Sr Communications Specialist (External Channels - Optum Insight) - Remote

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 inclusion, talented peers, comprehensive benefits and career development opportunities. Come make an impact on the communities we serve as you help us advance health optimization on a global scale. Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together. 

This role will lead external channel strategy and execution for Optum Insight, helping ensure its priorities, expertise and stories reach the right audiences and strengthen reputation.

The role will manage how Optum Insight activates content across external owned channels, including the Optum newsroom and social media. It will also bring an external audience lens into communications planning by monitoring conversations, trends, sentiment and channel performance and translating those signals into recommendations for content and channel strategy.

The person in this role will partner closely with Optum Insight communications teams, storytelling, media and enterprise channel teams to connect business priorities with external audiences and opportunities.

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:

• External channel strategy and activation
  • Lead external channel strategy and execution for Optum Insight across the Optum newsroom, social media and other relevant owned digital channels
  • Develop channel plans that translate Optum Insight communications priorities into effective external activation
  • Recommend the right channels, formats, timing and distribution approach for priority stories, campaigns and communications
  • Manage publishing, distribution and amplification of Optum Insight content across external channels
  • Optimize content for audience engagement, discoverability and channel performance
  • Coordinate with enterprise channel teams to ensure Optum Insight priorities are effectively represented across broader Optum channels
• Audience and reputation insight
  • Monitor external conversations, trends, audience behavior and sentiment relevant to Optum Insight, its businesses and reputation
  • Identify emerging opportunities, issues and areas of noise across external channels
  • Translate external signals and channel insights into actionable recommendations for communications teams
  • Partner with communications and media teams on strategies to address reputation challenges, strengthen understanding and reinforce priority narratives
  • Use channel and content performance data to recommend what Optum Insight should do more of, less of or differently
• Content and channel partnership
  • Partner with storytelling and editorial teams to ensure content is designed for external audiences and the channels where it will appear
  • Bring audience and channel insights into planning early so external activation is considered as communications strategies and stories are developed
  • Partner with media teams to align owned and earned communications opportunities
  • Support coordinated activation of priority campaigns, thought leadership, executive and subject-matter-expert content
  • Identify opportunities to extend the life and reach of strong Optum Insight content across channels
• Optimization and measurement
  • Track channel and content performance and translate results into clear recommendations
  • Test formats, approaches and distribution strategies to continuously improve audience reach and engagement
  • Stay current on changes in social platforms, audience behavior, digital discovery and emerging technologies, including AI

What Success Looks Like:

• Optum Insight priorities and expertise consistently reach relevant external audiences
• External channel decisions are informed by audience behavior, conversations and performance data
• Communications teams have a clearer understanding of what external audiences are seeing, saying and responding to
• Emerging reputation opportunities and challenges are identified early and translated into action
• Newsroom and social activation are coordinated rather than treated as separate distribution activities
• Channel performance continuously improves through insights, testing and optimization

Key Capabilities:

• Strong understanding of social media, digital publishing and external audience engagement
• Ability to translate business and communications priorities into channel strategies and activation plans
• Strong understanding of audience behavior, social conversations and digital content consumption
• Ability to interpret data, sentiment and external signals and turn them into practical communications recommendations
• Strong editorial judgment and understanding of what makes content effective across different external channels
• Experience managing social and digital content in a complex organization
• Strong collaboration and stakeholder management skills
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and move work from strategy through execution
• Curiosity about evolving platforms, digital discovery, AI and audience behavior

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:

• 3+ years of experience in communications, paid social media, digital channels, audience engagement or related fields
• Experience developing and executing social or digital channel strategies
• Experience managing content publishing and distribution across social and digital platforms
• Experience using audience, social listening or performance insights to inform communications decisions
• Experience working across multiple teams and stakeholders

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in health care, technology, business-to-business communications or another complex industry
• Experience with social listening, reputation monitoring or audience intelligence
• Experience working with newsroom, editorial or thought-leadership content
• Experience using emerging technologies to improve communications effectiveness

*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 $72,800 - $130,000 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 help make the health system work better for everyone. Together, we are shaping the future of healthcare by harnessing technology and innovation to make care simpler to navigate, more affordable and more connected for the people we serve. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels welcomed, valued, heard and respected, empowering people to bring their authentic selves to work and strengthening our collective impact through diverse talents, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.

UnitedHealth Group and its affiliated brands are 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 and its affiliated brands are a drug-free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.