Senior Procurement Consultant - Eden Prairie, MN

UnitedHealth Group is a health care and well-being company that's dedicated to improving the health outcomes of millions around the world. We are comprised of two distinct and complementary businesses, UnitedHealthcare and Optum, working to build a better health system for all. Here, your contributions matter as they will help transform health care for years to come. Make an impact with a team that shares your passion for helping others. Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together.

We are seeking a motivated and customer-centric procurement professional to join UnitedHealth Group's Enterprise Procurement team as a Senior Sourcing and Procurement Consultant. In this role, you will support supplier contract negotiations and strategic procurement across multiple categories, such as technology-enabled services, software applications, data subscriptions, pharmacy services, and pharmacy equipment and supplies. You will contribute to cost-saving strategies and ensure procurement compliance across the organization.

The ideal candidate will possess expertise in the end-to-end procurement process, strong contract drafting skills, and extensive experience negotiating with suppliers. In addition, the ability to manage multiple tasks and stakeholders is essential. You will deliver high-quality results, communicate effectively, and drive value for our customers.

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

For all hires in the Minneapolis or Washington, D.C. area, you will be required to work in the office a minimum of four days per week.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to understand business needs and align procurement efforts in compliance with procurement policies
• Conduct supplier research, RFx processes, and bid evaluations
• Negotiate supplier contracts, including Master Services Agreements (MSAs), Master Software as a Service Agreements (MSaaSAs), Statements of Work (SOWs), and amendments, in cooperation with legal, internal stakeholders, and external business partners
• Identify cost-saving opportunities and contribute to risk mitigation strategies
• Develop and execute category management strategies
• Maintain supplier records and performance metrics using procurement systems (e.g., Ariba)
• Participate in supplier meetings and support issue resolution
• Contribute to procurement reporting and analytics
• Develop relationships with applicable stakeholders and suppliers, including executive-level individuals across the enterprise, to drive support for the sourcing and procurement value proposition, ensure consistent, high-quality delivery of procurement programs, and advance sourcing and contracting initiatives
• Evaluate supplier consolidation strategies, opportunities to leverage supplier spend (including, but not limited to, resourcing and renegotiation of ongoing supplier relationships), and cost-saving opportunities; participate in vendor selection and competitive bidding strategies (e.g., RFPs, renegotiations, eSourcing); leverage the Ariba platform (Procure-to-Pay, Sourcing, and Contracting) to drive process efficiencies and reduce costs; make appropriate recommendations; and execute and maintain those recommendations

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:

• 4+ years of experience in cost and contract negotiations
• 4+ years of progressive experience executing market-leading sourcing strategies, leading sourcing projects, and/or working on a cross-functional procurement team
• Proficiency with MS Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook)
• Demonstrated ability to succeed in a high-demand, multitasking environment
• Demonstrated eagerness to learn and grow in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment. Welcomes feedback, remains open-minded, and applies insights to improve performance and support growth
• Demonstrated solid analytical and organizational skills
• Demonstrated effective communication and interpersonal skills. Delivers clear, purposeful messages and checks for understanding through active listening and feedback
• Demonstrated customer-centric with excellent stakeholder engagement skills. Establishes plans and delivers outcomes that create an excellent customer experience and build lasting relationships

Preferred Qualifications:

• Procurement experience in one or more of the following categories: technology (hardware, software, licensing, and maintenance services), technology-enabled services, data licensing, and equipment and consumables
• Knowledge of the healthcare industry
• Knowledge of Ariba e-Procurement tool; previous experience utilizing Procure-to-Pay and Contracting modules (or similar procurement systems) 
• Demonstrated ability to successfully navigate ambiguity and difficult obstacles using facts, identifying alternatives, open-mindedness, and a well-considered strategy
• Demonstrated ability to concisely articulate positions, both written and verbal, and quickly garner support from various levels of business and procurement leadership
• Demonstrated ability to influence behavior through effective written and verbal communication, supported by strong presentation skills
• Demonstrated process focus and the ability to independently navigate and resolve complex issues
• Demonstrated to be organized, with exceptional attention to detail and adherence to timelines
  

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

Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to local labor markets, education, work experience, certifications, etc. In addition to your salary, we offer 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 us, you'll find a far-reaching choice of benefits and incentives. The salary for this role will range from $159,300 to $273,200 annually based on full-time employment. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.

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.

UnitedHealth Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer under applicable law and qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations.

UnitedHealth Group is a drug - free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.