Associate Director Strategic Operations Client Transformation - Remote

UnitedHealth Group•Minnetonka, MN

1d•$112,700 - $193,200•Remote

About The Position

The Associate Director, Strategic Operations & Client Transformation serves as a key liaison between Optum Care Service Operations (NSC), AI initiatives, Markets, Care Delivery Organizations (CDOs), PMOs, and frontline call delivery teams. This role is responsible for building solid partnerships that enable a unified operational strategy while ensuring alignment with Optum's standard service model, customer experience objectives, and enterprise priorities. The Assoc Director drives strategic planning, operational transformation, innovation, and client engagement across multiple stakeholders. Through consulting, operational expertise, and relationship management, this leader identifies opportunities to improve performance, increase efficiency, enhance patient and provider satisfaction, and support the successful implementation of new operating models, technologies, and service delivery strategies. Success in this role is measured by the ability to align organizational initiatives with frontline outcomes, deliver measurable operational improvements, and serve as a trusted advisor to clients and internal partners.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience
Lean, Six Sigma, PMP, or related operational excellence certifications
7+ years of experience in healthcare operations, contact center operations, client management, consulting, program management, or related fields
Experience leading large-scale operational improvement or transformation initiatives
Experience developing strategic plans and delivering executive-level presentations
Experience supporting healthcare call center operations or service delivery organizations
Experience supporting enterprise implementations, migrations, or organizational change efforts
Experience working within matrixed healthcare organizations
Familiarity with AI-enabled service delivery and healthcare technology solutions
Demonstrated success managing complex stakeholder relationships across multiple organizational levels
Demonstrated solid analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills
Proven exceptional communication, facilitation, and influencing capabilities

Nice To Haves

Strategic Thinking
Executive Presence
Client Relationship Management
Operational Excellence
Change Leadership
Influencing Without Authority
Customer-Centric Leadership
Innovation & Transformation
Program and Project Leadership
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Data-Driven Decision Making
Continuous Improvement

Responsibilities

Develop and execute strategic roadmaps that align operational priorities across Service Operations, Markets, CDOs, PMOs, and call delivery teams
Lead transformation initiatives focused on operational excellence, scalability, efficiency, and customer experience improvement
Evaluate current-state operations and identify opportunities for process optimization, standardization, and service model enhancements
Drive continuous improvement efforts that support enterprise and client objectives
Serve as a champion for innovation by identifying emerging capabilities, technologies, and best practices that enhance service delivery
Synthesize complex data and strategic initiatives into executive-ready presentations, delivering clear, actionable insights and recommendations along with updates to senior leaders
Act as the primary operational liaison for AI initiatives and operational integration efforts
Partner with business leaders and CDO stakeholders to ensure successful deployment and adoption of AI-enabled solutions
Translate operational requirements into actionable implementation strategies
Monitor operational impacts and partner with stakeholders to optimize outcomes
Build and maintain solid executive-level relationships with Markets, CDOs, PMOs, and operational leaders
Serve as a trusted advisor and strategic consultant to clients and partners
Manage high-touch customer interactions and escalation support, ensuring timely issue resolution and stakeholder satisfaction
Facilitate alignment between client needs and enterprise operational standards
Present recommendations, business cases, and performance updates to senior leadership
Consult with CDOs and market leaders to identify opportunities for operational improvements and service enhancements
Support migrations into Enterprise Clinical Services (ECS) call teams and related operating models
Assess operational readiness, risks, dependencies, and change management needs
Recommend solutions that improve efficiency, effectiveness, quality, experience and customer outcomes
Ensure recommendations are grounded in standard service models and customer experience best practices
Serve as a subject matter expert (SME) for implementation, transformation, and operational improvement projects
Partner with PMO, operations, client and implementation teams to ensure successful project execution
Provide operational guidance throughout planning, deployment, stabilization, and optimization phases
Facilitate cross-functional collaboration across multiple business units and teams
Advocate for exceptional patient and provider experiences across all service delivery models
Monitor operational performance and customer satisfaction metrics
Identify barriers impacting service quality and lead corrective action planning
Ensure operational decisions support both customer outcomes and organizational goals