Strategy Director – Strategic Initiatives Group, Optum Health – 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 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. 

This role is central to the transformation of Optum Health (OH) to a consumer-focused business centered on the experience of unique population segments and curated services to support their whole health needs. As part of the Strategic Initiatives Group (SIG), the role is focused on informing the Optum Health national strategy and enabling a whole person model that synthesizes the Enterprise’s capabilities into an integrated and efficient ecosystem of health. This work is rooted in an approach which identifies new ways of delivering value (financial, strategic and reputational) and growth through the seamless and efficient delivery of whole health medical care, behavioral health, home care, multimodal communications, advocacy support services, care coordination, financial health, and other contextual supports – all in a way that aligns to the specific values, preferences, and beliefs of distinct population segments.  

The Senior Strategy Director will work across the SIG and the broader Optum Health team to source, lead, and manage strategic initiatives, including scoping inquiries, conducting research to define offerings, and performing analysis to justify investment. 

You’ll enjoy the flexibility to work remotely * from anywhere within the U.S. as you take on some tough challenges. 

Primary Responsibilities:

• Propose and develop new strategic initiatives for incubation and refinement within the SIG
• Synthesize information and developments across external market scans, federal policy developments, and Optum Health business activities and priorities to generate proposed concepts for further refinement
• Lead small, cross-functional teams to develop concepts and roadmaps for new solutions or businesses across time 
• Develop and justify preliminary yet well-reasoned recommendations for whether strategic initiatives are viable for further development and testing through the SIG innovation team
• Partner with the Strategic Business Development team to solidify theories of business value for strategic initiatives and how they align to OH business unit focus areas  
• Work across other strategy shops within Optum Health and beyond to support alignment of new Optum Health initiatives with broader Enterprise strategy  

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:

• 10+ years of relevant experience in healthcare innovation and business strategy, including within health systems, payers, or public health settings 
• Experience designing strategies rooted in the theories and principles of consumer experience  
• Experience translating enterprise growth strategies into new strategic ventures and successfully developing business justifications for initiatives under investigation
• Experience with solution focused problem solving and thinking through problems creatively 
• Experience working in a matrixed team environment, as well as independently and autonomously 
• Comfort engaging senior level people in back-and-forth conversation, ability to be convincing when necessary, and ability to develop solid relationships through each interaction  
• Proven solid research skills and ability to quickly synthesize findings into high-quality written deliverables and oral reports for an executive audience under tight deadlines
• Proven ability to think outside the norms of established ways of doing business to generate innovative solutions to systemic problems
• Proven ability to take abstract concepts and make them more defined to support further consideration and evaluation
• Proven ability to demonstrate initiative, have a solid desire to succeed, and willingness to exert the extraordinary effort that will be required

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

California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Washington, Washington, D.C. Residents Only: The salary range for this role is $122,100 to $234,700 annually. 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.

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.