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.

The Optum Rx Strategy team is responsible for identifying and driving forward strategic initiatives and new business opportunities across our expansive pharmacy services business. We are part of the Optum Rx Strategy & Incubation team and work closely with leaders across Optum Rx to develop critical market insights, provide strategic direction, identify, and assess new business and product opportunities, develop partnerships, and drive the development of new business solutions. We also partner with teams across Optum, UnitedHealthcare, and UnitedHealth Group to support corporate efforts including business planning, corporate development, Board of Directors communications, and investor relations. We focus on the highest impact solutions to address our business priorities in a rapidly evolving pharmacy marketplace.

As a Director, Strategic Initiatives in Optum Rx, you will leverage data, analytics, research, and market insights to identify and develop business cases for meaningful new business opportunities, working with leaders across the organization.

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

Primary Responsibilities:

• Position Optum Rx for above market growth by identifying and creating business cases for net new business opportunities (e.g., Optum Frontier Therapies), contributing to at least $100M in operating earnings growth annually and $500M of total incremental operating earnings growth over the next 5 years
• Tackle most critical and challenging executive-leadership sponsored strategic initiatives
• Own the end-to-end process from opportunity identification to business launch for new business opportunities
• Identify net new businesses for Optum Rx to pursue and develop compelling business cases; business cases will include: analysis of market adjacencies, primary and secondary market research, market sizing, competitive landscape assessment, go-to-market recommendation, and a proposed P&L with resource ask; output will require acute business acumen to identify “where to play / where not to play”, and “how to win”
• Inform business leaders and Corp Dev team on potential M&A opportunities to launch new businesses
• Gain leadership alignment through monthly executive leadership updates
• Serve as thought partner and SME through initial start-up of new businesses (e.g., hiring leadership team, acquiring capabilities, etc.)
• Support executive sponsored strategic initiatives (e.g., launch of Optum Rx Health Equity program)
• Oversee cross-functional resources and teams to answer mission-critical questions, address market threats, and develop new Enterprise capabilities
• Develop and present a strategic POV on critical business decisions; gain organizational buy-in and drive to decision on recommended direction with executive leaders
• Gain leadership alignment on recommendations and execution plans
• Leverage experience and judgement to present complex business ideas and multi-layered business challenges in simple to understand representations that accurately identify core issues and drive to executive decision making
• Support Optum Rx initiatives spanning growth strategy, product strategy, and operational excellence by directly scoping, initiating, and planning projects tied to high priority business objectives
• Establish objectives, define deliverables, structure work effort, and mobilize cross-functional teams to deliver against multiple high priority, impactful strategic initiatives
• Drive data-driven insights to support actionable strategic direction, prioritization, and strategy communication
• Drive measurable business impact to the organization

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

• Bachelor’s degree
• 5+ years of professional corporate experience
• 2+ years of experience working on a corporate strategy team and/or management consulting experience
• 1+ years of experience working for a large healthcare organization
• Experience developing business cases for new products and/or businesses
• Experience managing and prioritizing multiple projects to ensure their quality and on-time delivery
• Experience with conceptual, analytical and financial modeling
• Experience delivering results with large-scale, cross-functional teams in highly matrixed organizations
• Experience leading in large organizations, working in a cross-matrixed team-oriented environment, navigating ambiguity and persisting through barriers
• Proven ability to succinctly communicate strategic recommendations at executive leadership level
• Willingness to travel up to 25%

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced degree (e.g., MBA, MHA)
• 5+ years of healthcare experience
• Direct experience in pharmacy and pharmacy benefits management
• Working knowledge of payer, provider, and health services industry

California, Colorado, Connecticut, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, or Washington Residents Only: The salary range for California, Colorado, Connecticut, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island or Washington residents is $118,000 to $226,800. Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, certifications, etc. In addition to your salary, UnitedHealth Group offers 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 UnitedHealth Group, you’ll find a far-reaching choice of benefits and incentives.

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

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: UnitedHealth Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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