Associate Software Engineer

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 .

Administer and support Kafka infrastructure, including associated hardware, software, and ecosystem components across cloud and on-premises environments Assist with capacity planning and infrastructure growth by partnering with application teams to understand future messaging and data requirements Support the design, implementation, testing, and maintenance of Kafka Disaster Recovery (DR) solutions to ensure business continuity Manage and maintain Kafka clusters hosted in Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and Kubernetes-based on-premises environments Develop and enhance infrastructure automation using tools such as Terraform, Ansible, Git, and Jenkins to improve operational efficiency and reliability Configure, implement, and maintain Kafka security controls, including Kerberos, ACLs, SSL/TLS, SASL, and SCRAM authentication mechanisms Research, evaluate, and implement new technologies and capabilities to enhance Enterprise Messaging Services Assist in the development and support of AI-enabled solutions and emerging technologies where applicable Understand upstream and downstream data dependencies to ensure reliable, scalable, and resilient messaging solutions Design, build, configure, and support application and technical architecture components based on business and technical requirements Establish and maintain best practices for Kafka Source and Sink Connector configuration, deployment, and monitoring Monitor platform performance, troubleshoot issues, and support production environments to meet service level objectives Analyze complex technical and operational data, identify trends, and provide recommendations to improve system performance and reliability Collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality solutions and support enterprise messaging initiatives Demonstrate a proactive, customer-focused mindset by identifying opportunities for continuous improvement and innovation Maintain flexibility and professionalism while working in a fast-paced environment with evolving priorities and deadlines Adhere to all company policies, procedures, security standards, and employment requirements while supporting changing business needs 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.

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or equivalent practical experience 3+ years of experience administering and supporting Apache Kafka platforms, including production environments, cluster management, broker configuration, capacity planning, monitoring, and troubleshooting 3+ years of experience managing containerized workloads on Kubernetes, including deployments in both cloud and on-premises environments 3+ years of experience working with Google Cloud Platform (GCP), infrastructure services, and cloud-native solutions 3+ years of experience with Linux/Unix administration (RHEL preferred), including system configuration, troubleshooting, and performance tuning 3+ years of experience implementing Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and automation using tools such as Terraform, Ansible, Helm, Jenkins, Git, or equivalent technologies 3+ years of experience designing, deploying, monitoring,