Regional Director of Policy - Remote in Western U.S.

At UnitedHealthcare, we're simplifying the health care experience, creating healthier communities and removing barriers to quality care. The work you do here impacts the lives of millions of people for the better. Come build the health care system of tomorrow, making it more responsive, affordable and optimized. Ready to make a difference? Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together

How we are able serve and engage our members is governed largely by the role of public policy. By joining a team of policy experts as a Regional Director of Policy, you have the opportunity to engage in a fast paced, evolving and engaging area of health care. Our team works closely with health plans, functional partners and our government affairs colleagues to inform the broader business of emerging policy trends, establish policy positioning, build influence through advocacy and thought leadership and support sustainable growth.

As a Regional Director of Policy, you would serve as a subject matter expert with health plan and regional CEOs to provided needed policy expertise and consultation on issues pertaining to Medicaid. You would be accountable for tracking and understanding policy priorities across multiple states. For assigned markets, you will be accountable for the development of market-specific advocacy plans that seek to support growth through shaping programmatic and RFP opportunities to ensure optimal positioning, support membership growth through enrollment logic methodologies, improve program design and optimize plan performance, and support program evolution to ensure solid opportunity to achieve business objectives.  

For this role, advocacy includes the creation, in partnership with national policy experts, of thought leadership content to support the health plans' role as trusted advisors, including: an annual thought leadership plan that maximizes use of national tools and provides exposure to best practices, differentiated solutions, etc, ad hoc thought leadership content, and aligns with stakeholder influence campaigns.

The person in this role must have a deep passion and affinity for Medicaid policy and be a solid, concise communicator. The role will frequently be responsible for the development of ad hoc policy/position documents, RFI content to effectively shape program design, and presentations. The person must also be a solid speaker who has experience speaking with Medicaid Directors, legislators, influential stakeholders, and other government officials. The individual should also be acutely aware of the needs of diverse audiences internally and externally and adjust messaging accordingly. This individual must be effective at synthesizing complex policies and concepts into meaningful messages and actions.

The Regional Director of Policy must be skilled at building relationships and coalitions both internal to the business and external within the markets. This individual will be a critical member of the team supporting our health plans bringing policy expertise and insights to the competitive procurement activities, providing strategic growth leadership, and influencing team members.

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:

• Develop market-specific advocacy plans, including:
  • RFP shaping to ensure optimal positioning
  • Enrollment logic shaping to support membership growth
  • Program shaping to improve program design and optimize plan performance
  • Program shaping in response to defensive needs
• Create, in partnership with national policy experts, thought leadership content to support proactive role as trusted advisor, including:
  • Annual thought leadership plan that maximizes use of national tools and provides exposure to best practices, differentiated solutions, etc.
  • Ad hoc thought leadership content
  • Organize and participate in forums with government and regulatory officials to review business activities and potential legislation and program design changes that may affect the organization
  • Coordinate dissemination of the organization's positioning and thought leadership with state partners, stakeholders through special events, public speaking or other influence means to reach defined audiences
• Serve as SME for CEOs as needed to provide policy expertise and be responsive to state and health plan needs, including production of:
  • Draft RFI content to effectively shape program design
  • Develop ad hoc policy/position documents as needed to support markets
  • Represent the organization's interests in state meetings and in the development of procurements, program regulations, and program design
• Serve as policy expert to inform aspects of growth and sustainable business operations including:
  • Insights to inform competitive procurement activities
  • Partnering with the Growth Team to influence priorities and Influence the team to drive execution
  • Support Influence Team activities by providing policy perspective and priorities

General Job Profile

• Company thought leader
• Functional SME
• Resource to senior leadership
• Develops pioneering approaches to emerging industry trends

Job Scope and Guidelines

• Predicts emerging customer (state, health plan and functional partner) needs and develops innovative solutions to meet them
• Solves unique and complex problems with broad impact on the business
• Participates in the development of business strategy
• Develops and manages business plans to achieve objectives
• Leads large, complex projects related to policy, advocacy and influence to achieve key business objectives
• Translates highly complex concepts in ways that can be understood by a variety of audiences
• Influences senior leadership to adopt new ideas, products, and/or approaches
• May have segment-wide impact
• Directs cross-functional and/or cross-segment teams

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:

• Experience shaping, creating, and/or analyzing public policy
• Experience advocating - either in legislative or other public environment
• Experience building coalitions and/or creating other advocacy forums
• Medicaid experience
• Command of Medicaid policy with preference for experience in state or federal government or within advocacy organizations
• Solid PowerPoint and excel skills
• Proven analytical and research expertise
• Proven excellent written and verbal communication

Common Language of Leadership

• Technical and Functional Skills
• Achievement drive
• Being accountable
• Building relationships
• Communicating with others
• Solving problems
• Engaging Leaders
• Communicating Effectively
• Demonstrating Presences
• Motivating & Influencing
• Critical Thinking
• Problem Analysis
• System Thinking

*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 $134,600 to $230,800 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.