Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Optum is a global leader in health care innovation, developing solutions to improve health systems. The Principal Network Engineer will architect and implement global internet edge infrastructure, driving innovations in routing policies, traffic engineering, and network automation.
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
Skills
- 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
- 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
Benefits
- A comprehensive benefits package
- Incentive and recognition programs
- Equity stock purchase
- 401k contribution (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements)
Company Overview