Director External VBC Contracting & Pricing - Remote in MN

UnitedHealth Group•Eden Prairie, MN

3h•Hybrid

About The Position

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. Optum Health is a clinician-led, value-based care organization focused on improving patient outcomes, advancing care delivery, and simplifying the health care experience. We partner with physicians, health systems, employers, and communities to design innovative solutions that improve quality, affordability, and access to care. As a strategic leader, you will play a central role standardize pricing and modeling approaches, lead large-scale contract remediation efforts, and partner closely with payer and provider stakeholders to proactively manage performance across the VBC continuum. The Director of External Value-Based Care (VBC) Contracting & Pricing provides national financial leadership for VBC contract economics across Optum Health’s growing and increasingly complex provider portfolio. This role establishes clear ownership and governance over pricing, payment constructs, and forward-year economics to improve margin performance, reduce loss exposure, and accelerate payer and provider decision-making.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field
10+ years of experience in healthcare finance, value-based contracting, pricing, or payer–provider financial strategy, with substantial exposure to risk-based arrangements
5+ years of leadership experience (direct or indirect reporting relationships)
Experience leading cross-functional initiatives that span finance, contracting, operations, and clinical stakeholders
Experience within large, matrix organizations with demonstrated business results
Deep understanding of value-based care economics across the continuum, including risk sharing, pricing intervals, and margin optimization
Demonstrated leadership in complex contract economics, alternate payment models, and large-scale financial remediation or turnaround efforts
Sound understanding of Medicare Advantage and delegated pricing dynamics
Demonstrated hands on leader and motivator with the ability to develop talent within the organization
Proven ability to build relationships cross-functionally and lead toward common goals
Excellent executive communication skills, including the ability to independently produce clear, concise written deliverables
Proven project planning and management capability, from scoping and objective-setting through execution, performance tracking, and results evaluation
Ability to deal with ambiguity - can cope with change and comfortably handles risk and uncertainty in a manner consistent with UnitedHealth Group’s core values

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree (MBA, MHA, MPH) or advanced degree / certification
UnitedHealth Group experience
Experience supporting earnings cycles, external reporting, or Board-level communication
Experience leading large-scale financial remediation or performance improvement initiatives
Familiarity with CMS and other regulatory frameworks impacting value-based care performance

Responsibilities

Own enterprise-wide VBC financial consolidation, ensuring consistent and accurate P&L views across risk models, reporting constructs, and lines of business
Lead VBC benefit planning and multi-year forecasting in support of plan, forecast, and earnings cycles, including alignment to external margin commitments
Serve as the primary finance partner supporting UnitedHealthcare delegated pricing, ensuring alignment between provider economics, plan assumptions, and enterprise financial targets
Establish and maintain disciplined governance, controls, and standard methodologies for VBC financial reporting, forecasting, and performance measurement
Coordinate financial oversight and execution tracking for more than $2B in VBC remediation initiatives, partnering closely with strategy, operations, actuarial, and clinical leaders
Translate complex regulatory, pricing, and performance dynamics into clear, consistent executive and Board-level financial narratives
Anticipate and proactively mitigate execution risk during high-impact cycles by driving alignment across finance, actuarial, strategy, and operational stakeholders
Support the maturation of the VBC Strategy & Analytics operating model by enabling scalable planning, reporting, and decision-support capabilities