Technical Program Lead

Optum; Mesa (AZ); Hybrid; USD 92,000 - 164,000; Full time

Job summary

Optum is seeking an experienced Delivery & Program Lead to drive complex operational and technology initiatives across manufacturing, automation, and pharmaceutical environments in the Mesa area. The role requires coordinating multiple workstreams and delivering measurable business outcomes.

You will lead cross-functional teams, manage risk, and leverage data to guide decisions, with a hybrid work setup and regular office presence in Mesa.

Qualifications

• Certified Scrum Master (CSM), Professional Scrum Master (PSM), SAFe Scrum Master, or equivalent Agile certification.
• 5+ years leading complex cross-functional initiatives in industrial, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, healthcare, or other regulated environments.
• Experience leading enterprise-scale initiatives involving multiple teams and stakeholders.
• Solid knowledge of Agile, Scrum, Lean Manufacturing, and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Proven ability to influence without direct authority and drive alignment across teams.
• Proven excellent communication, facilitation, and executive presentation skills.
• Proven solid organizational skills and ability to manage competing priorities.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic initiatives across engineering, operations, quality, and technology teams.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams including engineering, automation, software, facilities, operations, quality, and vendors.
• Drive scope alignment, dependency management, risk mitigation, and issue resolution.
• Establish governance, reporting, and communication frameworks to ensure stakeholder alignment.
• Partner with leaders to define priorities, milestones, KPIs, and success metrics.
• Support automation, robotics, facility expansion, systems implementation, and operational improvement efforts.
• Foster Agile, Lean, and continuous improvement practices.
• Remove organizational impediments impacting delivery and team performance.
• Develop dashboards, scorecards, and executive reporting to track program performance.
• Leverage data analytics to identify risks, bottlenecks, improvement opportunities, and resource constraints.
• Communicate program status, risks, milestones, and business outcomes to leadership.

Skills

Agile & Lean

Cross-functional leadership

Communication & presentation

Influence without authority

Organizational skills

Problem-solving

Program management

Tools

Azure DevOps

Jira

Rally

ServiceNow

Tableau

Power BI

SQL

Python/R

Job description

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

Job Description - Technical Program Lead (2383197)

Technical Program Lead - 2383197

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.

We are seeking an experienced Delivery & Program Lead to drive complex operational and technology initiatives across manufacturing, automation, and pharmaceutical environments. This role serves as a facilitator and execution leader, enabling cross-functional teams to deliver large-scale engineering, operational, and technology initiatives.

The ideal candidate combines strong Agile/Scrum leadership with experience in industrial operations, automation, manufacturing, or pharmaceutical settings. They excel at coordinating multiple workstreams, managing risk, removing barriers, leveraging data to drive decisions, and delivering measurable business outcomes.

This position located at our OptumRx Facility, 1830 S. Horne, Mesa, AZ 85204 (West Mesa)

Position is Monday - Friday; 8:00-5:00, hybrid with 35% travel. You will be expected to be in the office 3 days a week, when not traveling.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Lead strategic initiatives across engineering, operations, quality, and technology teams
• Coordinate cross-functional teams including engineering, automation, software, facilities, operations, quality, and vendors
• Drive scope alignment, dependency management, risk mitigation, and issue resolution
• Establish governance, reporting, and communication frameworks to ensure stakeholder alignment
• Partner with leaders to define priorities, milestones, KPIs, and success metrics
• Support automation, robotics, facility expansion, systems implementation, and operational improvement efforts
• Foster Agile, Lean, and continuous improvement practices
• Remove organizational impediments impacting delivery and team performance
• Develop dashboards, scorecards, and executive reporting to track program performance
• Leverage data analytics to identify risks, bottlenecks, improvement opportunities, and resource constraints
• Communicate program status, risks, milestones, and business outcomes to leadership
  

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:

• Certified Scrum Master (CSM), Professional Scrum Master (PSM), SAFe Scrum Master, or equivalent Agile certification
• 5+ years leading complex cross-functional initiatives in industrial, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, healthcare, or other regulated environments
• Experience leading enterprise-scale initiatives involving multiple teams and stakeholders
• Solid knowledge of Agile, Scrum, Lean Manufacturing, and continuous improvement methodologies
• Proven ability to influence without direct authority and drive alignment across teams
• Proven excellent communication, facilitation, and executive presentation skills
• Proven solid organizational skills and ability to manage competing priorities
• Position is Monday - Friday; 8:00-5:00, hybrid with 35% travel. You will be expected to be in the office 3 days a week, when not traveling
  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supporting automation, robotics, warehouse automation, fulfillment systems, manufacturing technologies, or industrial controls
• Experience with Azure DevOps, Jira, Rally, ServiceNow, or similar work management platforms
• Experience developing KPIs, dashboards, and executive reporting using Tableau, Power BI, or similar analytics platforms
• Experience working with large operational, engineering, manufacturing, or fulfillment datasets
• Experience leading automation, digital transformation, or operational excellence initiatives
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including Power Query, pivot tables, and data modeling
• Familiarity with SQL, Python, R, or other data analysis and automation tools
• Familiarity with quality systems, validation processes, FMEA, CAPA, risk management, and regulatory compliance
• Proven solid analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to convert data into actionable insights
  

*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 $91,700 - $163,700 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.

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.