Associate Director - Federal Government Affairs

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.

At UnitedHealth Group, our mission is to help people live healthier lives and make the health system work better for everyone. Our Federal Government Affairs team plays a critical role in advancing that mission-engaging with policymakers and shaping solutions that impact millions of people.

We're looking for an Associate Director who will help drive the operational and strategic execution of our federal engagement-bringing structure, insight, and follow-through to the work that powers our team's impact.

Working closely with a team of federal lobbyists, this role will focus on managing key processes, advancing high-priority initiatives, and ensuring we are operating with clarity, coordination, and accountability. This is a highly visible role for someone who is both detail-oriented and substantively curious-able to connect the dots between policy, people, and execution.

Primary Responsibilities:

Drive execution and accountability across our work

• Develop and manage systems for tracking engagement with policymakers and senior leadership
• Monitor priorities, action items, and follow-ups-ensuring progress and accountability across the team
• Build and maintain dashboards, metrics, and reporting tools to provide visibility into team performance and outcomes

Lead high-impact projects and initiatives

• Project manage and execute key initiatives, including congressional fly-ins, site visits, and external engagement opportunities
• Coordinate across internal and external stakeholders to ensure seamless execution
• Drive timelines, manage deliverables, and ensure outcomes are achieved

Manage and elevate casework operations

• Oversee the intake, tracking, and resolution of high-profile casework inquiries from policymakers and stakeholders
• Develop clear action plans and partner across the enterprise to drive timely resolution
• Identify trends and insights from casework to inform strategy and improve responsiveness

Enable informed, strategic engagement

• Attend legislative hearings, briefings, and key external events; synthesize and distill insights for the team
• Develop and contribute to content including talking points, executive briefings, advocacy materials, and presentations
• Translate complex policy and political dynamics into clear, actionable insights for internal audiences

Strengthen how we operate

• Continuously identify opportunities to improve processes, coordination, and team effectiveness
• Help organize and optimize shared systems, including SharePoint and CRM platforms
• Leverage AI and emerging tools to enhance productivity and quality of outputs

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 Congress, the Executive Branch, government relations, public affairs, public policy, advocacy, or campaigns 
• Based in the Washington, D.C. metro area with the ability to work a hybrid schedule (minimum four days per week in office)

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in the health care sector 
• Experience managing complex projects with multiple stakeholders and deadlines 
• Experience supporting government affairs or externally facing teams 
• Experience using CRM tools (e.g., Quorum) and managing or organizing SharePoint systems 
• Demonstrated ability to synthesize information from multiple sources into clear, actionable insights 
• Flexible and adaptable; thrives in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment
• Impeccable personal character and high integrity; able to represent the company with the highest standards of professionalism 
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills 
• Solid problem-solving skills and attention to detail 

*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 $91,700 to $163,700 annually based on full-time employment. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.

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.