Lead Engineer – Automation Modernization
United Airlines
Houston, TX · Posted November 2, 2026
Just laid off? Start here: a plan for the first weeks
See every open role at United Airlines
More in Texas job market · All Lead Engineer jobs (122) · Transportation & Logistics · Engineering jobs
More roles at United Airlines
- Operational Excellence & CPI Manager · San Francisco, CA
- AOG Controller · Arlington Heights, IL
- Senior Technical Business Analyst - Information Technology · Chicago, IL
- Senior Manager Ops Product Delivery · Arlington Heights, IL
- Sr Manager – Infrastructure Cybersecurity (Remote) · Chicago, IL
- Senior Analyst - Technical Records · Houston, TX
Similar jobs
- Principal Control Systems Engineer · Stanley Consultants · Austin, TX
- Senior Mechanical Controls Engineer - Mission Critical · DLR Group · Austin, TX
- Sr. Process Controls Engineer, Solar Cell Factory (Starlink) · SpaceX · Bastrop, TX
- Sr./Staff Process Controls Engineer · Mariana Minerals · Houston, TX
- Senior Ansible Automation Engineer · Delphi Us · Dallas, TX
- Senior Automation Engineer · Coregroupresources · Houston, TX
Where Houston, TX ranks
Where Houston, TX placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.
November 2026
- #1Best cities for manufacturing and industrial jobs887 openings · of 100
- #1Best cities for energy and utilities jobs704 openings · of 27
- #1Cities hosting the most energy & utilities conferences11 conferences · of 15
- #2Cities with the most jobs that do not need a four-year degree in the Southwest481 jobs · of 38
- #2Best cities for software and engineering jobs in the Southwest1,018 openings · of 33
- #2Best all-round cities for mid-career professionals in the Southwest74 / 100 · of 15
Rankings about engineering jobs
- Best cities for software and engineering jobs #1 San Francisco (3,412 openings)
- Best cities for engineering pay after cost of living #1 San Mateo ($216k)
- Most requested AI skills in engineering jobs #1 AI tools in daily work (6.1%)
- AI tools named most often in engineering jobs #1 Claude (1.7%)
- Employers with the most engineering jobs #1 Amazon (2,992 roles)
How AI is used in this kind of work
AI use among engineers, all other is little observed so far. Measured exposure for engineers, all other: 7% (little observed).
Share of this job’s tasks that AI is already used for at work, from real usage. It is not a forecast of job loss, and a low number means no use seen yet. Source: Anthropic Economic Index.
Skills this job asks for
Say which you have and which you want to build. We use it to match you to jobs like this one.
About the job
Achieving our goals starts with supporting yours. Grow your career, access top-tier health and wellness benefits, build lasting connections with your team and our customers, and travel the world using our extensive route network.
Come join us to create what’s next. Let’s define tomorrow, together.
Description
United's Digital Technology team is comprised of many talented individuals all working together with cutting-edge technology to build the best airline in the history of aviation. Our team designs, develops and maintains massively scaling technology solutions brought to life with innovative architectures, data analytics, and digital solutions.
Job Overview and Responsibilities
This role leads the design and development of RESTful APIs and reusable automation services that modernize enterprise services, including device lifecycle, incident management, secure file transfer and job scheduling solutions. The position applies strong software engineering practices to create scalable, secure, and supportable self-service capabilities while improving the developer and user experience through clear documentation, observability, and reliable integrations. The Lead Engineer also provides technical direction across complex implementations and collaborates with platform, infrastructure, DevOps, and application teams to advance modernization roadmaps and drive adoption.
Design, develop, and maintain REST APIs to enable automation and self-service capabilities across enterprise platforms (e.g., SkyNet, Operations Orchestrator, Harness, GitHub Actions, Ansible, Automation Platform, Secure File Transfer, job scheduling systems like Control-M)
Modernize legacy automation workflows by exposing reusable services and APIs
Collaborate with cross-functional teams (platform, infrastructure, DevOps, and application teams) to integrate automation solutions
Drive adoption of self-service capabilities by creating intuitive API-driven interfaces and documentation
Implement best practices for API design, versioning, scalability, and security.
Contribute to architectural design discussions and modernization roadmaps to ensure reusable, scalable, and future-ready automation solutions.
Integrate observability and monitoring solutions to ensure high availability, performance, and reliability.
Troubleshoot and resolve complex system, platform, and integration issues to ensure stable operations and continuous service delivery.
Qualifications
What’s needed to succeed (Minimum Qualifications):
Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Business Administration, or related degree
3+ years of relevant experience
Strong experience developing RESTful APIs and microservices
Experience working with enterprise automation tools, job schedulers, or file transfer platforms
Proficiency in object-oriented programming (e.g., Java, Python, or similar)
Solid understanding of API design principles, authentication (OAuth, JWT), and service orchestration
Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices
Strong problem-solving skills and ability to work in complex enterprise environments
Strong analytical and systems-thinking mindset
Ability to translate business needs into scalable technical solutions.
Effective communication and collaboration skills
Self-driven with a focus on continuous improvement and innovation
Must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship
Successful completion of interview required to meet job qualification
Reliable, punctual attendance is an essential function of the position
What will help you propel from the pack (Preferred Qualifications):
Experience with observability and monitoring tools such as Big Panda, Dynatrace, or AIOps platforms
Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP)
Knowledge of event-driven architectures and messaging systems
Familiarity with infrastructure-as-code (Terraform, CloudFormation, etc.)
Exposure to workflow automation and orchestration tools
The base pay range for this role is $112,480.00 to $146,540.00. The base salary range/hourly rate listed is dependent on job-related, factors such as experience, education, and skills. This position is also eligible for bonus and/or long-term incentive compensation awards.
You may be eligible for the following competitive benefits: medical, dental, vision, life, accident & disability, parental leave, employee assistance program, commuter, paid holidays, paid time off, 401(k) and flight privileges.
United Airlines is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, veteran status, or any other protected category under applicable law. We provide reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. To request an accommodation, contact JobAccommodations@united.com