Principal Software Engineer

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 start Caring. Connecting. Growing together.

We are seeking a strategic and experienced Principal Software Engineer to lead cross-functional initiatives and Agile Release Trains (ARTs) across a portfolio of projects. This role focuses on aligning delivery with business goals, driving operational excellence, and fostering a high-performing agile culture. The ideal candidate will leverage AI/ML capabilities to support automation, process improvement, and data-informed decision-making.

Primary Responsibilities

• Oversee the overall program, aligning multiple projects with strategic business goals
• Lead individual projects within the program, ensuring timely and high-quality delivery
• Bridge the gap between business needs and technical solutions
• Collaborate with operations and business teams to align technology with process goals
• Identify inefficiencies and implement process improvements, with support from AI/ML where applicable
• Use AI/ML tools to support automation (e.g., document processing, anomaly detection) and enhance decision-making
• Mentor junior engineers and data scientists in software engineering and agile practices
• Plan, coordinate, and facilitate key Agile Release Train (ART) ceremonies
• Escalate and resolve cross-team dependencies and risks
• Act as a servant leader to eliminate obstacles and foster team success
• Maintain visibility into ART progress and ensure alignment with business goals
• Oversee program-level planning, including PI Planning and Roadmap development
• Track progress using metrics like velocity, throughput, and OKRs
• Foster a high-performing, agile culture across the portfolio
• Comply with the terms and conditions of the employment contract, company policies and procedures, and any and all directives (such as, but not limited to, transfer and/or re-assignment to different work locations, change in teams and/or work shifts, policies in regards to flexibility of work benefits and/or work environment, alternative work arrangements, and other decisions that may arise due to the changing business environment). The Company may adopt, vary or rescind these policies and directives in its absolute discretion and without any limitation (implied or otherwise) on its ability to do so
  
  

Required Qualifications

• Proven experience managing large-scale programs or portfolios in an agile environment
• Experience with Agile Release Trains and PI Planning
• Experience with project tracking tools (e.g., Jira, Azure DevOps)
• Solid understanding of Agile methodologies (SAFe, Scrum, Kanban)
• Ability to translate business needs into technical and operational solutions
• Solid leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills
• Familiarity with metrics-driven delivery (OKRs, KPIs)
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• SAFe Program Consultant (SPC) or similar Agile certification
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP)
• Exposure and proven record to implement AI/ML concepts and tools (e.g., automation, data analytics, anomaly detection)
• Background in software engineering or data-driven process improvement
• Familiarity with Lean Portfolio Management and Agile metrics
  
  

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.