Senior Business Strategy & Performance Lead

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.

About the Role:

The Segment Lead plays a critical role within the Data Mining & Recovery Operations organization, part of the Payment Integrity team in Payer Operations. Each Segment Lead represents and advocates for a specific line of business (C&S, M&R, ASO, E&I, OHBS/OHC).

As the primary contact point for UHC/OH, the Segment Lead interfaces across Production, Growth, and Analytics to manage issues, address performance queries, and drive operational excellence. Using deep segment knowledge, the Segment Lead provides strategic direction, ensures achievement of key performance measures, and influences the overall business strategy with segment specific insights.

You are the voice of the segment-owning segment MBOs, shaping performance strategy, identifying drivers of change, and elevating concerns that impact growth and recovery performance.

Primary Responsibilities:

Client & Segment Engagement

• Serve as the primary contact point for UHC/OH across all aspects of the assigned segment, including Production, Growth, and Analytics
• Lead issue management activities and respond to performance inquiries or escalations, ensuring timely and accurate communication

MBO Ownership & Performance Measurement

• Own and manage Segment MBOs end to end, providing clear guidance to the business through continuous measurement, monitoring, and analysis of KPIs
• Develop, maintain, and present segment specific scorecards to ensure visibility of operational and financial performance
• Conduct deep dive analysis into underperforming KPIs, understanding drivers and defining actionable recovery and improvement plans

Strategy Development & Execution

• Provide strategic direction for the segment, ensuring alignment to broader business strategy and Payment Integrity priorities
• Leverage segment insights to guide decisions and identify strategic opportunities in areas such as revenue generation, cost efficiency, automation (AI/ML), contract program optimization, and globalization initiatives
• Support both short and long term operational and strategic initiatives affecting production, analytics, and growth

Driving Segment Performance

• Influence and enhance segment performance across the full lifecycle-from forecasting and actuarial model planning to algorithm performance and profitability reviews
• Drive improvements in identification, closures, and recovery performance while elevating risks or opportunities that impact growth or operational efficiency
• Provide comprehensive analysis and reporting to business leaders, ensuring a full scope view of segment health, performance drivers, and trend interpretation

Analytic & Operational Support

• Analyze and translate data into actionable insights with financial impact assessments
• Identify opportunities for throughput efficiency, automation, quality enhancements, and operational optimization

• Support ad hoc analytical needs and operational review activities to aid decision-making and improvement initiatives

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 in business, Finance, Health Administration, or related field-or equivalent work experience
• Demonstrated experience delivering process or business transformation initiatives from ideation through to implementation
• Proven solid experience gathering and documenting business requirements
• Proven background in process improvement, benchmarking, or business process evaluation
• Demonstrated proficiency with PC-based software and data tools (Excel, Access, PowerPoint, SQL)
• Proven ability to communicate complex analytical insights, trends, and recommendations clearly to executives, clients, and cross-functional partners
• Demonstrated solid problem-solving skills, including the ability to manage multiple priorities and reconcile conflicting or inaccurate datasets
• Proven experience managing partnerships within a matrix organization
• Proven experience in business or financial analysis

Preferred Qualifications:

• Lean process improvement or Six Sigma experience/certification
• Demonstrated knowledge of the US health insurance industry, including claims adjudication, payments, and eligibility processes
• Demonstrated familiarity with UHC claim(s) platforms such as Cosmos, Unet, Cirrus 

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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