Associate Director, Strategic Analytics and Applied AI - Remote at UnitedHealth Group in Eden Prairie, MN

Job description

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. Optum's Enterprise Clinical Services Strategy & Planning team is seeking an Associate Director of Strategic Analytics and Applied AI to lead complex analytical work that informs enterprise priorities, operational improvement, resource allocation, and technology-enabled transformation. This senior individual-contributor role combines strategic analytics, applied artificial intelligence, data engineering, behavioral science, and business strategy to move high-value questions from ambiguous problem statements to rigorous analysis, scalable decision support, and practical implementation. The role will serve as a recognized expert and key resource on high-impact questions involving strategic analysis, performance measurement, advanced analytics, applied AI, and workflow automation. The Associate Director will shape analytical approaches, lead workstreams, establish reusable technical and quality practices, review the work of others, mentor colleagues, and translate complex findings into practical recommendations for business, clinical, operational, and technology stakeholders. 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: Strategic analytics and decision support Lead the design and delivery of strategic analyses and AI-enabled solutions that convert complex operational, organizational, and market information into actionable insights Frame ambiguous business questions, define decision criteria and success measures, assess data availability, and develop rigorous analytical and implementation plans Develop analytical frameworks, scenarios, forecasts, and decision models that help leaders evaluate strategic alternatives, prioritize investments, and assess operational trade-offs Develop scalable analytical pipelines that integrate multiple data sources, automate repeatable processing, and produce documented assets for ongoing performance management and decision support Use Python, SQL, R, APIs, visualization platforms, and modern analytical tools to prototype, test, and operationalize solutions while maintaining reproducibility, traceability, and appropriate quality controls Translate technical results, assumptions, limitations, and trade-offs into concise recommendations, visualizations, and executive-ready narratives for non-technical audiences Research, measurement, and workflow innovation Design analytical frameworks, assessments, indicators, and measurement approaches that help leaders understand organizational performance, workforce needs, program outcomes, and emerging risks Apply statistical analysis, machine learning, mixed-methods research, operations research, and behavioral science methods as appropriate to the business question Evaluate AI-enabled approaches for practical use, balancing accuracy, interpretability, usability, governance, cost, maintainability, and operational value Develop innovative approaches when conventional methods are insufficient for complex, incomplete, high-volume, or rapidly changing data Establish reusable methods, documentation, testing practices, and workflow standards that strengthen the team’s applied AI and analytics capabilities Partner with stakeholders to design adoption and feedback mecha