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Principal Data Engineer will be responsible for operation of OptumServe's database Servers, working through a backlog of improvement projects and Problem Management tickets to improve stability.

This position reports to the OptumServe Data Engineering team. The Data Engineering team manages a large ecosystem of Microsoft Always-On High Availability groups that are hosted on-prem. The candidate will need a strong background in SQL Server on-prem operations and will participate in the on-prem ecosystem along with the cloud infrastructure duties.

You’ll enjoy the flexibility to work remotely * from anywhere within the U.S. as you take on some tough challenges.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Solid self-starter with a documented history in enterprise Azure PaaS/IaaS database deployment

• Architect for OptumServe’s next generation cloud-based systems

• Develop and implement Azure Best Practices for performance efficiency and cost optimization

• Knowledge and experience with the following:

• CosmosDB

• PaaS Azure SQL and Azure SQL MI

• Hands on experience with deployment of PostgreSQL

• Authentication with Entra, Azure RBAC, and legacy authentication methods

• Encryption at-rest and customer managed keys

• Azure disaster recovery and business continuity

• Replication, Failover, High Availability

• Azure Data Factory and Data Bricks

• Investigate, evaluate, propose, and implement new tools or processes to improve the reliability, stability and efficiency of the build and deployment pipelines

• Solid operational knowledge of enterprise scale on-prem SQL Server infrastructure, along with the ability to be available for scheduled on-call shifts

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:

• 10+ years of proven experience as a Senior or Principal Data Engineer in an enterprise-level environment

• 5+ years of proven experience as a SQL Server architect/Principal Data Engineer with experience in design, implementation, and management of SQL Server High Availability Groups with disaster recovery on SQL Server 2016 or higher

• Deep knowledge and hands-on experience with Azure deployments using PaaS/IaaS and microservice architecture

• Experience with PII Personally Identifiable Information or PHI Personal Health Information

• Extensive experience with change management systems, such as ServiceNow and Jira

• Architecture and management of enterprise level SQL Server Always-On High Availability groups (SQL 2016 or higher)

• Deep knowledge of SQL waits, locking, blocking and resource contention

• Must be able to obtain and maintain a suitability or determination of eligibility for a Confidential/Secret or Top-Secret security clearance.

• US Citizenship

Preferred Qualifications:

• Current security clearance and/or Security+ certification

• Experience with Design, Configuration, and Administration of highly available enterprise PostgreSQL solutions

• Experience with federal contracts, including STIG, NIST, SOC auditing, CUI, PII/PHI

• In-depth knowledge of data security with regards to Confidential Unclassified Information

• Deep knowledge of query plans, statistics, indexes, and ability to communicate effectively with stakeholders about issues and improvements

• Proven ability to clearly document and communicate changes and improvements to stakeholders

*All employees working remotely will be required to adhere to UnitedHealth Group’s Telecommuter Policy

California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Washington, or Washington, D.C. Residents Only: The salary range for this role is $104,700 to $190,400 annually. Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to local labor markets, education, work experience, certifications, etc. UnitedHealth Group complies with al minimum wage laws as applicable. In addition to your salary, UnitedHealth Group offers 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 UnitedHealth Group, you’ll find a far-reaching choice of benefits and incentives.

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.

Diversity creates a healthier atmosphere: OptumCare is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employers and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

OptumCare is a drug-free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.