Associate Director, Healthcare Economics (Remote)
About The Position
Optum is seeking an Associate Director of Healthcare Economics to lead a team of analysts and provide subject matter expertise in payer contracting analytics and renewal strategy development. This role is crucial for supporting the Optum West Payer Contract Analytics team, offering insights for contract negotiations, renewals, competitive intelligence, and financial forecasting. The position involves close collaboration with healthcare economics, payer contracting, and data informatics teams to analyze market trends, model financial outcomes, and create data-driven strategies for optimizing payer agreements. As Optum West integrates into the National Healthcare Economics (HCE) Data Ecosystem, this leader will leverage diverse healthcare data to generate actionable insights, improve analytical capabilities, and inform strategic decisions. The ideal candidate possesses strong people leadership, advanced healthcare analytics skills, business acumen, and the ability to translate complex data into effective contract and network strategies. The role offers the flexibility of remote work within the U.S., with specific in-office requirements for those in the Minneapolis or Washington D.C. areas.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree
- 5+ years of experience in managed healthcare finance or analytics
- 5+ years of experience with payer contracting and value-based compensation programs along the risk continuum with a foundation of reimbursement methodologies, performance improvement and contracting support
- 3+ years of experience leading teams
- 3+ years of experience in evaluation and use of varying sources of data including data practice management data, other revenue cycle data (claims, encounters), and capitation plan files
- Advanced proficiency working with modeling, query, business intelligence and statistical tools, including Excel, Power BI, MS-SQL/Snowflake (writing, running, and editing queries)
Nice To Haves
- ASA or FSA Actuarial Credential
- Medicare Advantage Bid Pricing Tool experience, or familiarity with Medicare Advantage funding and pricing
- Intellectual curiosity - Proven ability and willingness to learn new actuarial concepts
- Demonstrated ability to influence, motivate, and correct others in a positive, constructive, and respectful way
Responsibilities
- Manage the evaluation of payer proposals related to FFS, capitation arrangements and value-based contracts
- Partner with the regional payer contracting teams to manage the modeling and negotiation process, evaluate proposals, and provide guidance to senior leadership on the financial impact and viability of the contract
- Work closely with the Finance and Actuarial teams to translate contract changes/analytics to the financial forecast
- Develop the capabilities and infrastructure necessary to support the growth of the analytics team, contracting entities supported, and advanced analytics
- Design and implement sound tools and applications to efficiently measure, monitor and forecast payer financial performance
- Be a subject matter expert on employer-sponsored, health insurance exchange (HIX) and government sponsored health insurance products funding changes, impact to payer contracts, and the overall managed healthcare landscape
- Contributes to building the next generation of analytic professionals and contributes to enterprise-level goals for talent development, diversity, and inclusion
- Demonstrates continuous learning and maintains a highly skilled and engaged workforce by aligning resource plans with business objectives and ensuring performance management guidelines and expectations drive business objectives and results
Benefits
- comprehensive benefits package
- incentive and recognition programs
- equity stock purchase
- 401k contribution
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
