Senior Software Engineer - AI Center of Excellence - Remote

Requisition Number: 2395147
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 in making healthcare work better for everyone through people-led, responsible AI while Caring. Connecting. Growing together.
As a Senior Software Engineer within the Optum Insight AI Center of Excellence (CoE), you will define and operationalize technical readiness patterns that enable external, customer-facing AI capabilities across healthcare ecosystems. Our team focuses on establishing robust architecture, identity, authorization, runtime, and telemetry guardrails that allow product teams to securely advance cutting-edge AI technologies toward customer-ready status. In this role, you will work with modern AI protocols and architectures-including Model Context Protocol (MCP), large language model (LLM) APIs, and agent frameworks-while partnering closely with security, privacy, and enterprise governance leaders. This is an opportunity to solve unprecedented technical challenges and ensure that scalable, transformative AI innovations are safely delivered to our partners and clients.
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 establish external-AI technical readiness patterns across architecture, identity and access management, authorization, runtime, and telemetry
• Review and evaluate technical designs across multiple engagements against enterprise architecture, security, and privacy standards prior to customer-ready advancement
• Collaborate with Security, Privacy, and enterprise AI governance teams to ensure that controls and guardrails are correctly implemented for direct and embedded external use cases
• Partner with product and engineering teams to advise on technical remediation strategies required to close readiness gaps identified during gate reviews
• Extend reusable technical patterns beyond initial Model Context Protocol (MCP) environments to emerging agents, skills, models, and AI APIs as CoE scope expands
• Produce comprehensive technical evidence records supporting CoE governance recommendations at each review stage
• Contribute to technical documentation, integration guides, and developer portal resources for external partners and customers

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:

• 7+ years of software engineering experience, including hands-on experience in architecture or technical lead roles
• 5+ years of experience designing or delivering external, customer-facing systems and APIs
• 5+ years of hands-on expertise with modern API architecture, identity and access management protocols (such as OAuth/OIDC), and runtime observability/telemetry
• 5+ years of experience operating within a regulated enterprise environment featuring formal security, privacy, and architectural review processes
• 5+ years of experience articulating complex architecture decisions and risk assessments clearly to non-technical stakeholders
• 3+ years of practical working knowledge of AI/ML systems, protocols, and integration points, such as Model Context Protocol (MCP), LLM APIs, or agent frameworks

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical discipline
• Direct experience implementing guardrails, privacy controls, or security evaluations for generative AI and agentic workflows
• Experience building external developer documentation, developer portals, or software development kits (SDKs)
• Familiarity with cloud-native distributed architectures and high-scale health data exchange standards

*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 $91,700 - $163,700 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 help make the health system work better for everyone. Together, we are shaping the future of healthcare by harnessing technology and innovation to make care simpler to navigate, more affordable and more connected for the people we serve. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels welcomed, valued, heard and respected, empowering people to bring their authentic selves to work and strengthening our collective impact through diverse talents, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.
UnitedHealth Group and its affiliated brands are 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 and its affiliated brands are a drug-free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.