Vice President of Software Engineering for Utilization Management

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.

As the Vice President of Software Engineering for Utilization Management, you will lead the strategic technology vision, platform engineering execution, and AI workforce transformation across multiple initiatives. In this leadership role, you will directly oversee the technical migration of Behavioral Health Utilization Management (UM) and Home & Community UM onto the unified Optum Care Management (OCM) platform. You will drive enterprise artificial intelligence integration and intelligent automation to modernize utilization workflows, empower engineering teams with advanced AI capabilities, and streamline care delivery across the organization. By shaping a high-performing engineering culture grounded in technological innovation and ethical AI deployment, you will accelerate enterprise platform modernization and elevate patient care outcomes.

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

• Lead the strategic software engineering vision, roadmap execution, and platform architecture for enterprise pre & post-acute Utilization Management (UM) solutions
• Spearhead the complex technical migration of Behavioral Health UM and Home & Community UM systems onto the unified Optum Care Management (OCM) platform
• Integrate enterprise AI tools, set clear AI adoption goals within team development plans, and align engineering hiring with emerging AI competencies to accelerate technical capabilities
• Lead AI workforce transformation across the software engineering organization, actively remove barriers to adoption and upskill engineering talent to leverage modern AI tools and automated workflows
• Champion the ethical use of AI by embedding transparency, fairness, governance, and accountability throughout the complete software development and AI lifecycle
• Strategically use AI and advanced automation to solve complex healthcare delivery challenges, optimize clinical decision workflows, and deliver tangible business value
• Champion technology innovation as a core driver of team success, proactively shaping how software platform capabilities and AI solutions are developed, deployed, and utilized
• Direct engineering leadership, establish robust architectural standards and DevOps practices, and oversee technology budgets and system performance across all development initiatives

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

• 10+ years of progressive software engineering leadership experience, managing multi-disciplinary engineering organizations
• 5+ years of technical leadership experience leading enterprise platform modernizations, cloud migrations, and large-scale system integrations
• 5+ years of experience leading software engineering teams within healthcare, clinical systems, or utilization management domains
• Experience driving technology strategy, workforce transformation, or operational integration involving AI, machine learning, or intelligent automation capabilities
• Proven track record of managing enterprise software engineering budgets, executive business stakeholder relationships, and multi-team development programs
• Prior experience leading global technology teams (through other leaders) of 200+ people
• Demonstrated success building and delivering on a cohesive technology vision, strategy, and roadmaps that meet business objectives
• Track record of effective working relationships with cSuite leaders and key business partners to drive change agendas
• Demonstrated strategic thinking abilities and an enterprise-wide perspective
• Experience leading through influence in a large, matrixed, global environment
• History of executing with excellence: setting purposeful goals and achieving them through intelligent actions, which balance competing priorities without losing momentum behind execution
• Demonstrated leadership style which fosters accountability, transparent communication and innovation
• High level of emotional intelligence
• Proven outstanding collaboration, influencing, problem solving and negotiation skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading large-scale platform migrations
• Experience with Behavioral Health, Home & Community care, or enterprise care management frameworks (such as OCM)
• Demonstrated success driving organizational workforce transformation and establishing governance frameworks for ethical AI deployment
• Working knowledge of healthcare interoperability standards (e.g., FHIR, HL7, EDI 278/275)
• Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field
• 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 $200,400 to $343,500 annually based on full-time employment. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.

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.