Director, Payer Value Creation – Behavioral Health

Preferra Insurance; Eden Prairie (MN); Remote; USD 159,000 - 273,000; Full time

Job summary

Optum is a global health services company seeking a Director, Behavioral Health Payer Value Creation to lead the payer affordability portfolio. You will translate enterprise value strategy into actionable initiatives, partnering with clinical, network, finance and analytics teams to drive cost efficiency, better outcomes and customer value.

The role requires senior leadership for portfolio governance, business case development and executive communication, with a focus on innovation, data-driven

Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in healthcare, managed care, consulting, strategy, operations, affordability, value creation or a related field
• 10+ years leading complex, cross-functional initiatives with accountability for strategy, execution and measurable business outcomes
• Demonstrated experience identifying cost or performance improvement opportunities and converting them into executable initiatives
• Experience working across multiple functions such as clinical, network, payment integrity, finance, analytics, product, operations or client management
• Proven executive presence, including the ability to communicate complex topics clearly, confidently and concisely to senior audiences
• Proven track record of moving work from concept to implementation and sustaining accountability through delivery

Responsibilities

• Own the payer value creation and affordability agenda, including development of priorities, goals, roadmaps and performance expectations aligned to business and customer needs
• Identify and assess emerging cost, utilization, quality and operational trends; translate insights into clear actions that reduce avoidable cost, improve outcomes and strengthen the payer value story
• Build, prioritize and manage a portfolio of payer affordability initiatives across clinical, network, payment integrity, benefits integrity, product and operational levers
• Lead initiatives from opportunity identification through solution design, approval, implementation, adoption, measurement and financial validation, with clear ownership, milestones, risks and dependencies
• Develop rigorous business cases, value models and executive recommendations using data, operational insight and sound assumptions; partner with Finance and analytics teams to validate impact and prevent double counting
• Establish and maintain strong operating disciplines, including portfolio governance, workplans, decision logs, status reporting, issue escalation and executive-ready updates
• Partner across Optum Behavioral Health and the broader enterprise to align stakeholders, resolve barriers and accelerate execution in a complex matrixed environment
• Represent payer affordability strategy, progress, risks and results with senior leaders and internal and external stakeholders through concise, compelling written and verbal communication
• Connect affordability work to quality, access, member experience, provider relationships, regulatory requirements and customer commitments
• Promote innovation and continuous improvement, including the use of advanced analytics, digital tools and AI-enabled capabilities to improve insight, efficiency and decision-making
• Create transparency into portfolio performance, challenge assumptions constructively and ensure teams remain accountable for commitments and measurable outcomes
• Share best practices across lines of business and identify opportunities to scale proven approaches while adapting solutions to payer-specific needs

Skills

Executive presence

Cross-functional leadership

Strategic thinking

Communicate clearly

Education

Master's degree in business or related field

Job description

Optum is a global health services company seeking a Director, Behavioral Health Payer Value Creation to lead the payer affordability portfolio. You will translate enterprise value strategy into actionable initiatives, partnering with clinical, network, finance and analytics teams to drive cost efficiency, better outcomes and customer value.

The role requires senior leadership for portfolio governance, business case development and executive communication, with a focus on innovation, data-driven