Join Optum, a global leader in health optimization, and drive the future of enterprise search. This role is instrumental in building a scalable, secure, and intelligent search experience across our diverse products, platforms, and data sources.

As a Senior Software Engineer, you will lead the implementation of Unified Search capabilities, leveraging cutting-edge technology to enhance how millions access the care, pharmacy benefits, and resources they need. You will be part of a dynamic team dedicated to improving health outcomes and advancing global health.

Optum offers a collaborative environment with talented peers, comprehensive benefits, and ample career development opportunities. We are committed to inclusion and believe in growing together to make a significant impact on the communities we serve.

Spearhead the design and implementation of robust backend services, APIs, and integrations that power our Unified Search functionality.

Develop scalable, secure, and maintainable backend solutions using Python and cloud-native practices. Drive the implementation of key search capabilities, including query handling, retrieval workflows, metadata enrichment, filtering, and ranking.

Collaborate closely with product, architecture, data science, front-end, data engineering, security, and platform teams to translate strategic Unified Search goals into actionable technical plans. Provide essential technical direction to engineering resources, ensuring cohesive delivery across user experience, APIs, data pipelines, and search outcomes.

Design and support API contracts, service integrations, data access patterns, and operational workflows for reliable enterprise search. Apply expertise in AI and GenAI concepts such as semantic search, retrieval-augmented generation, and responsible AI practices.

Ensure all solutions adhere to enterprise security, privacy, compliance, and data protection standards. Lead code reviews, design discussions, and implementation reviews to enhance quality and maintainability. Identify and resolve technical risks, dependencies, and delivery blockers.

Support production readiness through comprehensive observability, monitoring, and incident response. Mentor engineers, elevating team capabilities in backend development, cloud engineering, secure coding, API design, and quality practices.

A Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, Data Science, or a related field, coupled with equivalent practical experience, is required. A minimum of 7 years of software engineering experience is essential for building and supporting production-grade applications, APIs, backend services, or platform capabilities.

Demonstrate solid hands-on backend engineering expertise with Python and proven experience designing, developing, and supporting REST APIs or service-based integrations. Proficiency with Azure or AWS cloud platforms and cloud-native application development is critical.

Proven ability to lead technical implementations across multiple workstreams or engineering disciplines. Experience with Agile delivery, Git-based development, CI/CD, code reviews, automated testing, and production support is expected. A strong understanding of secure software development practices, API security, access control, secrets management, encryption, and data protection is a must.

Familiarity with AI or GenAI-enabled application patterns, such as semantic search, retrieval workflows, embeddings, or retrieval-augmented generation, is required. Excellent problem-solving, communication, collaboration, and technical leadership skills are paramount. The ability to guide front-end and data engineering resources through design, integration, testing, and delivery is essential.