Principal Site Reliability Engineer

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

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits package

Equity stock purchase

401k contribution

Job summary

UnitedHealth Group’s Optum Tech is seeking a Principal Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) leader to drive reliability, security, and scalable platforms across the Digital Consumer Engineering organization. You’ll shape enterprise-wide strategies, influence architecture, and lead AI-enabled reliability initiatives at scale.

With 8+ years in SRE or related fields and a track record of large-scale transformations, you will partner with senior leaders to embed security by design, implement SLOs, and

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in SRE, software engineering, or infrastructure engineering.
• 5+ years operating at enterprise scale influencing strategy across multiple teams.
• 4+ years in distributed systems, cloud infrastructure, and observability.
• Proven track record of large-scale reliability or security transformations.

Responsibilities

• Define and drive enterprise-wide SRE strategy, standards, and operating models across digital consumer platforms.
• Establish and champion reliability, security by design, and operational excellence.
• Influence architecture, platform design, and investment decisions to improve reliability at scale.
• Lead AI-driven capabilities to advance reliability, observability, automation, and risk management.
• Provide governance for reliability practices, including SLOs and availability targets.

Skills

SRE leadership

Enterprise-scale influence

Distributed systems

Cloud infrastructure

Observability

Security transformation

Cross-functional influence

AI/ML for ops

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Engineering

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.

We are seeking a highly experienced Principal Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) leader to drive reliability, resilience, and secure software engineering practices across all critical applications within the Digital Consumer Engineering organization using applied AI.

In this role, you will operate at an enterprise and portfolio level, shaping reliability strategy, influencing architectural decisions, and enabling engineering teams to build and operate highly resilient, secure, and scalable platforms. You will play a critical role in advancing operational excellence, strengthening platform resilience, and supporting long-term business growth.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Define and drive enterprise-wide SRE strategy, standards, and operating models across digital consumer platforms
• Establish and champion a culture of reliability engineering, security by design, and operational excellence
• Influence architecture, platform design, and investment decisions to improve reliability, scalability, and resilience at scale
• Partner with senior leaders across engineering, security, and operations to align reliability priorities with business outcomes
• Identify and incubate AI-driven capabilities to advance reliability, observability, automation, and proactive risk management
• Provide technical leadership and governance for reliability practices across systems including SLO frameworks and availability targets
• Drive enterprise-wide adoption of automation and self-healing systems
• Lead proactive risk management including threat modeling and resilience testing
• Establish reliability metrics and reporting frameworks to drive measurable improvements
• Partner with enterprise security leadership to embed security engineering practices into platform design
• Drive proactive threat detection and response strategies leveraging automation and AI
• Influence and standardize secure development and operational practices
• Lead cross-functional initiatives to strengthen preventative security posture
• Partner with platform teams to define scalable and resilient infrastructure strategies
• Drive adoption of infrastructure-as-code and automation practices
• Establish operational maturity and continuous improvement frameworks

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 applicable area of expertise or equivalent experience
• 8+ years of relevant experience in SRE, software engineering, or infrastructure engineering
• 5+ years of experience operating at enterprise scale influencing strategy across multiple teams
• 4+ years of experience with in distributed systems, cloud infrastructure, and observability
• Proven track record of driving large-scale reliability or security transformation
• Demonstrated solid leadership and cross-functional influence skills

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced degree
• Experience leading enterprise transformation initiatives
• Experience with AI/ML applied to operations or security
• Vendor/platform strategy experience

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.

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.