Associate Director, Quantitative Strategy and Decision Science

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 Quantitative Strategy and Decision Science to lead complex analytical work that informs strategic priorities, program design, resource allocation, and operational improvement. This senior individual-contributor role will combine rigorous research methods, advanced statistics, and business strategy to turn complex healthcare and operational data into clear decisions and practical solutions.

The role will serve as a recognized expert and key resource on high-impact questions that require complex conceptual analysis, innovative methodological approaches, and clear communication with leaders and non-technical stakeholders. The Associate Director will anticipate stakeholder needs, shape analytical approaches, lead projects and workstreams, review the work of others, and mentor colleagues. The position is well suited to an experienced quantitative researcher who can integrate survey and administrative data, establish reproducible analytical practices, and translate nuanced findings into actionable recommendations.

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

Quantitative strategy and decision support

• Lead complex quantitative and mixed-method analyses that support enterprise strategy, program design, service improvement, investment decisions, and resource allocation
• Frame ambiguous business and policy questions, define decision criteria, identify appropriate data sources, and develop rigorous analytical plans
• Apply advanced statistical, computational, and research methods to identify patterns, estimate effects, quantify uncertainty, and evaluate strategic alternatives
• Integrate and harmonize administrative, operational, clinical, survey, and external data into documented analytical assets suitable for repeatable decision support
• Translate technical findings into concise recommendations, executive narratives, visualizations, and presentations for decision-makers without technical backgrounds

Research, evaluation, and innovation

Design evaluations, surveys, indicators, and measurement frameworks that help leaders understand customer needs, organizational performance, program outcomes, and emerging risks

Develop innovative analytical approaches when standard methods are insufficient for complex, incomplete, longitudinal, or high-dimensional data

Use methods such as Bayesian inference, machine learning, quasi-experimental design, survey analysis, time-series analysis, latent variable modeling, multilevel modeling, network analysis, or small-area estimation as appropriate to the business question

Evaluate analytical and AI-enabled methods for practical use, balancing methodological rigor, interpretability, reproducibility, and operational value

Establish quality standards, reusable methods, documentation, and reproducible workflows that strengthen the team's analytical capabilities

Strategic leadership and capability development

• Serve as a key resource on complex or critical strategic issues and proactively develop solutions that address stakeholder needs
• Lead functional workstreams or cross-functional projects, including scope, approach, work planning, milestones, dependencies, risks, and resource requirements
• Review analytical plans, code, methods, findings, and deliverables produced by others and provide recommendations for improvement
• Mentor analysts and data scientists in research design, quantitative methods, reproducible practices, critical interpretation, and effective communication
• Partner with business, clinical, operational, technology, and analytics leaders to move from insight to implementation and measurable improvement
• Provide clear explanations of the most complex analytical issues, including assumptions, limitations, uncertainty, risks, and implications for action
• 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

• Undergraduate degree or equivalent experience
• 10+ years of experience conducting quantitative research, program evaluation, policy analysis, decision science, advanced analytics, or a related discipline
• Experience leading complex analytical projects from problem definition through data development, analysis, interpretation, and communication
• Advanced proficiency with statistical programming using R or Python and experience working with SQL, Git, or comparable tools supporting reproducible analysis
• Experience applying multiple advanced methods, such as Bayesian inference, machine learning, quasi-experimental methods, survey design and analysis, longitudinal or multilevel modeling, latent variable modeling, network analysis, or time-series analysis
• Experience integrating, harmonizing, and documenting large or complex administrative and survey datasets
• Experience translating technical findings into actionable insights for executive, policy, operational, or other non-technical audiences
• Experience reviewing analytical work and mentoring or supervising researchers, analysts, or technical team members
• Demonstrated ability to anticipate stakeholder needs, solve complex problems, develop innovative approaches, and work independently on critical issues

Preferred Qualifications

Advanced degree in statistics, economics, sociology, public health, public policy, data science, operations research, or another quantitative discipline

Experience conducting research or evaluation related to public health, healthcare delivery, population health, behavioral health, social determinants of health, aging, caregiving, or health policy

Experience working with restricted-use healthcare or population data in secure physical or remote environments

Experience designing population-based surveys, longitudinal panel studies, measurement frameworks, or indicators used for program planning and resource allocation

Experience serving as a principal investigator, technical lead, or analytic workstream leader with responsibility for budgets, timelines, deliverables, and stakeholder communication

Experience developing analytical infrastructure, ETL pipelines, version-control practices, and documentation standards for collaborative research teams

Experience delivering rapid-turnaround analyses for senior government, healthcare, or organizational decision-makers

Experience with cloud-based analytical platforms, large-scale data environments, or modern AI-assisted development workflows

*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 $112,700 to $193,200 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 help make the health system work better for everyone. Together, we are shaping the future of healthcare by harnessing technology and innovation to make care simpler to navigate, more affordable and more connected for the people we serve. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels welcomed, valued, heard and respected, empowering people to bring their authentic selves to work and strengthening our collective impact through diverse talents, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.

UnitedHealth Group and its affiliated brands are 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 and its affiliated brands are a drug-free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.