Lean Transformation Director – Remote

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.  

At Optum Health, we have committed to improving the quality of our patient experience through continuous incremental improvement using Lean methodology as developed by Taiichi Ohno and the Toyota Production System. 

The Optum Health Performance System (TOHPS) team is seeking a Lean Transformation Director who is responsible for collaborating with the National Vice President of the TOHPS team to drive transformation aimed at improving operational efficiency, optimizing business processes, and ensuring long-term sustainability and growth of the organization. This role plays an important role in driving continuous improvement to ensure Optum remains the market leader in the ever-changing healthcare landscape.

The Lean Transformation Director is a subject matter expert on Lean process improvement and works with operational leaders in the planning, designing, and accomplishing improvement projects through Kaizen. The Lean Transformation Director will lead lean training and facilitate groups during Kaizen improvement events to deliver the cultural change required for successful and sustained improvement efforts. The Lean Transformation Director is a change agent, self-starter and team player with substantial interpersonal, communication and analytical skills as well as the ability to lead others in a team-oriented environment.

We are looking for candidates with Lean expertise. This is not a Six Sigma or Lean Six Sigma position.

You’ll enjoy the flexibility to work remotely * from anywhere within the U.S. as you take on some tough challenges. High preference for East or Midwest location, but open to remote nationwide.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Coaching
  • Coach leaders and staff by asking questions, providing feedback, & teaching the use of lean tools, techniques, and principles to build a culture of problem solving
  • Coaching on the following concepts/tools – A3, PDSA, Huddles, Leader Standard Work, Standard Work, Kata, problem-solving, culture, coaching, visibility boards, performance metrics (process vs. outcome), strategic planning, genba, improvement event planning, etc.
  • Educate, communicate, and serve as a champion for Lean, drive a culture of quality
  • Coach, develop and mentor others on the appropriate use of Lean methodology and tools, and on their roles, responsibilities and expectations (e.g., process owners, project sponsors, front line leaders)
  • Provide coaching and mentoring to teams, process owners, sponsors, leaders, and individuals using tools and techniques that will result in sustained measurable process improvement
  • Utilize data from quality audits to demonstrate the need for performance improvement to applicable business stakeholders (e.g., business leadership, Champion)
• Training
  • Deliver training to large and small groups on Lean methodology, concepts and tools. Requires thorough knowledge of Lean process improvement. Must be able to explain the concepts in layman’s terms and provide real-world examples of the tools and concepts at work
  • Ability to develop and deliver presentations that have solid impact and engage the audience
  • This role will be responsible for training and infusing the lean philosophy to all levels of the organization
  • Keep presentations on track and participants focused and engaged
  • Respond to participant questions and concerns with positive responses that support the culture of continuous improvement
• Facilitating
  • Serve as a Lean Transformation Champion to support the cultural and change management strategies required for successful implementation and sustained operation of the Lean culture
  • Work with Project Sponsors and Leads to determine the requirements and deliverables for each stage in the Lean project process including A3, charters, target progress reports and follow up
  • Help stakeholders translate complex data into easily-understood summaries and recommendations (e.g., visuals, charts, matrices, bullet points)
  • Guide stakeholders through Kaizen Improvement Events to keep the team on track and focused on improvement goals
  • Translate Lean concepts into practical business language to ensure ongoing engagement and participation of stakeholders throughout the project
  • Serves as a change agent working collaboratively within and across departments, functions and location to cultivate a culture of continuous improvement
  • Guides stakeholders to define/validate appropriate control and maintenance processes to ensure ongoing effectiveness of improved/created processes (e.g., sustainability). Ensure that all follow up actions are assigned and a plan is in place for accountability to follow through
  • Provide/utilize feedback on specific project outcomes to enhance the effectiveness of future projects
  • Demonstrate an understanding of how specific parts of the value stream impact the performance of the larger process/system (e.g., end-to-end systems thinking)
  • Capable of leading change and challenging the status quo while working diplomatically to keep stakeholders engaged. Employ match, pace, lead techniques to build rapport and trust
• Strategy/Leadership
  • Partner with the VP to design and develop a process transformation strategy and roadmap; help design and drive the transformation agenda
  • Collaborate with various departments, business units, and leaders to identify opportunities for improvement
  • Motivate, coach, and serve as a role model for cross-functional leadership team members in the organization
  • Work with the finance/business leaders to evaluate project savings estimates, validate reported continuous improvement benefits, KPIs and metrics, and ensure accurate accounting of continuous improvement productivity and inclusion in financial plans
  • Lead/teach strategic planning with teams using lean tools
  • Lead, coach, and develop a team of continuous improvement professionals, providing guidance and support to translate overarching strategies into actionable improvement initiatives

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:

• Informal or Formal Lean certification
• 10+ years of experience leading or co-leading 20 or more LEAN events (weeklong or more – ex. Value Stream Mapping, RPIW, etc.)
• 10+ years of experience creating and delivering training classes (with materials and activities) on Lean process improvement
• Experience presenting in front of groups up to 50 people
• Healthcare experience in direct patient care settings (clinics, hospitals, etc.)
• Change management expertise and experience in leading organizational transformation initiatives
• Deep knowledge of lean principles and other continuous improvement tools and techniques. Lean subject matter expertise (including A3 Thinking, Strategy Deployment, X-Matrix, VSM, RPIW/Kaizen, Visual Management, Daily Huddles, 5S, Lean Management, Coaching and Mentoring, and Training)
• Proven ability to keep presentations on track and bring attendees back to focus if distractions are present. And, the skill to handle challenges and questions from the attendees with grace and tact
• Proven excellent leadership, communication and negotiation skills to influence results, gain support and tactfully manage complex relationships within and across the organization 
• Proven solid analytical and strategic thinking skills with the ability to motivate and lead/influence others without direct authority
• Proven solid analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to effectively analyze complex data, identify root causes of issues, and develop strategic improvement plans
• Proven excellent leadership and people management skills, with the ability to inspire, motivate, and mentor a team of continuous improvement professionals
• Willingness and ability to travel 50%

Preferred Qualification:

• Experience leading or co-leading LEAN events in a direct patient care setting (clinics, hospitals, etc.)

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

The salary range for this role is $124,500 to $239,400 annually based on full-time employment. Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to local labor markets, education, work experience, certifications, etc. UnitedHealth Group complies with all 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.

UnitedHealth Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer under applicable law and qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations. 

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