Associate Director, Medical Innovative Contracting

Optum is a global organisation 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.

At UnitedHealth Group and Optum, we want to make healthcare work better for everyone. This depends on hiring the best and brightest. With a thriving ecosystem of investment and innovation, our business in Ireland is constantly growing to support the healthcare needs of the future.

Our teams are at the forefront of building and adapting the latest technologies to propel healthcare forward in a way that better serves everyone. With our hands at work across all aspects of health, we use the most advanced development tools, AI, data science and innovative approaches to make the healthcare system work better for everyone.

The Associate Director, Medical & Innovative Contracting will play a pivotal role in advancing strategic initiatives related to medical benefit drugs and innovative contracting. Reporting to the VP, Medical & Innovative Contracting, this individual will lead operational efforts across ideation, development, negotiation, and execution of contracts, while ensuring excellence in tracking, reporting, and implementation.

This role requires a highly collaborative professional with strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple high-impact projects simultaneously. The ideal candidate will work cross-functionally with business, analytics, operations, and clinical teams to deliver value-driven solutions for our members. This role offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of medical drug contracting and driving innovation contracting strategies.

Careers with Optum offer flexible work arrangements and individuals who live and work in the Republic of Ireland will have the opportunity to split their monthly work hours between our Dublin or Letterkenny and telecommuting from a home-based office in a hybrid work model.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Develop and support contracting strategies with pharmaceutical manufacturers for medical benefit drugs

• Design and execute innovative reimbursement models that align with the Triple Aim: improving clinical outcomes, lowering total cost of care, and enhancing member experience

• Ideate and implement medical benefit drug management strategies across multiple therapeutic areas

• Support annual and ad hoc RFP initiatives to expand the portfolio of drugs managed via the medical benefit

• Manage Emisar contracts with precision, including tracking contract status, ensuring timely data and invoice delivery, and generating reports

• Monitor internal and external resources for commercially relevant insights aligned with business priorities

• Present contracting strategies to internal stakeholders and members, incorporating feedback into negotiations and execution

• Support modeling and analytics to optimize contract performance and outcomes

You will be rewarded and recognised 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 providing development for other roles you may be interested in. 

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree (or higher) OR Equivalent experience

• Clinical experience (e.g., pharmacy, nursing, or other relevant healthcare background)

• Intermediate level of proficiency in PowerPoint and Excel

• Understanding of the pharmaceutical and healthcare landscape

Preferred Qualifications:

• PharmD, Qualified Pharmacist or equivalent

• Experience in a PBM or managed care environment

• Certified project management experience

• Experience in value-based contracting

• Background in the pharmaceutical industry or healthcare sector

• Demonstrated expertise in medical benefit dynamics, including billing, reimbursement, supply chain, provider challenges, and clinical policy development

Soft Skills:

• Proven ability to manage multiple concurrent projects and prioritize effectively

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to convey complex information clearly

• Exceptional organizational skills

Please note you must currently be eligible to work and remain indefinitely without any restrictions in the country to which you are making an application. Proof will be required to support your application.

All telecommuters will be required to adhere to the UnitedHealth Group’s Telecommuter Policy.

 

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 marginalised 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: Optum is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, disability, religion, age, race, and membership of the Traveller community, or any other characteristic protected by law. Optum is a drug-free workplace. © 2025 Optum Services (Ireland) Limited. All rights reserved.

 

 

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