Principal Architect - Remote

UnitedHealth Group; Minnetonka (MN); Hybrid; Confidential; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Telecommuter policy

Job summary

UnitedHealth Group's Optum Tech unit seeks a Principal Architect to lead Claims Core Ops engineering, overseeing reliability, modernization, and cross-functional alignment with claims product, architecture, and enterprise teams. You will guide multi-year roadmaps and ensure security and compliance across HIPAA, SOC, and PCI.

This role supports a hybrid remote setup with in-office requirements for local Minneapolis hires; you will drive cloud-native designs, API-first platforms, and a culture of

Qualifications

• 12+ years of progressive software engineering experience, incl. 5+ years in senior people leadership roles managing managers.
• 6+ years owning platform modernization and large-scale SaaS integration end-to-end.
• 6+ years scaling a transaction-heavy platform for growth, performance and reliability.
• 5+ years end-to-end platform accountability for reliability, stability, observability and operational health.
• 5+ years hands-on technical leadership directing architectural decisions and operating with senior engineers.
• 5+ years integrating internal platforms with external SaaS vendors.
• Healthcare background.
• Direct leadership of 15-25 engineers with multiple reports in multi-layer organizations.
• Deep understanding of secure SDLC and DevSecOps in regulated environments (PCI, SOC, HIPAA).
• Scaled engineering leadership with succession planning and performance management.

Responsibilities

• Provide enterprise-wide engineering leadership for Claims Core Ops applications and oversee multi-layer organizations.
• Own end-to-end accountability for claims operational capability and downstream integration.
• Partner with Claims Product and Enterprise Architecture to define modernization roadmap for Claims Core Ops.
• Establish architectural direction aligned with standards, security and long-term strategy.
• Balance legacy platform stability with cloud migration and re-architecture initiatives.
• Ensure production stability, availability, and performance of mission-critical systems.
• Drive regulatory mandates and modernization initiatives with stakeholders.
• Sponsor AI-enabled engineering tools to improve productivity and quality.
• Ensure compliance with HIPAA, SOC, PCI security standards.
• Build and retain high-performing engineering leaders and senior engineers.
• Prepare executive-level updates on delivery health and risk.

Skills

Senior leadership

Software engineering

Platform modernization

DevSecOps

Regulated environments

SaaS integration

Cloud architectures

Team scaling

Executive updates

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 to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together.

The Principal Architect is a senior enterprise technology leader within the Claims GCO (Global Claims Operations) organization, accountable for Claims Core Operations Enterprise Applications that underpin the UnitedHealthcare (UHC) core claims platform. This role provides end-to-end accountability for claims operational capability, performance, and outcomes, regardless of application ownership, and serves as the engineering leader responsible for reliability, modernization, and strategic evolution of mission-critical claims systems.

The leader will partner closely with Claims Product, Enterprise Architecture, Claims Platform LOB teams, and enterprise application teams to define and execute a multi-year technology strategy and roadmap for capabilities within direct ownership, while influencing cross-application and cross-portfolio outcomes across the broader claims ecosystem.

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:

• Provide enterprise-wide engineering leadership for Claims Core Ops applications, overseeing multi-layer organizations across Software Engineering, QA, DevOps, SRE, and Production Operations
• Own end-to-end accountability for claims operational capability including intake, adjudication, pricing, edits, routing, pends, financial accuracy, and downstream integration regardless of system ownership
• Serve as the senior engineering counterpart to Claims Operations and Product leadership for platform outcomes, delivery commitments, and operational health
• Partner with Claims Product and Enterprise Architecture to define and execute a multi-year modernization and capability roadmap for Claims Core Ops
• Establish and govern architectural direction, ensuring alignment with enterprise standards, security frameworks, and long-term claims strategy
• Balance legacy platform stability with cloud migration, re-architecture, and platform simplification initiatives
• Own production stability, availability, correctness, and performance for Claims Core Ops systems supporting high-volume, high-accuracy transactions
• Maintain solid governance over risk posture, audit readiness, and remediation plans
• Lead delivery of regulatory mandates, client commitments, new capabilities, and modernization initiatives
• Drive adoption of cloud-native patterns, API-first design, and scalable platform architectures
• Sponsor use of AI-enabled engineering tools to improve productivity and quality
• Ensure platforms meet HIPAA, SOC, PCI (as applicable), and enterprise security standards
• Build, develop, and retain high-performing engineering leaders and senior technical talent
• Foster a culture of ownership, accountability, inclusion, and continuous learning
• Prepare and deliver executive-level updates on delivery health, operational performance, and risk
• Represent Claims Core Ops Engineering in enterprise governance forums

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:

• 12+ years of progressive software engineering experience, including 5+ years in senior people leadership roles managing managers
• 6+ years of experience with ownership of a platform modernization and transformation, large scale integration with a externally hosted SaaS platform, accountable end to end from architecture through production
• 6+ years of experience modernizing or scaling a transaction heavy platform that could not meet business growth, performance, or reliability needs
• 5+ years of experience with end-to-end platform accountability for reliability, stability, availability, observability and operational health of mission critical systems
• 5+ years of experience with hands on technical leadership capability-able to direct teams on architectural and technical decisions and operate credibly with senior engineers
• 5+ years of experience integrating internal platforms with third party SaaS vendors, serving as the technical and execution bridge between systems
• Healthcare background
• Proven direct leadership of 15-25 engineers, including 3-4 direct manager reports within a multi-layer organization
• Proven deep understanding of secure SDLC and DevSecOps practices, with experience operating in regulated environments (e.g., PCI, SOC, HIPAA)
• Demonstrated scaled engineering leadership capability by hiring, developing, and retaining managers and senior engineers, including ownership of succession planning, performance management, and leadership readiness

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with commercial payment networks or financial transaction platforms
• Experience leading distributed or hybrid teams across multiple locations
• Demonstrated leadership of platform integration teams responsible for external data exchange, validation, and vendor testing
• Demonstrated background in SaaS to enterprise integration models, including shared responsibility vendor operating models
• Proven accountability for platform modernization initiatives replacing or augmenting legacy systems
• Demonstrated familiarity with high availability, high correctness platforms where uptime and data integrity are critical

*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 to $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 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.