Principal Architect - Remote

Optum Tech is a global leader in health care innovation. Our teams develop cutting-edge solutions that help people live healthier lives and help make the health system work better for everyone. From advanced data analytics and AI to cybersecurity, we use innovative approaches to solve some of health care's most complex challenges. Your contributions here have the potential to change lives. Ready to build the next breakthrough? Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together.

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.

Primary Responsibilities

• Define and own end to end architecture for AI enabled and Generative AI solutions aligned with business outcomes, scalability, security, and compliance
• Design reference architectures for LLM based systems, including prompt orchestration, RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation), agent frameworks, and model integration patterns
• Evaluate and recommend AI platforms, foundation models, and tooling (e.g., Azure OpenAI, vector databases, model gateways) based on use case fit and enterprise standards
• Translate business and product requirements into scalable AI solution designs covering data ingestion, embeddings, model inference, orchestration, and integration with enterprise systems
• Architect AI driven workflows that integrate with existing microservices, data platforms, APIs, and event driven systems
• Provide hands on architectural guidance for complex AI implementations, including performance tuning and cost optimization
• Embed Responsible AI principles including privacy, fairness, explainability, model risk management, and auditability into solution designs
• Define guardrails for prompt management, data access, content filtering, and human in the loop controls
• Ensure AI solutions comply with enterprise security, regulatory, and data governance standards.
• Act as the technical authority for AI initiatives, guiding teams through architectural decisions and design trade offs
• Design scalable cloud native and hybrid AI platforms supporting training, fine tuning, inference, and monitoring
• Ensure high availability, resiliency, and observability for AI systems in production
• Promote AI assisted development practices using tools such as GitHub Copilot to improve developer productivity, code quality, and test coverage
• Establish standards for AI generated code review, validation, and security scanning
• Act as a bridge between business stakeholders and technical teams to align AI capabilities with real business value
• Support onshore/offshore teams with architectural direction and AI adoption guidance
• Drive modernization initiatives leveraging GenAI for automation, insights, and improved user experience
• Continuously refine AI architectures based on evolving business needs, usage patterns, and model performance

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 a related technical field
• 8+ years of experience with complex business requirements into scalable, secure, and high-performance architectures
• 6+ years of experience in software engineering with at least 3+ years in a Technical Architect or Solution Architect role
• 6+ years of experience with Java, Springboot, MicroServices, Kafka, API, Azure cloud, Databricks, SQLMI (or any DB)
• 4+ years of experience with microservices, APIs, event driven systems, and containerized deployments
• 4+ years of experience with lead design reviews, define standards, and provide technical oversight across cross functional teams
• 2+ years of experience Azure cloud services with experience integrating Azure OpenAI into enterprise solutions
• 1+ years of experience designing and implementing LLM based solutions, including RAG, prompt orchestration, and agent driven architectures

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree
• Demonstrated experience architecting enterprise scale solutions in cloud environments (Azure preferred)
• Practical experience delivering AI enabled or GenAI solutions in production environments
• Proven knowledge of responsible AI principles, data privacy, security controls, and governance frameworks
• Proven solid stakeholder management skills with the ability to work closely with Product, Business, Engineering, Data, and Security teams
• 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 $112,700 to $193,200 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.