Director of Public Affairs – Washington, DC

UnitedHealth Group is a health care and well-being company that’s dedicated to improving the health outcomes of millions around the world. We are comprised of two distinct and complementary businesses, UnitedHealthcare and Optum, working to build a better health system for all. Here, your contributions matter as they will help transform health care for years to come. Make an impact with a diverse team that shares your passion for helping others. Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together.   

 

Position Summary:

The Director of Public Affairs will serve as a key leader supporting the Senior Vice President of Public Affairs in advancing UnitedHealth Group’s enterprise-wide public affairs strategy. This role is responsible for developing and executing integrated campaigns across federal and state landscapes, driving engagement with strategic coalitions, and coordinating third-party advocacy efforts. The Director will help ensure alignment across policy, government affairs, and communications teams to elevate the company’s voice on critical issues and strengthen relationships with policymakers and opinion leaders.

 

Primary Responsibilities:

• Campaign Development & Coalition Engagement
  • Design and execute public affairs campaigns that support priority policy objectives at both the state and federal levels
  • Lead day-to-day engagement with public affairs coalitions, strategic allies, and third-party validators
  • Partner with government affairs teams to align campaign strategies with legislative and regulatory developments
  • Support development of unbranded and branded efforts to inform the public and policymakers about key health care issues
• Stakeholder Engagement & Message Amplification
  • Coordinate enterprise-wide strategies to engage advocacy groups, think tanks, and key influencers
  • Identify and cultivate trusted third-party voices to amplify UHG’s policy and reputational messages
  • Support executive thought leadership through op-eds, collateral content, and external engagements
• Cross-Functional Alignment & Strategic Execution
  • Collaborate closely with Government Affairs, Policy, Communications, and Strategic Alliances teams to ensure message and priority alignment
  • Track progress of public affairs initiatives against KPIs and reporting metrics; optimize based on performance
  • Provide strategic counsel to internal leaders on public affairs risks and opportunities
• Rapid Response & Issue Management
  • Assist in developing and implementing rapid response communications strategies during legislative, regulatory, or reputational events
  • Monitor political, media, and advocacy environments to proactively shape narratives and mitigate risk

 

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 experience in public affairs, advocacy, policy, government relations, or political campaigns

   

• Demonstrated success leading public affairs campaigns or coalition efforts with measurable impact
• Proven solid political and strategic acumen with a deep understanding of state and federal legislative landscapes
• Proven excellent written and verbal communication skills, including executive-level messaging
• Proven ability to collaborate across functions and manage multiple complex projects in a matrixed environment

 

Preferred Qualification:

• Familiarity with health care policy and regulatory issues

 

What We Offer:

In addition to a competitive base salary, UnitedHealth Group offers a comprehensive benefits package, incentive and recognition programs, equity stock purchase, and a 401(k) contribution plan (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements). Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to location, education, experience, and certifications.

 

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 $110,200 to $188,800 annually based on full-time employment. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.

 

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.