Principal Network Engineer

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 startCaring. Connecting. Growing together.

As a Principal Network Engineer within our Core Infra & Ops Platforms division, you will architect, implement, and evolve our global internet edge infrastructure. In this role, you will drive routing policies, traffic engineering strategies, and DDoS mitigation mechanisms to ensure a resilient, secure, and high-performing network footprint. You will lead technical innovations by leveraging software-defined solutions, hybrid cloud connectivity, and advanced automation platforms to build a scalable, highly automated, and self-healing network ecosystem.

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:

• Internet Edge Architecture: Design, implement, and evolve the organization's internet edge architecture including transit connectivity, peering, traffic engineering strategies, and edge redundancy
• Routing Design & Operations: Develop and maintain stable, scalable routing policy frameworks across the network using protocols such as BGP
• Traffic Engineering & DDoS Mitigation: Optimize routing policies for transit providers and peering relationships, and design routing-based mitigation mechanisms (e.g., RTBH, BGP FlowSpec, and external mitigation integration)
• Hybrid Connectivity: Design and support resilient routing and route control between on-premises data centers and cloud environments
• Advanced Troubleshooting: Investigate and resolve complex routing and connectivity issues using packet captures, control-plane analysis, and telemetry data
• Network Automation & Innovation: Evaluate emerging trends and leverage enterprise-approved AI, scripting, and automation tools to streamline workflows, optimize operations, and drive continuous improvement
• Documentation & Standards: Maintain detailed network documentation, routing policy standards, and architecture diagrams to support operational clarity
• Technical Leadership: Provide mentorship and technical guidance to network engineers, review the work of others, and develop innovative architectural approaches

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 or 4+ years of equivalent network engineering experience
• 10+ years of network engineering experience with a strong focus on large-scale routing and internet edge environments
• Deep expertise in BGP path selection, policy design, route reflectors, communities (including large communities), multipath, traffic engineering, and convergence tuning
• Experience designing highly available internet edge environments, multi-homing with multiple transit providers, and peering at internet exchange points (IXPs)
• Experience implementing and operating routing-based DDoS mitigation techniques (such as RTBH, BGP FlowSpec, and traffic diversion)
• Understanding of routing security practices including prefix filtering, RPKI origin validation, and route leak prevention
• Experience designing hybrid cloud routing using AWS Direct Connect, Azure ExpressRoute, or Google Cloud Interconnect
• Experience using telemetry, NetFlow/sFlow/IPFIX, and routing analytics tools to monitor traffic patterns and detect anomalies
• Willingness to participate in an on-call rotation and perform maintenance or changes during off-hours when required

Preferred Qualifications:

• Active CCNP, CCIE, or equivalent level network certification
• Experience working with Cisco and Arista routing and switching platforms
• Experience automating network operations using Python, Ansible, Git, APIs, or infrastructure-as-code (IaC) practices
• Familiarity with modern development workflows, including the use of AI-assisted code generation tools to accelerate configuration management
• Solid leadership and project management skills with the ability to drive complex infrastructure initiatives

*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.