Lead Software Engineer - React, Python, SQL

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.

The AAV team builds and maintains Apollo, Optum South's governed data spine, and Horizon Compass, its unified provider-facing dashboard platform. We're looking for a Lead Software Engineer to own technical direction across the React front end and Python services layer, set engineering standards, and mentor the team as Horizon/Apollo scales beyond Optum South to additional regions.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Own architectural decisions across the Horizon Compass front end (React) and the Python services/API layer connecting it to Apollo's Databricks/Snowflake data layer
• Set and enforce engineering standards - code review practices, testing discipline, CI/CD, API design conventions
• Lead technical design for new portal features and data-facing services, balancing speed with the governed, regulated nature of the data
• Mentor and grow engineers on the team; act as the technical escalation point for hard problems
• Partner directly with the Director of Data Services on technical roadmap and resourcing, and represent engineering in cross-functional and leadership discussions
• Guide the front-end/back-end split of work as the team grows (currently backfilling Full Stack, Cloud, and Frontend/UI roles)
• Help scope and de-risk Horizon/Apollo's expansion to Optum West, East, and Mid-East regions from an engineering standpoint
• 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

Required Qualifications:

• Graduate degree or equivalent experience
• Technical depth
  • Expert-level production experience with React (architecture, performance, state management) and Python (API development, service design)
  • Solid SQL and experience working against a modern data platform (Databricks/Snowflake or equivalent)
  • Proven track record designing systems that scale - not just building features, but owning how a platform's architecture evolves
  • Proven comfortable owning the full stack from UI through API to data layer, and making tradeoffs across all three
• Leadership
  • Experience as a technical lead - setting standards, doing design/architecture review, unblocking other engineers
  • Proven to mentor without micromanaging; grows engineers rather than just directing them
  • Proven comfortable being the technical voice in front of non-engineering stakeholders and leadership
• Judgment
  • Experience working in a regulated or compliance-sensitive data environment (healthcare a strong plus)
  • Proven pragmatic about technical debt - knows when to invest and when to move fast

Preferred Qualifications:

• Direct healthcare, HEDIS, or claims data experience
• Experience scaling a platform across multiple business units or regions
• Familiarity with Databricks AI functions or agentic/LLM-based features (Apollo is actively building in this direction)

Why This Role

Horizon/Apollo has active expansion interest from Optum West, East, and Mid-East regions- this role sets the technical foundation for that scale-out, with direct visibility into leadership and real ownership over architecture, not just delivery.

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.