Senior Financial Consultant

Optum; Eden Prairie (MN); On-site; USD 92,000 - 164,000; Full time

Job summary

Optum in Eden Prairie, MN is seeking a Senior Financial Consultant to partner with Customer Service Operations, focusing on operating expenses, forecasting, reporting, and analysis. You will work with business leaders to deliver timely insights, support month-end close, and build accurate forecasts that drive smart decisions.

The role offers on-site work with standard business hours, with potential overtime based on business needs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree (or higher) in Finance, Accounting, Economics, OR related field.
• 4+ years of experience in progressive finance, accounting, OR financial planning and analysis experience.
• Experience supporting business partners in a complex, matrixed organization.
• Financial forecasting, budgeting, and variance analysis experience.
• Analytical and financial modeling skills.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including pivot tables, lookup functions, and financial modeling techniques.
• Ability to work full time. Employees are required to have flexibility to work any of our shift schedules during our normal business hours of 8:00am - 5:00pm. It may be necessary, given the business need, to work occasional overtime.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain monthly forecasts, annual budgets, and long-range planning assumptions for Customer Service Operations expenses.
• Partner with business leaders to understand operational trends, workforce changes, and emerging risks and opportunities.
• Analyze financial performance and proactively identify drivers impacting forecast accuracy.
• Support development of cost management initiatives and track realization of savings opportunities.
• Month-End Close & Financial Reporting: Lead month-end financial analysis and reporting processes, ensuring accurate and timely review of actual results.
• Business Partnership: Build strong relationships with Customer Service Operations leaders and serve as a trusted financial advisor.
• Analysis & Decision Support: Develop financial models, scenario analyses, and ad hoc reporting to support operational decisions.
• Process Improvement: Continuously identify opportunities to streamline financial processes, improve reporting, and enhance forecasting methodologies.

Skills

Financial forecasting

Budgeting

Variance analysis

Financial modeling

Data-driven decision making

Communication

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Finance/Accounting/Economics

Tools

PeopleSoft

Essbase

SmartView

Job description

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

Job Description - Senior Financial Consultant (2380428)

Job Number:

Senior Financial Consultant (2380428 )

This position is Onsite. Our office is located at Eden Prairie - 1 Optum Circle.

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 Senior Financial Consultant will serve as a key finance partner supporting the Customer Service Operations organization, with a primary focus on operating expense management, forecasting, reporting, and financial analysis. This role will work closely with operational leaders to provide timely financial insights, support month-end close activities, and develop accurate forecasts that drive informed business decisions.

The position plays an important role in ensuring financial transparency, identifying risks and opportunities, and helping business partners understand the key drivers of performance across Customer Service Operations. The ideal candidate will combine strong analytical skills with the ability to build relationships, communicate effectively, and influence outcomes in a fast-paced environment.

This position is full time. Employees are required to have flexibility to work any of our shift schedules during our normal business hours of 8:00am - 5:00pm. It may be necessary, given the business need, to work occasional overtime.

We offer weeks of on-the-job training. The hours of the training will be based on schedule or will be discussed on your first day of employment.

Primary Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain monthly forecasts, annual budgets, and long-range planning assumptions for Customer Service Operations expenses.
• Partner with business leaders to understand operational trends, workforce changes, and emerging risks and opportunities.
• Analyze financial performance and proactively identify drivers impacting forecast accuracy.
• Support development of cost management initiatives and track realization of savings opportunities.
• Month-End Close & Financial Reporting
  • Lead month-end financial analysis and reporting processes, ensuring accurate and timely review of actual results.
  • Analyze variances to forecast, budget, and prior year results, clearly communicating key drivers to finance and operational leadership.
  • Prepare recurring financial reporting packages and executive summaries highlighting operational performance and financial impacts.
  • Partner closely with accounting and other finance teams to ensure integrity of financial results.
• Business Partnership
  • Build strong relationships with Customer Service Operations leaders and serve as a trusted financial advisor.
  • Translate financial results into actionable business insights and recommendations.
  • Provide transparency into workforce-related expenses, vendor spend, and other key operating cost drivers.
  • Support business partners in evaluating trade-offs and opportunities to improve efficiency and financial performance.
• Analysis & Decision Support
  • Develop financial models, scenario analyses, and ad hoc reporting to support operational decisions.
  • Perform trend analysis and identify emerging risks, opportunities, and operational efficiencies.
  • Support development of business cases and ROI analyses for investments and strategic initiatives.
  • Leverage data and analytics to improve forecasting assumptions and enhance decision-making.
• Process Improvement
  • Continuously identify opportunities to streamline financial processes, improve reporting, and enhance forecasting methodologies.
  • Develop and maintain tools, dashboards, and performance metrics that improve visibility into business results.
  • Support implementation of best practices across Operating Cost Management and broader Finance teams.

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 (or higher) in Finance, Accounting, Economics, OR related field.
• 4+ years of experience in progressive finance, accounting, OR financial planning and analysis experience.
• Experience supporting business partners in a complex, matrixed organization.
• Financial forecasting, budgeting, and variance analysis experience.
• Analytical and financial modeling skills.
• Experience translating complex financial information into clear, actionable recommendations.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including pivot tables, lookup functions, and financial modeling techniques.
• Ability to work full time. Employees are required to have flexibility to work any of our shift schedules during our normal business hours of 8:00am - 5:00pm. It may be necessary, given the business need, to work occasional overtime.

Preferred Qualification:

• Healthcare, PBM, customer service, contact center, OR operations finance experience.
• Experience supporting operating expense OR SG&A management.
• Experience with workforce planning and labor expense modeling.
• Familiarity with PeopleSoft, Essbase, SmartView, OR similar financial systems.
• MBA, CPA, OR other advanced finance credential.
• Experience building dashboards and automated reporting solutions.

Soft Skills:

• Strong communication and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Business Partnership & Influence
• Analytical Thinking
• Forecasting & Planning
• Communication & Storytelling with Data
• Problem Solving
• Attention to Detail
• Ability to Thrive in Ambiguity
• Collaboration Across Functions

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 - $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.

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.