Principal Software Engineer - Remote

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 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 start Caring. Connecting. Growing together.

We are seeking a highly experienced and visionary Principal Engineer to lead the architecture and engineering efforts for our Voice Security Platform. This platform secures IVR interactions across enterprise contact centers, integrating fraud detection, authentication, and biometrics. The role involves deep technical leadership, cross-functional collaboration, and strategic oversight of vendor integrations and cloud-native transformations.

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.

• Responsible for integration with vendor for voice authentication and fraud detection
• Support enterprise-grade IVR and telephony architecture
• Implement carrier metadata ingestion and onboarding data of contact centers
• Design and implement API orchestration and migration across cloud and on-prem systems
• Architect high availability, disaster recovery and observability
• Daily coordination with cross platform teams

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.

• 10+ years of experience in backend development using Java and Python, with a focus on scalable, secure, and maintainable codebases
• 7+ years of experience designing and delivering enterprise-grade solutions across complex organizational landscapes
• 3+ years of hands‑on experience architecting and deploying solutions using AWS services such as Lambda, ECS/EKS, and API Gateway
• 3+ years of experience in a principal engineering or equivalent technical leadership role, with a track record of guiding cross‑functional teams and driving architectural alignment across business units
• 1+ years of experience building applications leveraging AI/ML or Generative AI technologies
• Expertise in asynchronous orchestration using Kafka, Kinesis, and Event Bridge, with a solid foundation in designing real‑time publish‑subscribe systems
• Proficiency in Docker‑based development, managing enterprise‑grade container repositories, and implementing automated CI/CD pipelines for cloud environments
• Ability to design and implement multi‑layered security frameworks, including ingress/egress controls, data encryption (at rest and in transit), and identity federation
• Proven deep understanding of architectural principles such as eventual consistency, fault tolerance, and horizontal scalability in microservices and No
  
  SQL ecosystems
• Experience building and integrating observability stacks using Open Telemetry, log aggregation platforms, and performance monitoring dashboards
• Proven working knowledge of prompt engineering, AI guardrails, and knowledge base integration to support intelligent voice interactions and fraud detection

• Experience with biometric authentication and voiceprint analysis
• Familiarity with TEFCA certification and healthcare interoperability standards
• Experience implementing Git Ops workflows and release management pipelines
• Exposure to enterprise governance processes and security assessments (e.g., DAST, MBO check‑ins)
• Ability to produce architecture diagrams, onboarding materials, and technical documentation

* All employees working remote will be required to adhere to United Health Group's Telecommuter Policy.

Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to local labor markets, education, work…