Sr Data Engineer

Optum; Brentwood (TN); Remote; USD 92,000 - 164,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits package

Incentive and recognition programs

Equity stock purchase

401k contribution

Job summary

UnitedHealth Group is seeking a senior data engineer to design and operate scalable data platforms on Azure, enabling analytics and AI use cases. The role emphasizes modern ETL/ELT pipelines, lakehouse architecture, and strong DevOps practices.

You will mentor engineers, drive standardized data patterns, and collaborate with business and product leaders in an Agile environment to deliver AI-enabled capabilities.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of Data Engineering experience with enterprise-scale ETL/ELT solutions.
• 4+ years on Azure public cloud including Databricks and Snowflake.
• 3+ years Unix/Linux scripting for data processing and automation.
• 3+ years Oracle PL/SQL development for data transformation and tuning.
• 3+ years production support including on-call rotations and RCA.
• 2+ years in AI-assisted software development, incl. AI methodologies

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and operate scalable data engineering platforms using modern ETL/ELT frameworks (ADF, Delta Lake, cloud pipelines).
• Architect modular data systems supporting batch and streaming workloads, analytics, and AI/ML use cases.
• Influence overall data/AI platform architecture, metadata management, and data quality.
• Develop and optimize PL/SQL, Python, and Unix-based data processing solutions.
• Enable Generative AI by designing pipelines for NLP, vectorization, and inference workflows.
• Drive code reusability and standardized data patterns across teams with shared frameworks.
• Ensure mature DevOps/DataOps practices: CI/CD, tests, monitoring, and cost optimization.
• Partner with leaders to deliver insights in an Agile setting; mentor junior engineers.

Skills

Data engineering

Azure cloud

Unix/Linux scripting

Oracle PL/SQL

AI-assisted development

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in CS/IT/Software Eng

Tools

Azure Data Factory

Databricks

Snowflake

Delta Lake

Job description

Improve the lives of others while Caring. Connecting. Growing together.

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 diversity and inclusion, talented peers, comprehensive benefits and career development opportunities. Come make an impact on the communities we serve as you help us advance health equity on a global scale. Join us to startCaring. Connecting. Growing together.

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

Primary Responsibilities

• Design, build, and operate scalable data engineering platforms using modern ETL/ELT frameworks, including Azure Data Factory, Delta Lake, and cloud-native pipelines
• Architect modular, reusable data systems that support batch and streaming workloads, advanced analytics, and AI/ML use cases
• Influence overall data and AI platform architecture, including lakehouse design, metadata management, and data quality frameworks
• Develop and optimize PL/SQL, Python, and Unix-based data processing solutions for high-volume, low-latency data pipelines
• Enable Generative AI use cases by designing structured and unstructured data pipelines to support NLP, prompt engineering, vectorization, and inference workflows
• Drive code reusability and standardized data patterns across teams through shared frameworks, libraries, and design standards
• Ensure mature DevOps and DataOps practices, including CI/CD, automated testing, monitoring, incident response, and cost optimization
• Deeply analyze ambiguous business and data problems, translating them into robust data engineering and AI solutions that deliver measurable business value
• Lead adoption of best practices in data modeling, pipeline design, security, and governance, especially in regulated environments
• Continuously assessing and modernizing existing data platforms, improving performance, reliability, scalability, and AI readiness
• Partner with business, analytics, data science, and product leaders to manage delivery in an agile framework, rapidly delivering insights and AI-enabled capabilities
• Mentor and coach engineers in data engineering, cloud, and Generative AI technologies, raising overall team capability
• Attract and grow talent through strong technical leadership, effective interviewing, community engagement, and training junior interviewers
• Communicate complex data and AI concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders, including leadership presentations and solution demos
• Design, develop, and deploy AI-powered solutions to address complex business challenges with emphasis on responsible use of AI

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

• 7+ years of Data Engineering experience building enterprise-scale ETL/ELT solutions (e.g., ADF, DataStage, Talend, or equivalent)
• 4+ years of experience with Azure public cloud including Databricks and Snowflake
• 3+ years of hands‑on experience with Unix/Linux shell scripting for data processing and automation
• 3+ years of experience with Oracle PL/SQL development for data transformation, performance tuning, and production workloads
• 3+ years of production support experience, including on‑call rotations, incident resolution, and root cause analysis
• 2+ years of experience in AI‑assisted software development, including AIDLC and Agentic AI methodologies

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in CS or IT or Software Engineering related field
• 2+ years of experience with high‑level programming languages, such as Python, Java, or Node.js, with Python preferred
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain data and AI concepts clearly
• Prior technical or people leadership experience, including ownership of complex systems
• Demonstrated experience mentoring and developing junior Engineers

*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
• 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 $91,700 to $163,700 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.

UnitedHealth Group is the employer. 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.

Diversity creates a healthier atmosphere: UnitedHealth Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

UnitedHealth Group is a drug‑free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.

UnitedHealth Group is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you need special assistance or accommodation for any part of the application process, please call 1-866-566-8715 to be connected to Recruitment Services. Recruitment Services hours of operation are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CT, Monday through Friday.

UnitedHealth Group is a registered service mark of UnitedHealth Group, Inc. The UnitedHealth Group name with the dimensional logo, as well as the dimensional logo alone, are both service marks for the UnitedHealth Group, Inc.

Diversity creates a healthier atmosphere: UnitedHealth Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

UnitedHealth Group is a drug‑free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.