Director Software Engineering

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. Primary Responsibilities: As an AI-First Technical LeaderDefine and drive the organization's AI-first engineering vision, embedding Generative AI, Agentic AI, and intelligent automation into engineering practices, products, and business processesLead the design and implementation of scalable AI-powered solutions leveraging Azure AI Foundry, GPT models, Agentic AI frameworks, RAG architectures, vector databases, knowledge graphs, and enterprise data platformsEstablish engineering standards for AI application development, including model evaluation, prompt engineering, observability, guardrails, governance, responsible AI, and securityArchitect and deliver secure, resilient, cloud-native solutions on Azure using IaaS, PaaS, containerized, serverless, and AI-native architecturesStay at the forefront of advancements in Generative AI, Large Language Models (LLMs), multimodal AI, Agentic AI, MLOps, Data Engineering, and Cloud technologies, translating innovations into business valueEnsure system architectures support scalability, data quality, explainability, compliance, and responsible use of AI while aligning with long-term technology strategyAs an AI-First People LeaderBuild and nurture high-performing engineering teams capable of designing, developing, and operating AI-powered products and platformsMentor engineers, architects, and leaders in AI engineering practices, cloud architectures, data platforms, and modern software engineeringFoster a culture of continuous learning, experimentation, innovation, and AI adoption across the engineering organizationEnable teams to leverage AI as a productivity multiplier by integrating AI-powered workflows into software development, testing, operations, and analyticsDevelop future AI leadership talent and partner with management to build organizational capabilities in AI, Data, and Cloud technologiesLead organizational change management initiatives that accelerate AI adoption while ensuring employee engagement and skill developmentAs an AI-First Strategic LeaderPartner closely with Product, Data Science, Clinical, Business, and Engineering leaders to define and execute an enterprise AI strategy aligned with business objectivesDrive the identification, prioritization, and delivery of AI use cases that unlock measurable business value, customer outcomes, operational efficiencies, and innovationInfluence technology roadmaps across multiple organizations, ensuring alignment with AI-first architecture principles and enterprise modernization strategiesEstablish governance, compliance, risk management, and responsible AI frameworks for enterprise AI adoptionBuild strategic partnerships with Microsoft, OpenAI, and other technology providers to accelerate innovation and enterprise AI capabilitiesContribute to the organization's intellectual property through AI-driven innovations, patents, reusable frameworks, accelerators, and differentiated solutionsDefine and track AI adoption, productivity, quality, and business outcome metrics to demonstrate measurable impact from AI investmentsComply 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 soRequired Qualifications: EducationBachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, or a related fieldProfessional experience15+ years of software engineering experience with 5+ years leading engineering organizationsProven experience driving large-scale digital transformation initiativesDemonstrated success leading AI-first engineering, data, or platform organizationsExperience building and scaling enterprise AI and cloud-native solutionsAI & Data expertiseHands-on experience implementing enterprise AI solutionsSolid experience building AI-powered products, copilots, intelligent workflows, and agent-based systemsDeep expertise in data engineering Optum is