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 looking for a highly skilled Principal Software Engineer with strong hands\-on expertise in Java Full Stack technologies to design, develop, and scale high\-performance, cloud\-native healthcare applications. This role requires deep technical expertise, strong ownership of product development, and the ability to solve complex production issues while guiding engineering teams. The role also requires awareness and practical exposure to AI/ML\-driven development practices.
*Primary Responsibilities:**
Design, develop, and maintain scalable, high\-performance full stack applications using Java and modern frameworks
Provide hands\-on coding and actively contribute to critical components and complex features
Analyze and debug production issues, perform root cause analysis, and drive timely resolution
Support production systems, ensure application stability, and improve reliability and performance
Understand existing applications and propose improvements for scalability, maintainability, and performance
Drive system design and architecture discussions; ensure adherence to design principles and best practices
Guide team members on technical issues, troubleshooting, and implementation approaches
Perform code reviews and ensure adherence to coding standards, testing practices, and quality guidelines
Collaborate with cross\-functional teams including product, QA, DevOps, and architecture
Contribute to continuous improvement through adoption of DevOps, CI/CD, and automation practices
Leverage AI\-assisted development tools (e.g., code generation, test automation) to improve engineering productivity
*Required Qualifications:**
12\+ years of experience in software engineering with strong hands\-on development experience
Hands\-on experience with cloud platforms (AWS / Azure / GCP) and cloud\-native development
Full Stack experience with Angular or React
Solid experience in troubleshooting production issues and application support
Experience with SQL / NoSQL databases and performance optimization
Experience with CI/CD pipelines, DevOps practices, and modern engineering tools
Solid understanding of distributed systems, REST APIs, and system design
Proven solid expertise in Java, Spring Boot, and Microservices architecture
Proven solid problem\-solving and debugging skills
Proven solid hands\-on technical ownership with ability to lead by example
Proven guide and support team members on complex technical challenges
Proven drive improvements in system design, performance, and reliability
*Preferred Qualifications:**
Undergraduate degree or equivalent experience
Experience in Healthcare domain (payer/provider)
Experience with large\-scale product development and customer\-facing applications
Basic understanding of AI/ML concepts such as model usage, APIs, prompt\-based systems, or GenAI integrations
Proven exposure to containerization and orchestration tools (Docker, Kubernetes)
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.*
Understand and integrate AI/ML capabilities (APIs/models) into applications where applicable
Evaluate opportunities to use AI for automation, monitoring, and intelligent decisioning within the platform
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
Proven balance development, production support, and continuous improvement initiatives
Proven encourage adoption of AI\-driven engineering practices within the team