Business Development Associate - Remote

UnitedHealth Group•Houston, TX

3d•$72,800 - $130,000•Remote

About The Position

Optum Insight is improving the flow of health data and information to create a more connected system. We remove friction and drive alignment between care providers and payers, and ultimately consumers. Our deep expertise in the industry and innovative technology empower us to help organizations reduce costs while improving risk management, quality and revenue growth. Ready to help us deliver results that improve lives? Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together. The Business Development Associate serves as a commercial growth partner supporting the OptumInsight Provider Market organization. Working with a high degree of independence, this role combines disciplined lead generation, market intelligence, customer-needs assessment, and early-stage pipeline execution to identify opportunities and advance growth priorities with U.S.-based hospitals and health systems in the Central region. The Business Development Associate partners with Regional Sales Leaders, Solution Sales Executives, Account Executives, Sales Readiness, Sales Operations, Product Go-to-Market, Marketing, Finance, and other matrix partners. The role interprets market and customer information, develops actionable recommendations, coordinates outreach, and enables well-documented handoffs throughout the client and sales lifecycle. You’ll enjoy the flexibility to work remotely from anywhere within the U.S. as you take on some tough challenges.

Requirements

2+ years of experience in business development, sales, account management, sales support, commercial operations, healthcare consulting, healthcare technology, revenue cycle management, provider services, or a related customer-facing commercial function
2+ years of experience supporting lead generation, prospecting, pipeline management, client research, account planning, campaign follow-up, or opportunity qualification
Experience assessing customer or prospect needs, interpreting business information, and recommending appropriate actions or solutions
Experience independently managing multiple priorities, deliverables, and stakeholder commitments in a fast-paced or matrixed environment
Experience using a CRM platform, such as Salesforce, to manage activities, document opportunities, and maintain data quality
Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to synthesize information and deliver clear, actionable recommendations
Demonstrated written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex information and build relationships across organizational levels
Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Teams, and SharePoint
Demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgment, navigate ambiguity, adapt to changing priorities, and work with minimal guidance

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting hospitals, health systems, physician groups, or other healthcare provider organizations
Experience with revenue cycle management, healthcare financial operations, patient access, revenue integrity, claims, denials, healthcare technology, or related provider-market functions
Experience supporting commercial growth, market expansion, strategic account planning, or client acquisition initiatives
Experience using healthcare market intelligence, sales analytics, customer insights, or enterprise business development tools
Experience coordinating across Sales, Operations, Marketing, Product, Finance, Legal, and other cross-functional stakeholders
Experience using enterprise-approved AI-enabled productivity, research, analytics, or workflow tools

Responsibilities

Independently identify and prioritize high-potential provider prospects, accounts, decision-makers, and growth opportunities using Salesforce, market intelligence platforms, internal analytics, dashboards, and market research
Plan and execute structured prospecting and outreach activity, including campaign follow-up, conference and webinar lead management, client research, and contact identification
Assess provider-market dynamics, competitor activity, industry trends, client challenges, and Optum capabilities to inform targeting strategy and pipeline priorities
Translate research and data into concise account profiles, outreach plans, call-preparation materials, and actionable recommendations for sales teams and leaders
Partner with Solution Sales Executives, Account Executives, Growth Leaders, and business development teams to shape outreach strategy, prepare for discovery, and advance early-stage opportunities
Engage marketing-generated and inbound leads in a timely manner through phone, email, and other approved channels to assess fit, timing, stakeholders, customer needs, and next steps
Interpret prospect responses and available information to determine appropriate qualification, follow-up, escalation, or handoff actions
Document qualified opportunities and coordinate seamless handoffs to Solution Sales Executives and Account Executives in alignment with established pipeline-stage guidelines
Independently manage follow-through across assigned prospecting, pipeline, campaign, and client-related initiatives while adapting to changing account priorities
Maintain accurate prospecting activity, lead progress, customer research, opportunity status, and next steps in Salesforce or other designated tools
Analyze activity and pipeline information to identify risks, gaps, trends, and recommended actions
Reinforce CRM data quality, operating cadence, action tracking, and process consistency across business development activities
Solve moderately complex operational issues and coordinate resolution across appropriate business partners with minimal guidance
Serve as a coordination point across Sales Operations, Marketing, Market Solutions, Customer Success, Value Management, Product, Finance, Legal, and other internal stakeholders
Assess stakeholder and customer requests, clarify requirements, and identify practical solutions or next steps for non-standard needs
Provide clear explanations, recommendations, and status updates on complex or sensitive issues to sales partners and other stakeholders
Coach and share guidance, tools, and effective practices with colleagues who have less experience
Use enterprise-approved AI tools, internal analytics, dashboards, and market intelligence resources to improve research, targeting, outreach quality, and pipeline execution
Apply judgment to validate AI-generated or analytical insights before incorporating them into business recommendations or customer-facing work
Identify opportunities to streamline manual tasks, improve workflows, strengthen field-facing resources, and translate new concepts into repeatable business practices