Associate Director, Pharmacy Contract Strategy & Negotiations

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. 

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:

Relationships

• Establishes and maintains strong relationships with Payors in support of our Pharmacies

Contract Interpretation

• Demonstrate understanding of complex contract language in order to assess financial, non-financial and operational impact and legal implications of requested payor and/or pharmacy contract changes

Contract Analysis

• Evaluate contract proposals and predict impact on cost and payor/ pharmacy performance

Performance Monitoring

• Monitor and/or oversee provider financial performance to identify opportunities to improve performance and/or payor relationship

Market Intelligence

• Demonstrate understanding of competitor landscape within the market (e.g., rates; market share; products; provider networks; market intelligence)

Stakeholder Engagement

• Provides leadership to and is accountable for the performance and results through multiple layers of management and senior level leadership
• Collaborate with internal teams (finance, legal, operations) to ensure alignment on objectives and execution

Team Leadership

• Provide guidance and mentorship to more junior team members responsible for contract execution and relationship management

Job Scope and Guidelines:

• Extensive engagement with both internal and external senior leadership to resolve highly complex or unusual business problems that affect major functions or disciplines
• Drives programs that impact financial results through negotiation

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:

• Undergraduate degree or equivalent healthcare experience
• Proven significant experience in a management capacity within a healthcare contracting role (e.g., medical, pharmacy, pharmaceuticals, health insurance etc.), overseeing complex relationships with accountability for business results
• Proven experience interacting with executive leadership and external stakeholders
• Demonstrated ability to understand financial concepts and clearly explain detailed financial information

Preferred Qualifications:

• Financial or analytical qualification
• Demonstrated background in pharmacy benefit management or pharmaceutical contracting
• Proven experience leading large scale negotiations
• Demonstrated experience creating and delivering presentations, including verbal delivery and PowerPoint development

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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