Principal Data Engineering - 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.

The Principal Data Engineer is a senior technical leader responsible for designing, developing, and optimizing scalable data pipelines and platforms that support advanced analytics and AI/ML initiatives. This role is pivotal in driving innovation across data ingestion, transformation, and consumption layers using modern cloud-native technologies.

You'll enjoy the flexibility to work remotely * from anywhere within the U.S. as you take on some tough challenges.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Architect and implement robust, scalable data pipelines using Databricks, Snowflake, and Azure ML
• Lead AI/ML data engineering initiatives including synthetic data generation, data mapping, profiling, and transformation using Generative AI techniques 1
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enable seamless data access, governance, and lineage across platforms
• Drive adoption of best practices in CI/CD, data quality, and data security across engineering teams
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to the development of reusable frameworks and accelerators

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:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science , Engineering or 4+ years of equivalent professional experience
• 15+ years of experience in data engineering with at least 3 years in a principal or lead role
• 2+ years of experience in Cloud Platforms (Azure, AWS)
• 2+ years of experience in Data Engineering (Databricks, Snowflake, Spark, Hive, Airflow, ADF)
• 2+ years of experience in Programming (Python, SQL, PySpark)
• 2+ years of experience in Data Governance (Privacera, Azure AD for access control)
• 2+ years of experience in DevOps (Terraform, Git, CI/CD pipelines)
• 1+ years of experience in AI/ML Integration (Azure ML, MLflow, LLM endpoints, Copilot for code generation)

Preferred Qualifications:

• Certifications in Databricks, Snowflake, or Azure ML
• Proven experience in building and optimizing large-scale data platforms and AI/ML pipelines
• Experience with synthetic data generation, automated data mapping, and AI-powered data transformation 1
• Solid understanding of data modeling, metadata management, and data lifecycle

*All employees working remotely 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 $110,200 to $188,800 annually based on full-time employment. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.

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.