Associate Director of Payment Integrity Transformation

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.

We have a key role open for the Associate Director Business Performance & Transformation; Payment Integrity based in Ireland.

This is a key management position, based in Ireland, within a high value, fast paced and growing function and will lead significant change and transformation within the operations reporting to Senior Director / VP. The successful candidate is accountable directly and indirectly through a matrix team. You will be partnering with key value streams and business units within Optum Payment Integrity Organization. This role is essential for supporting the mission of affordable health system for all and drive financial savings. Working within the Business Performance Unit, you'll have the opportunity to work collaboratively within a high-performance team, responsible for driving successful Transformation Program.

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 office and telecommuting from a home-based office in a hybrid work model.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Develop Non-Clinical Business Process Improvement & Transformation Strategy to support an ambitious growth target across cost efficiency and medical cost savings
• Partner with Operations leaders/teams, Analytics, R&D(Research & Development), Technology to develop Business Process Improvement & Transformation Strategy and to create CBA, execution roadmap/resource needs, assess capital needs
• Identify, lead specific strategic projects/initiatives while also keeping track of all initiatives within the overall strategy
• Ensure operational performance improvements are tracked accurately, by establishing and automating statistical control models for value streams, utilizing internal tools and processes (e.g., dashboards; scorecards; reports) to update relevant stakeholders on the status of work projects, with operational improvements and root cause actions taken quickly to remedy under performance, develop corrective action plans to address and resolve relevant stakeholders' concerns or issues regarding program performance
• Monitor and propose changes to performance metrics in partnership with finance, Analytics, workforce management / industrial engineering and ensuring benefits are accounted in P&L and productivity reports
• Provide guidance and assistance to internal and external (client) partners to ensure programs and strategies are implemented effectively and value realized
• Collaborate with stakeholders, ability to influence without authority to gain support and buy-in for proposed business process solutions and adherence to team requirements
• Communicate with Leadership/Senior Leadership about progress, challenges and actions required to remove hurdles

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

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience in Transformation, Change Management, Strategy, or a related field
• Demonstrated training and experience in process improvement and change management methodologies, including Six Sigma, LEAN, or equivalent
• Demonstrated communication skills, with experience communicating effectively at leadership levels
• Proven track record in developing transformation strategies, driving change management, and identifying and delivering innovation
• Proven track record managing large scale, complex programs within a matrixed environment
• Proven ability to identify relevant data, extract insights, and translate data into actionable recommendations

Preferred Qualifications:

• Six Sigma certification, with demonstrated understanding of LEAN process methodologies
• Demonstrated data analysis skill set, including use of data query and analysis tools
• Demonstrated knowledge of the U.S. healthcare industry, including major healthcare entities, member eligibility, and the claims lifecycle
• Proven experience in Payment Integrity, Health Technology, or Healthcare Financial Services environments
• Proven experience identifying and leading growth activities through optimization, improvement, or transformation initiatives
• Proven experience driving affordability and medical spend avoidance programs

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.  

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: 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. © 2026 Optum Services (Ireland) Limited. All rights reserved.

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