Senior Data Engineer (DBA)

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.

At Optum, we are leading the fastest moving industry in the world. Health care is transforming and we are innovating to help make the health care system work better for everyone. Our elite technology teams are working on multiple projects that impact on the lives of millions.

This role is part of the M&R Database Operations organization, supporting enterprise database platforms across on-premises and multi-cloud environments.

This position is responsible for the end-to-end administration, reliability, performance, and security of PostgreSQL, Oracle, and MySQL databases, with a strong focus on cloud-based operations across Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP).

You will enjoy the flexibility to telecommute* from anywhere within the U.S. as you take on some tough challenges.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Administer, maintain, and optimize PostgreSQL, Oracle, and MySQL databases across on-premises and multi-cloud environments (Azure, AWS, GCP)
• Manage database installations, upgrades, migrations, patching, security compliance, and environment provisioning
• Ensure database availability, performance, backup, recovery, disaster recovery, and data protection in line with RTO/RPO objectives
• Monitor, troubleshoot, and resolve database and cloud platform incidents, providing production support and participating in on-call rotations
• Support storage, capacity planning, application releases, and change management activities across enterprise environments
• Collaborate with engineering, application, and infrastructure teams to drive cloud modernization, automation, and continuous improvement initiatives
• Maintain technical documentation and contribute to architecture standards, best practices, and operational excellence
• Communicate risks, issues, and recommendations effectively to stakeholders and leadership, escalating critical concerns when required

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:

• 5+ years of database administration (DBA) experience within complex enterprise environments
• 5+ years of experience supporting mission-critical production databases, including high availability and 24x7 operations
• 5+ years of hands-on experience administering PostgreSQL, Oracle, and MySQL database platforms
• 5+ years of experience with database backup, recovery, cloning, migration, performance tuning, and capacity management
• 3+ years of experience supporting cloud-based database platforms across Azure, AWS, and GCP, including both PaaS and IaaS deployments
• 3+ years of experience delivering cloud migration, modernization, and high availability/disaster recovery solutions
• 3+ years of experience with database performance optimization, including query tuning, indexing strategies, and workload analysis
• 3+ years of scripting and automation experience using Python and Shell scripting
• 2+ years of experience with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools such as Terraform and Ansible
• Willingness to participate in a 24x7 on-call support rotation

Soft Skills:

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and troubleshooting abilities
• Ability to work effectively across cross-functional and geographically distributed teams, including DBA, SRE, infrastructure, and application teams
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to clearly articulate risks, impacts, recommendations, and remediation plans
• Strong stakeholder management and collaboration skills
• Proactive mindset focused on reliability, automation, operational excellence, and continuous improvement
• Ability to remain calm and make sound decisions during high-severity production incidents
• Strong attention to detail with a commitment to quality, security, and compliance standards

*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 - $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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