Contract Software Engineer Optum Jobs (NOW HIRING)

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 diversity and inclusion, 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.
As a Senior Software Engineer, you will design, build, and deploy scalable, cloud-based platforms that power high-impact solutions across UnitedHealthcare, Optum Financial, Optum Health, Optum Insight, and Optum Rx.
You will work closely with scientists, engineers, and product teams to develop intelligent systems using a modern technology stack, including Java, React, AI, NLP, and Large Language Models (LLMs). Your role will involve working with both structured and unstructured healthcare data to solve complex, real-world problems on a scale.
In this position, you will take ownership of core services and applications, contribute to enterprise-grade system design, and help build non-code and low-code AI solutions. Your work will have a direct impact on improving the healthcare experience for millions of users.
If you are passionate about building scalable systems, applied AI, and delivering meaningful outcomes, this role offers the opportunity to grow technically while making a difference in healthcare.
You will enjoy the flexibility to telecommute* from anywhere within the U.S. as you take on some tough challenges.
Primary Responsibilities:

• Collaborate closely with business stakeholders and Technical Product Owners (TPOs) to drive successful project delivery
• Develop strong AI applications that are used across clinical platform teams
• Solid experience in software development, ensuring high-quality solutions that meet business needs
• Take ownership of operational support, troubleshooting, and resolving production issues efficiently
• Actively participate in all deployment activities, ensuring smooth releases and minimizing downtime
• Mentor development teams, fostering best practices in software engineering and agile delivery
• Drive end-to-end delivery, ensuring projects are completed on time and align with organizational goals
• Leverage enterprise-approved AI tools to enhance productivity and innovation by streamlining workflows and automating repetitive tasks
• Evaluate emerging trends to drive continuous improvement and strategic innovation

You'll be rewarded and recognized for your performance in an environment that will challenge you and give you clear directions 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
• 5+ years of experience as a technical developer or similar role, with a track record of successfully delivering complex cloud-based projects
• 3+ years of experience in clinical or healthcare-related projects
• 3+ years of experience with Java, Node JS and GIT
• 3+ years of experience with either React or Angular
• 1+ years of experience with Elastic search, Azure/GCP and Kafka

Preferred Qualifications:

• 1+ years of AI experience, working on developing AI/LLM models and leading AI teams in past
• Devops, SecDevOps, SRE experience
• Experience working with global teams
• Camunda, PostgreSQL
• Microservices, Microproducts
• Kubernetes with Docker
• Leadership & Collaboration: Strong ability to work with business stakeholders and end users to translate requirements into technical solutions
• Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to effectively engage with both technical teams and business partners

*All Telecommuters 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 to $163,700 annually based on full-time employment. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
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.
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