Sr. Director, Payments Innovation & Financial Product Engineering
Careers at UnitedHealth Group
We’re creating opportunities in every corner of the health care marketplace to improve lives while we’re building careers. At UnitedHealth Group, we support you with the latest tools, advanced training and the combined strength of high caliber co-workers who share your passion, your energy and your commitment to quality. Join us and start doing your life’s best work.SM
Clinical
Compassion. It’s the starting point for health care providers like you and it’s what drives us every day as we put our exceptional skills together with a real feeling of caring for others. This is a place where your impact goes beyond providing care one patient at a time. Because here, every day, you’re also providing leadership and contributing in ways that can affect millions for years to come. Ready for a new path? Learn more, and start doing your life’s best work.SM
Our teams are helping people from around the world. We can bring out your best as you put your listening, analytical and problem solving skills to work in a setting that is geared to helping improve lives and enhance health care for millions. Here, you’ll discover a wealth of pathways for professional growth within Customer Service, Billing, Claims, Enrollment & Eligibility and across our global economy. Join us and find out why this is the place to do your life’s best work.SM
Sr. Director, Payments Innovation & Financial Product 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 diversity and inclusion, talented peers, comprehensive benefits and career development opportunities. Come make an impact on the communities we serve as you help us advance health equity on a global scale. Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together.
Role- Based in Bangalore, India
Position Overview
We are seeking a visionary to lead our payments technology innovation initiatives and drive the development of next-generation financial solutions. This executive role requires a proven leader who can bridge cutting-edge technology with practical business applications in the rapidly evolving payments ecosystem. You will be responsible for building and scaling engineering teams, establishing technical strategy, and delivering innovative payment solutions that transform how businesses and consumers interact with money.
Primary Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Vision
– Define and execute the technical roadmap for payments innovation, including emerging evaluating technologies such as real-time payments, blockchain/DLT, digital currencies, and embedded finance
– Partner with executive leadership to align engineering initiatives with business objectives and market opportunities
– Drive technical due diligence for strategic partnerships, acquisitions, and technology investments
– Establish the company’s position as a thought leader in payments technology innovation
Team Leadership & Development
– Build, lead, and scale high-performing engineering teams across multiple disciplines including backend systems, API development, security, and data engineering
– Foster a culture of innovation, experimentation, and continuous learning within the engineering organization
– Recruit and retain top-tier engineering talent with expertise in payments, fintech, and emerging technologies
– Mentor and develop engineering leaders while establishing clear career progression paths
Technical Excellence & Delivery
– Oversee the architecture, development, and deployment of scalable payments infrastructure supporting millions of transactions
– Ensure compliance with financial services regulations, security standards (PCI DSS, SOX), and industry best practices
– Drive adoption of modern engineering practices including DevOps, CI/CD, microservices architecture, and cloud-native development
– Establish metrics and KPIs to measure engineering performance, system reliability, and innovation impact
Innovation & Market Leadership
– Lead research and development of emerging payment technologies and their practical applications
– Collaborate with product management to translate market needs into technical solutions
– Represent the company at industry conferences, standards bodies, and regulatory discussions
– Build relationships with fintech ecosystem partners, vendors, and technology providers
Required Qualifications
– Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related technical field; advanced degree preferred
– 12+ years of progressive engineering leadership experience with at least 5 years in senior executive roles
– Deep expertise in payments technology, financial services infrastructure, and regulatory compliance requirements
– Proven track record of scaling engineering organizations from startup through enterprise levels
– Experience with modern payment rails (ACH, wire transfers, real-time payments, card networks) and emerging technologies (APIs, blockchain, digital wallets)
– Strong background in distributed systems, cloud architecture (AWS/Azure/GCP), and high-availability system design
– History of successful product launches and technology transformations in regulated industries
Preferred Qualifications
– MBA or equivalent business education
– Experience with fintech startups, payment processors, or financial institutions
– Knowledge of international payments, cross-border transactions, and multi-currency systems
– Background in security, fraud prevention, and risk management technologies
– Experience with open banking, embedded finance, or platform business models
– Track record of successful M&A integration and technology consolidation
Leadership Competencies
– Exceptional communication skills with ability to present technical concepts to diverse audiences including board members, regulators, and customers
– Strategic thinking with ability to balance innovation with operational excellence and risk management
– Collaborative leadership style with experience building cross-functional partnerships
– Data-driven decision making with strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities
– Entrepreneurial mindset with comfort operating in ambiguous, fast-paced environments
What We Offer
– Competitive executive compensation package including equity participation
– Comprehensive health, dental, and vision benefits
– Flexible work arrangements and professional development opportunities
– Opportunity to shape the future of payments technology and lead industry transformation
– Access to cutting-edge technology resources and innovation labs
This role offers the unique opportunity to lead engineering innovation at the intersection of technology and finance, driving solutions that will define the next generation of payments infrastructure. The ideal candidate will combine deep technical expertise with strong business acumen and the leadership skills necessary to build and inspire world-class engineering teams.
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: UnitedHealth Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer 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.
UnitedHealth Group is a drug-free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.
Additional Job Detail Information
Requisition Number 2309946
Business Segment Optum Global Advantage
Employee Status Regular
Travel No
Country: IN
Overtime Status Exempt
Schedule Full-time
Shift Day Job
Telecommuter Position No
Similar Jobs:
Our Hiring Process
We want you to know what our hiring process looks like. Watch the video and find out what to expect along the way.
What It’s Like
Watch the video and hear how our employees describe what it’s like to work here in Customer Service.
Careers at Optum
If you want to use your abilities to help us challenge the status quo and achieve on our ambitious mission, this is the right place for you. We are creating and delivering quality health care solutions that deeply impact the health care system. And this means opportunities for people like you to grow and innovate with us.
Closing the GAP
Our team members help close the gap in health care. Take a closer look and see how Lisa helps members navigate a complex health care system.
Our Blog
A culture of belonging: Women’s voices at UnitedHealth Group
We value the many contributions of women throughout our organization. Hear from our team members as they share their experiences and look forward with hope and optimism.
Taking technology further to help customers: Violet S.’s journey at Optum
Our experts work with technology to provide powerful solutions that help patients and improve the health care system. Learn more about the impact you can make in a tech career at Optum.
Career Growth in a Clinical Role: Andi C.’s Journey at Optum
Learn more about how we empower Andi — and every one of our team members — to create the kind of change that makes health care more responsive, innovative and effective.
Our Blog
Big Data and Health Care
At UnitedHealth Group we work with the largest collection of health related data. It's an opportunity and challenge on an enormous scale using SAS, R/Python, Hadoop, MapReduce and every emerging platform that makes sense for a team that makes the biggest difference in health care. Check out our interview with Ashish C., an Analytics Senior Director here to learn more.
How Innovation Drives Health Care
At UnitedHealth Group, the technology and innovation we invent is in service of a future where health care serves everyone more fairly, productively and consistently. We put a series of questions to Pat Keran, Senior Director at Optum, to explain what innovation means for his team, UnitedHealth Group and health care globally.
Our Blog
Career Growth in a Clinical Role: Andi C.’s Journey at Optum
Learn more about how we empower Andi — and every one of our team members — to create the kind of change that makes health care more responsive, innovative and effective.
Virtual primary care: Taking health care to the next level
Dr. Reierson, a primary care provider with Optum Virtual Care, shares her perspective on delivering quality care in a virtual setting.
Diversity in Clinical Leadership: 7 things to know from Dr. David Williams
We're committed to diversity and inclusion in everything we do. It’s ultimately what helps us understand a variety of perspectives and provide quality care to our diverse member population. If you’re interested in working for an organization that values diversity, this leader interview is a must read.
Our Blog
What makes the culture at UnitedHealth Group so unique?
Being on a global team is definitely rewarding, but it has its challenges. Thankfully, UnitedHealth Group offers the best employees resources.
6 Tips to Help You Reach the Interview Stage
Ready to apply? That's great! Or maybe you've applied a few times and clicked on this blog out of frustration. Whatever the reason, we’re glad you're here. Let's get down to the nitty gritty and give you the information you’re looking for. We've put together some tips based to help you be more successful when applying at UnitedHealth Group.
Pharmacy Technician Career Paths at UnitedHealth Group
A Pharmacy Technician career at UnitedHealth Group can be challenging, yet very rewarding at the same time. Our Pharmacy Technicians aren’t just clerks and cashiers. At UnitedHealth Group, they work in a fast-paced environment directly with patients entering and filling prescriptions and communicate with physician’s offices to provide personal and detailed service.