Forecasting and Optimization Specialist – 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.

As a Forecasting and Optimization Specialist, you will play a crucial role in developing analytical models and providing actionable insights to support strategic decision making. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams to gather and analyze data, understand business requirements, creating strategic and tactical solutions to support key business initiatives.  The ideal candidate will possess a solid analytical mindset, business acumen, the ability to work under ambiguity, and a passion for leveraging data and technical skills to drive business success.

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

Primary Responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain strategic forecast and capacity planning models to support workforce planning, budgeting, and optimization efforts
• Collaborate with operations, training, HR, finance, and other departments to develop cost effective staff plans that meet business objectives
• Assisting in ad-hoc strategic and tactical planning initiatives by conducting root cause analysis and scenario analysis
• Explore and analyze historical data and trends to identify features to incorporate into forecast models. Make necessary changes/enhancements to existing forecasting models
• Create tactical forecast to support daily operational planning, track key performance metrics, and provide constructive recommendations to ensure tactical planning aligns with strategic goals
• Work with cross functional teams to understand business requirements and translate them into clearly defined analytical problems
• Evaluate existing business processes and workflows to identify inefficiencies and areas for optimization
• Communicate findings and recommendations effectively to stakeholders at all levels of the organization

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:

• 3+ years of experience of developing complex analytical models in Excel, Python, R, or similar tools
• 2+ years of experience in strategic workforce planning and statistic modeling
• 2+ years of experience in SQL, solid ability to construct complex queries for data pull and analysis
• 2+ years of experience in Tableau or Power BI
• Proven excellent communication and collaboration skills to work effectively with cross-functional teams
• Proven to be detail-oriented with solid organization skills and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Proven ability to thrive in a fast-paced and dynamic environment with changing priorities

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Healthcare industry experience
• Academic or industry experience in supply chain optimization, data science, machine learning, or operations research
• Project management skills

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

The salary range for this role is $89,800 to $176,700 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.

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.