance.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex system and integration issues to ensure continuous service delivery.

Skills

REST APIs

Microservices

Java

Python

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science/Information Systems/Business

Tools

GitHub Actions

Ansible

Control-M

Automation Platform

Job description

Achieving our goals starts with supporting yours. Grow your career, access top-tier health and wellness benefits, build lasting connections with your team and our customers, and travel the world using our extensive route network.

Come join us to create what's next. Lets define tomorrow, together.

Description

United's Digital Technology team is comprised of many talented individuals all working together with cutting-edge technology to build the best airline in the history of aviation. Our team designs, develops and maintains massively scaling technology solutions brought to life with innovative architectures, data analytics, and digital solutions.

Job Overview and Responsibilities

This role leads the design and development of RESTful APIs and reusable automation services that modernize enterprise services, including device lifecycle, incident management, secure file transfer and job scheduling solutions. The position applies strong software engineering practices to create scalable, secure, and supportable self-service capabilities while improving the developer and user experience through clear documentation, observability, and reliable integrations. The Lead Engineer also provides technical direction across complex implementations and collaborates with platform, infrastructure, DevOps, and application teams to advance modernization roadmaps and drive adoption.

• Design, develop, and maintain REST APIs to enable automation and self-service capabilities across enterprise platforms (e.g., SkyNet, Operations Orchestrator, Harness, GitHub Actions, Ansible, Automation Platform, Secure File Transfer, job scheduling systems like Control-M)
• Modernize legacy automation workflows by exposing reusable services and APIs
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (platform, infrastructure, DevOps, and application teams) to integrate automation solutions
• Drive adoption of self-service capabilities by creating intuitive API-driven interfaces and documentation
• Implement best practices for API design, versioning, scalability, and security.
• Contribute to architectural design discussions and modernization roadmaps to ensure reusable, scalable, and future-ready automation solutions.
• Integrate observability and monitoring solutions to ensure high availability, performance, and reliability.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex system, platform, and integration issues to ensure stable operations and continuous service delivery.

Qualifications

What's needed to succeed (Minimum Qualifications):

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Business Administration, or related degree
• 3+ years of relevant experience
• Strong experience developing RESTful APIs and microservices
• Experience working with enterprise automation tools, job schedulers, or file transfer platforms
• Proficiency in object-oriented programming (e.g., Java, Python, or similar)
• Solid understanding of API design principles, authentication (OAuth, JWT), and service orchestration
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to work in complex enterprise environments
• Strong analytical and systems-thinking mindset
• Ability to translate business needs into scalable technical solutions.
• Effective communication and collaboration skills
• Self-driven with a focus on continuous improvement and innovation
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship
• Successful completion of interview required to meet job qualificationReliable, punctual attendance is an essential function of the position

What will help you propel from the pack (Preferred Qualifications):

• Experience with observability and monitoring tools such as Big Panda, Dynatrace, or AIOps platforms
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP)
• Knowledge of event-driven architectures and messaging systems
• Familiarity with infrastructure-as-code (Terraform, CloudFormation, etc.)
• Exposure to workflow automation and orchestration tools

The base pay range for this role is $112,480.00 to $146,540.00.

The base salary range/hourly rate listed is dependent on job-related, factors such as experience, education, and skills. This position is also eligible for bonus and/or long-term incentive compensation awards.

You may be eligible for the following competitive benefits: medical, dental, vision, life, accident & disability, parental leave, employee assistance program, commuter, paid holidays, paid time off, 401(k) and flight privileges.

United Airlines is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, veteran status, or any other protected category under applicable law. We provide reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. To request an accommodation, contact [e-mail]