Chief Operating Officer, Optum

Optum; Minnesota; Hybrid; USD 600,000 - 750,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits package

Equity stock purchase

401(k) contribution

Job summary

Optum is a global health services leader combining care, data and technology to improve outcomes at scale. We seek a Chief Operating Officer to lead AI-first, globally integrated operations and transform enterprise capabilities.

The role blends strategic leadership with hands-on operational excellence, partnering with executives to redesign processes, drive automation, and align people, technology and AI for growth. Remote flexibility within the U.S.

Qualifications

• Executive leadership experience in large-scale operations.
• Proven ability to design and operate global, capability-based models.
• Experience leading AI, automation and workforce transformation at enterprise scale.
• Deep expertise in process redesign and performance management.
• Ability to partner with senior executives and influence decisions.

Responsibilities

• Lead large-scale healthcare and service operations with accountability for performance and growth.
• Build operating systems that reliably deliver valuable outcomes across populations.
• Establish data-driven governance and performance management.
• Drive continuous improvement through automation and analytics.
• Define and lead AI-first operations strategy in a global context.
• Partner with technology and business leaders to redesign work and experiences.

Skills

Executive leadership

Global operating models

AI and automation transformation

Operational excellence

Stakeholder management

Healthcare industry knowledge

Executive presence

Job description

Improve the lives of others while Caring. Connecting. Growing together.

Job Description - Chief Operating Officer, Optum (2387278)

Chief Operating Officer, Optum - 2387278

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 Optum Chief Operating Officer (OCOO) will lead Optum's AI-first, globally integrated operations organization, overseeing the capabilities, operating systems, partnerships, and transformation agenda required to improve experience, affordability, quality, productivity, cost, and growth across Optum. The OCOO reimagines enterprise value creation by integrating AI, automation, digital capabilities, and global talent to create measurable value for customers, patients, providers, clients, and business partners, operating in a highly matrixed environment across Optum, UnitedHealthcare, and the enterprise.

The role carries significant transformational responsibility. In partnership with enterprise leadership, the OCOO will help design and execute a capability-driven, one-operating organization model built to perform at a level that enables commercial opportunity at a larger scale.

The successful candidate will be a transformative operator with world-class operational expertise, demonstrated success reimagining businesses through AI and technology, and the ability to both run a large, complex operations organization and lead its redesign into a new target operating model, all while exemplifying our values.

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:

• Lead large-scale healthcare and service operations with accountability for performance, quality, productivity, execution, and growth across Optum.
• Build operating systems that reliably deliver valuable outcomes across businesses and customer populations.
• Establish data-driven performance management and operational governance.
• Drive continuous improvement through process redesign, automation, analytics, and operational discipline.

AI-First, Global Operations Strategy & Transformation

• Define and lead Optum's AI-first operations strategy, including a globally integrated capability model.
• Partner with technology, digital, AI, product, and business leaders to redesign work and enhance experiences.
• Accelerate adoption of automation, generative AI, intelligent workflows, and digital capabilities across operations.
• Establish a workforce transformation roadmap that continually optimizes work across people, technology, and AI agents.
• Deliver measurable improvements in experience, productivity, quality, affordability, and growth through technology-enabled transformation.

Strategic Business Partnership & Matrix Leadership

• Serve as a strategic operations and transformation partner to Optum leadership and enterprise operations leaders.
• Translate business strategies and growth ambitions into operational capabilities and execution plans.
• Build trusted relationships with CEOs, executive teams, and enterprise leaders.
• Align business, capability, technology, and enterprise function leaders around priorities and execution.
• Influence critical decisions across organizations without direct authority.
• Balance enterprise standardization and scale with business-specific requirements and market needs.

Constituent Experience & Growth Enablement

• Improve experiences for customers, patients, providers, clients, and employees.
• Align investments to capabilities that accelerate growth, differentiation, and commercialization.
• Remove barriers to constituent outcomes, business performance, and operational effectiveness
• Build and lead a high-performing global team, including leaders who thrive in AI-enabled, highly matrixed environments.
• Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning.
• Champion a global mindset while maintaining solid local execution.

Transformational Partnership: Capability-Driven, Enterprise Design

• Partner with enterprise leadership to design and execute an enterprise capability-driven, one-operating organization built to perform at a level that enables commercial opportunity at a larger scale.
• Translate Optum business strategy, growth objectives, and market priorities into an integrated capability roadmap that connects Optum's businesses with enterprise operations capabilities.
• Establish governance, operating cadence, and performance agreements that create clear accountability for priorities, decisions, and outcomes across Optum's businesses and enterprise capability organizations.
• Represent Optum's operation perspective ensuring enterprise capabilities are designed to support Optum Health, Optum Insight, Optum Rx, and Optum Financial Services.
• Lead change communication and stakeholder alignment across Optum business leaders, enterprise capability leaders, and UnitedHealthcare counterparts throughout the transformation.

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

• Executive leadership experience leading large-scale, complex operations organizations.
• Proven success designing and operating global, capability-based operating models that deliver leading outcomes across cost, productivity, and quality.
• Demonstrated success leading AI, automation, digital, and workforce transformation at enterprise scale.
• Deep expertise in operational excellence, process redesign, performance management, and operating model transformation.
• Proven ability to partner with senior executives and influence decisions in highly matrixed organizations.
• Deep understanding of healthcare, health services, payer, provider, technology, or related industries.
• Exceptional executive presence, communication, and stakeholder management capabilities.

*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 $600,000 to $750,000 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.

UnitedHealth Group is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you need special assistance or accommodation for any part of the application process, please call 1-866-566-8715 to be connected to Recruitment Services. Recruitment Services hours of operation are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CT, Monday through Friday.

UnitedHealth Group is a registered service mark of UnitedHealth Group, Inc. The UnitedHealth Group name with the dimensional logo, as well as the dimensional logo alone, are both service marks for the UnitedHealth Group, Inc.

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.