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Principal Clinician Recruiter

Houston, Texas

Caring. Connecting. Growing together.

With these values to guide us, our people are committed to making a meaningful difference in the lives of those we are honored to serve.

Principal Clinician Recruiter

Requisition number: 2400026 Job category: People Team Primary location: Houston, Texas Date posted: 11/09/2026 Overtime status: Exempt Travel: No

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 in making healthcare work better for everyone through people-led, responsible AI while Caring. Connecting. Growing together.

The Principal Physician Recruiter is a senior talent advisor accountable for developing and executing physician recruitment strategies across multiple markets, specialties and care delivery organizations. This role leads full-lifecycle recruitment for physicians, physician executives, advanced practice clinicians, and other critical clinical leadership positions, with emphasis on proactive pipeline development, market intelligence, executive consultation and delivery against defined workforce and business outcomes.

The Principal Physician Recruiter partners with senior business, clinical, People and Talent Acquisition leaders to translate growth, access and workforce plans into actionable recruitment strategies. The role leads complex and highly visible searches, advises executives on talent availability and competitive positioning, and owns strategic talent initiatives that improve hiring performance, candidate experience and long-term physician pipeline health.

Primary Responsibilities:

  • Own end-to-end recruitment for physicians, physician executives and senior clinical leadership roles, including        sourcing, assessment, selection, offer development, negotiation and transition to onboarding
  • Consult with executives, physician leaders and hiring leaders on search strategy, role design, candidate profiles, market competitiveness, compensation considerations, risk and hiring decisions
  • Lead complex, confidential and business-critical searches that span multiple geographies, specialties or leadership levels; establish search plans, decision milestones, stakeholder roles and escalation paths
  • Build and maintain proactive physician talent pipelines through direct sourcing, professional networks, referrals, market research, associations, training programs and other targeted channels
  • Use external market intelligence and internal recruiting data to advise leaders on physician supply, competitor activity, compensation trends, candidate expectations and anticipated search challenges
  • Provide clear, recurring executive updates that summarize progress, market findings, barriers, risks, decisions required and corrective actions
  • Drive accountability across the hiring process by clarifying decision rights, maintaining search cadence, identifying delays and escalating barriers that threaten access, growth or hiring commitments
  • Influence hiring leaders to adopt new recruiting approaches, technologies and operating practices that improve outcomes, consistency and candidate experience
  • Mentor recruiting colleagues and share physician recruitment expertise, market insights, sourcing practices and search-management methods across the Talent Acquisition organization
  • Ensure recruiting activity and documentation comply with applicable employment laws, company policies and required hiring practices

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:

  • 5+ years of recruiting and/or sourcing experience
  • 3+ years of physician recruiting experience, including full-lifecycle ownership of complex or hard-to-fill physician searches
  • Intermediate experience using CRM software and applicant tracking systems
  • Experience articulating and supporting negotiation of complex physician compensation packages and employment terms

Preferred Qualifications:

  • 8+ years of recruiting, talent advisory or related business experience with demonstrated ability to drive measurable business results
  • Advanced talent sourcing experience, including market mapping, internet research, networking, direct outreach and cold calling
  • Knowledge of physician compensation models, incentives, employment agreements and market benchmarking
  • Knowledge of employment law and hiring requirements, including OFCCP, EEO, AAP, conflicts of interest and non-compete considerations

Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to local labor markets, education, work experience, certifications, etc. In addition to your salary, we offer 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 us, you'll find a far-reaching choice of benefits and incentives. The salary for this role will range from $91,700 - $163,700 annually based on full-time employment. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.

At UnitedHealth Group, our mission is to help people live healthier lives and help make the health system work better for everyone. Together, we are shaping the future of healthcare by harnessing technology and innovation to make care simpler to navigate, more affordable and more connected for the people we serve. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels welcomed, valued, heard and respected, empowering people to bring their authentic selves to work and strengthening our collective impact through diverse talents, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.

UnitedHealth Group and its affiliated brands are 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 and its affiliated brands are a drug-free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment. 

Benefits

Our mission of helping people live healthier lives extends to our team members. Learn more about our range of benefits designed to help you live well.

Life

Resources and support to focus on what matters most to you, in every facet of your life.

Emotional

Education, tools and resources to help you reduce and manage stress, build resilience and more.

Physical

Health plans and other coverage to support wellness for you and your loved ones.

Financial

Benefits for today and to help you plan for the future, including your retirement.

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