Associate Director, Early-Stage Enterprise Strategy and Partnerships - 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.

The UHG Enterprise Strategy and Partnerships team, which reports up through the UHG Chief Strategy and Growth Office, is focused on driving cross-enterprise efforts that span the breadth of the UHG portfolio (UHC and Optum). We work with technology, product, and P&L executive owners to identify market opportunities, create strategic plans, build partnership, and drive company shaping decisions. Team members have solid analytical problem-solving skills and can break down some of the company's most difficult challenges into discrete, solvable workstreams and projects. This role involves working with UHG's leaders, innovative startups and other private companies, and the broader investment community to support innovation and transformation across the healthcare landscape.

The Associate Director, Early-Stage Enterprise Strategy & Partnerships is an experienced business strategist and relationship builder who provides thought leadership, market analysis, and project execution to guide the development of innovative partnership opportunities and market insights that drive enterprise growth and operational excellence.

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

• Deliver data-driven insights to support cross-UHG initiatives spanning growth strategy, operational excellence, and client / external party partnerships; work across Optum, UnitedHealthcare, and external parties
• Analyze industry trends, customer needs, competitive threats, expansion opportunities and internal performance to support strategic projects across UHG businesses
• Develop and manage relationships with venture capital firms, startups, and other ecosystem partners to uncover emerging market insights and differentiated opportunities for UHG
• Lead thematic research and curated executive learning forums to help disseminate market insights within UHG and build conviction on areas of opportunity
• Lead the development of external partnership and value creation theses, assisting broadly with deal execution, including deal positioning and valuation, thinking beyond Optum and UHC business units to develop UHG-level enterprise strategy and solutions.
• Enable actionable decision-making, corporate prioritization, corporate development, and strategy communication (Executive management, Board, investors, company)
• Conduct internal and external primary and secondary research activities, financial modeling / growth projection analyses, and build and deliver presentations
• Nurture and develop solid relationships with business unit leaders and corporate strategy teammates
• Scoping, initiating, planning, executing, and closing strategy projects
• Support the corporate planning process and ad hoc projects for executives

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 working experience
• 3+ years of healthcare experience
• 3+ years of strategy consulting experience, corporate strategy experience, or venture capital experience
• Solid problem-solving skillset, including experience structuring ambiguous problems, developing hypotheses, and translating analysis into recommendations and actions
• Experience leading small project teams or workstreams
• Experience communicating data and strategic frameworks to executive audiences
• Experience conducting commercial due diligence in service of investments / M&A or commercial partnerships
• Experience with financial analysis and company valuation
• Demonstrated ability to travel up to 20% (may be required depending on projects)

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with venture investments or venture-stage businesses
• Experience at a health or technology company with exposure to AI-enabled healthcare products
• Demonstrated conceptual, analytical, and financial modeling skills
• Demonstrated career successes in influencing across levels in a matrixed organization and converting ideas into executed partnerships and transactions
• 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 $112,700 to $193,200 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.