Senior Manager Data Engineering

UnitedHealth Group; Eden Prairie (MN); Hybrid; Confidential; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits package

Equity stock purchase & 401k

Job summary

UnitedHealth Group's Optum RAD team seeks a Senior Manager of Data Engineering to design, build, and scale data pipelines, ETL/ELT processes, and cloud data platforms that support analytics and AI/ML workloads.

This role combines hands-on engineering leadership with strategy, mentoring a team of data engineers, setting standards for governance and quality, and partnering with stakeholders to deliver measurable business outcomes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Engineering, Analytics, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in data engineering, analytics, or data platform development.
• 5+ years of experience with SQL/Snowflake, Python, data modeling, ETL/ELT development, data integration, performance optimization, and data pipeline orchestration.
• 3+ years of demonstrated experience designing, building, and managing large-scale cloud-based data platforms using technologies such as Snowflake, Azure Data Factory (ADF), Azure Data Lake, Databricks, and enterprise data warehousing solutions.
• 3+ years of experience implementing modern software development practices, including source control and CI/CD using GitHub, automated testing, code reviews, release management, and infrastructure-as-code methodologies within data engineering environments.
• 3+ years of experience in a people leadership or management role.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute the data engineering roadmap, aligning platform, architecture, and data delivery priorities with business objectives while ensuring measurable outcomes and long-term scalability.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of data engineers and technical leads, fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, continuous improvement, and professional growth.
• Direct the design, development, and support of scalable data pipelines, ETL/ELT processes, cloud-based data platforms, and data warehousing solutions to deliver trusted, high-quality data for analytics and operational reporting.
• Establish and enforce data governance standards, data quality controls, platform reliability practices, and operational processes to ensure secure, compliant, and dependable data assets across the organization.
• Collaborate with business stakeholders, analytics teams, architects, and product leaders to prioritize initiatives, resolve cross-functional dependencies, and translate business requirements into scalable data and analytics solutions.
• Partner with data science and AI/ML teams to establish reusable, governed data foundations that support model development, retrieval-augmented generation, intelligent automation, and production AI/ML workloads.

Skills

SQL/Snowflake

Python

Data modeling

ETL/ELT

Data integration

Performance optimization

Data pipelines

Cloud data platforms

GitHub CI/CD

People leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science/Information Systems/Data Engineering/Analytics

Tools

Snowflake

Azure Data Factory

Azure Data Lake

Databricks

Job description

Optum is a global organization that delivers care, aided by technology to help millions of people live healthier lives. The work you do with our team will directly improve health outcomes by connecting people with the care, pharmacy benefits, data and resources they need to feel their best. Here, you will find a culture guided by inclusion, talented peers, comprehensive benefits and career development opportunities. Come make an impact on the communities we serve as you help us advance health optimization on a global scale. Join us to startCaring. Connecting. Growing together.

The Reporting Analytics and Data (RAD) team is seekingaSenior Manager of Data Engineeringto help design, build, and support modern data solutions across UnitedHealth Group's Enterprise Services organization. In this role, you will lead the development of scalable ETL pipelines, data repositories, and integration patterns that bring together information from multiple enterprise systems and make it available for analytics, reporting, automation, AI/ML-enabled solutions, and business decision-making. You will partner closely with business and technology stakeholders to understand data needs, translate requirements into durable engineering solutions, and ensure data is reliable, accessible, and structured for long-term use. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys hands-on data engineering while also providing technical guidance, promoting best practices, and helping mature the team's data platform capabilities.

You will enjoy the flexibility to telecommute* from anywhere within the U.S. as you take on some tough challenges.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Define and execute the data engineering roadmap, aligning platform, architecture, and data delivery priorities with business objectives while ensuring measurable outcomes and long-term scalability
• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of data engineers and technical leads, fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, continuous improvement, and professional growth
• Direct the design, development, and support of scalable data pipelines, ETL/ELT processes, cloud-based data platforms, and data warehousing solutions to deliver trusted, high-quality data for analytics and operational reporting
• Establish and enforce data governance standards, data quality controls, platform reliability practices, and operational processes to ensure secure, compliant, and dependable data assets across the organization
• Collaborate with business stakeholders, analytics teams, architects, and product leaders to prioritize initiatives, resolve cross-functional dependencies, and translate business requirements into scalable data and analytics solutions
• Partner with data science and AI/ML teams to establish reusable, governed data foundations that support model development, retrieval-augmented generation, intelligent automation, and production AI/ML workloads

You’ll be rewarded and recognized for your performance in an environment that will challenge you and give you clear directions 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 Systems, Data Engineering, Analytics, or a related field
• 5+ years of experience in data engineering, analytics, or data platform development
• 5+ years of experience with SQL/Snowflake, Python, data modeling, ETL/ELT development, data integration, performance optimization, and data pipeline orchestration
• 3+ years of demonstrated experience designing, building, and managing large-scale cloud-based data platforms using technologies such as Snowflake, Azure Data Factory (ADF), Azure Data Lake, Databricks, and enterprise data warehousing solutions
• 3+ years of experience implementing modern software development practices, including source control and CI/CD using GitHub, automated testing, code reviews, release management, and infrastructure-as-code methodologies within data engineering environments
• 3+ years of experience in a people leadership or management role

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced degree
• Experience supporting analytics, reporting, and AI/ML workloads, including the data pipelines, feature engineering, model-ready datasets, and operational practices needed to move solutions from development into production
• Familiarity with modern AI/ML solution patterns and technologies such as vector databases, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), large language models (LLMs), agentic frameworks, MLOps, and common Python ML libraries
• Proven ability to lead high-performing technical teams, drive strategic initiatives, manage competing priorities, and partner effectively with business, analytics, architecture, and technology stakeholders to deliver scalable data solutions and measurable business outcomes

*All Telecommuters 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 - $193,200 annually based on full-time employment. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

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.

#RPO #GREEN