Director, People Data Strategy and Operations - Remote

UnitedHealth Group•Eden Prairie, MN

3d•$134,600 - $230,800•Remote

About The Position

UnitedHealth Group is a health care and well-being company dedicated to improving health outcomes globally. The Director, People Data Strategy & Operations will lead the operational data foundation for the People function, ensuring Oracle HCM data is accurate, secure, governed, and fit for use across HR operations, analytics, payroll, benefits, M&A integrations, reporting, and AI-enabled capabilities. This leader will report to the VP, People Analytics & Data Strategy and oversee teams responsible for large-scale data conversion and loading, M&A data management, data quality validation, recurring data audits and cleanup, Oracle HCM and ecosystem security, and People data operational controls. This role requires both execution and strategy, focusing on day-to-day operational discipline for trusted People data and building the future-state People data strategy, governance model, quality framework, and security standards for an AI-first People function. The ideal candidate has deep experience with large-scale HR data, Oracle HCM or comparable enterprise HR platforms, data quality and audit processes, data security, M&A integrations, and cross-functional delivery.

Requirements

8+ years of experience in HR data, People data operations, HRIS, data governance, data quality, data security, data conversion, analytics operations, or related enterprise data roles
Experience leading teams responsible for large-scale HR data operations, data quality, data audits, data loads, or data conversion
Experience with Oracle HCM or comparable enterprise HR platforms such as Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, or PeopleSoft
Experience supporting M&A integrations, large-scale employee data loads, platform conversions, or complex HR data migration efforts
Experience defining business requirements for data loads, validations, security, reporting, or downstream system needs
Experience partnering with IT or Technology teams where the business owns requirements and validation while IT owns technical build
Experience with data security, access governance, role-based security, or HR system security processes
Solid understanding of data quality frameworks, validation processes, control reporting, audit routines, and issue remediation
Solid working knowledge of tools and methods used for large-scale data validation and analysis, such as SQL, Alteryx, Power BI, or comparable tools
Demonstrated ability to lead through ambiguity, manage multiple priorities, and operate in a complex enterprise environment
Demonstrated solid stakeholder management skills across HR Operations, People Technology, IT, Payroll, Benefits, Compliance, Privacy, Security, and business teams
Demonstrated solid leadership skills with experience developing teams and improving operating discipline

Nice To Haves

Direct experience with Oracle HCM data, security, conversions, or data quality processes
Experience in a large, complex, matrixed enterprise
Experience supporting HR data for payroll, benefits, talent acquisition, employee lifecycle, M&A, or shared services operations
Experience with offshore or global delivery teams
Experience establishing data quality scorecards, control frameworks, data stewardship routines, or operational data governance models
Experience supporting audit, compliance, privacy, or regulated data environments
Experience with Power BI, Alteryx, SQL, Oracle HCM reporting, and HR data validation tools
Familiarity with AI data readiness, data governance for AI, or preparing HR data for analytics and intelligent automation

Responsibilities

Lead the People data operations function responsible for ensuring Oracle HCM data is accurate, complete, secure, governed, and ready for enterprise use
Partner with the VP, People Analytics & Data Strategy to define and operationalize the People data strategy, with a focus on data quality, controls, security, data readiness, and operational execution
Establish clear standards for how People data is loaded, validated, audited, secured, corrected, and maintained across the Oracle HCM ecosystem
Serve as a key People-side partner to IT, owning business requirements, quality rules, validation logic, security requirements, and business acceptance criteria while IT owns technical build and platform engineering
Ensure People data is trusted at the source so analytics, reporting, downstream processes, and AI-enabled capabilities are not slowed by avoidable data quality issues
Lead end-to-end People data management for acquisitions, integrations, and large-scale employee data loads
Oversee the planning, mapping, cleansing, validation, loading, auditing, and post-load issue resolution process for acquired employee populations
Ensure acquisition data is accurately prepared and loaded into Oracle HCM and related ecosystem systems, with clear business rules, validation controls, exception management, and readiness criteria
Partner across M&A, HR Operations, People Technology, IT, Payroll, Benefits, Security, Compliance, and business integration teams to manage high-volume data conversion events
Build repeatable data conversion playbooks, quality standards, cutover readiness routines, and post-conversion audit practices
Support large-scale employee data integrations with disciplined execution and quality oversight
Own the People data quality framework for Oracle HCM data, including quality standards, validation routines, data audit processes, control reports, issue tracking, and remediation governance
Oversee validation of data quality reports and ensure issues are clearly identified, prioritized, routed, and tracked to resolution
Partner with HR Operations and People teams, who own data corrections, to ensure recurring quality issues are remediated at the source
Lead cyclical data cleanup efforts, including Benefits ABBR and other recurring HR data cleanup activities
Establish root-cause analysis routines to identify systemic data quality issues and reduce repeat defects
Define and monitor data quality metrics, thresholds, trends, and escalation paths
Ensure data quality practices support payroll, benefits, reporting, analytics, compliance, and AI-readiness needs
Lead the People data security function responsible for Oracle HCM security and security administration across most systems in the People ecosystem
Oversee a security lead and team responsible for role-based access, security configuration, access governance, and operational security controls
Ensure security processes are aligned with Privacy, Compliance, Information Security, Internal Audit, IT, and People Technology standards
Establish disciplined processes for access requests, approvals, role changes, audits, control reviews, and exception management
Support appropriate access to People data while protecting sensitive workforce information and maintaining compliance with enterprise controls
Ensure offshore delivery components operate within appropriate access, security, and control expectations
Own People-side requirements for data loads, data validations, security needs, quality rules, and operational controls; partner with IT for technical build, engineering, integrations, and platform delivery
Partner closely with People Technology and IT to ensure data operations are aligned with Oracle HCM platform capabilities and broader ecosystem architecture
Work with HR Operations to ensure data correction processes are clear, timely, and aligned with operational ownership
Partner with Analytics to reduce time spent reconciling or questioning data and increase time spent generating insights
Collaborate with Payroll, Benefits, Talent Acquisition, Talent, Learning, Employee Support, Compliance, and business teams to ensure upstream data issues are understood and resolved
Serve as an escalation point for major data quality, conversion, security, and operational data readiness issues
Lead a team of People data quality, data operations, and data security professionals, including a data quality team of approximately six employees and a data security team led by a security lead with three direct reports
Provide direction to offshore delivery components supporting data quality, audits, security, and data operations
Build team capability in large-scale data management, Oracle HCM data operations, Alteryx, Power BI, SQL, data validation, data controls, security, and operational excellence
Create a culture of accountability, accuracy, urgency, partnership, and continuous improvement
Clarify roles, responsibilities, decision rights, and handoffs across data quality, security, HR Operations, IT, and Analytics
Develop talent and ensure the team is positioned to support both current operational needs and future People data strategy requirements
Help build the data foundation required for AI-enabled People capabilities by ensuring Oracle HCM data is accurate, secure, governed, and fit for use
Partner with the VP, People Analytics & Data Strategy and AI Enablement teams to identify data quality, security, and readiness gaps that could affect AI use cases or workforce analytics
Ensure data quality and security considerations are addressed before data is used in analytics products, dashboards, AI workflows, or downstream integrations
Support the transition from reactive data cleanup to proactive data readiness, quality monitoring, and source-level remediation