Director, Shared Services

UnitedHealth Group•Torrance, CA

8d•$112,700 - $193,200•Hybrid

About The Position

For those who want to invent the future of health care, here's your opportunity. We're going beyond basic care to health programs integrated across the entire continuum of care. Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together. Optum California operates in one of the most complex and highly regulated healthcare markets in the country, where affordability, access, and compliance must be balanced at large scale. This role sits at the center of that challenge. As Director of Shared Services, you will lead the transformation of core administrative functions, including referral management and UM processes, to improve care access, reduce unnecessary cost, and strengthen regulatory compliance. Your work will directly influence how patients move through the healthcare system, how providers experience our network, and how effectively we manage total cost of care. You will join a small, high-performing team with outsized impact, operating with significant visibility into executive leadership. This is a unique opportunity to build and shape next-generation shared services capabilities, at one of the largest and most mature managed care organizations. You will partner across clinical, operational, network, and compliance teams to design scalable solutions that meaningfully improve performance across the system. This is not a maintenance role, it is a builder role, with real ownership of strategy, execution, and outcomes. This is a hybrid position.

Requirements

8+ years of experience in healthcare operations, strategy, consulting, or business management
Experience in value-based care, provider network operations, or healthcare service delivery
Proven solid analytical and problem-solving skills, with experience in process improvement and performance optimization
Proven excellent project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities
Proven solid communication and stakeholder management abilities, across all levels (C-suite to front line)
Residence in Southern California and ability to travel up to 20%25 to admin & clinic sites (local stakeholder engagement is critical)

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with data visualization tools such as Power BI. High proficiency in MS Office tools (Excel, PowerPoint etc.)
Familiarity with California managed care regulatory environment (e.g., DMHC/Knox-Keene)
Familiarity with Lean Six Sigma or other process improvement methodologies
Background in consulting or strategic operations roles
Demonstrated success leading complex, cross-functional initiatives in a matrixed environment

Responsibilities

Lead design and execution of shared services strategy
Define and scale shared services capabilities across referral management, UM and adjacent workflows
Align operating model to improve efficiency, reduce friction, and support enterprise priorities
Drive measurable operational and financial outcomes
Improve referral timeliness, provider experience, and patient access to care
Improve financials and reduce administrative inefficiencies
Strengthen compliance with regulatory requirements
Operate as a cross-functional leader in a highly matrixed environment
Partner with clinical, network, contracting, claims, compliance, and technology teams
Manage relationships with National and West Region Shared Services teams, ensuring alignment across tools, workflows, and service models
Influence without authority to drive alignment and execution across diverse stakeholders
Build scalable processes and performance management capabilities
Establish KPIs, reporting frameworks, and governance to monitor service performance
Identify gaps, prioritize improvements, and drive continuous process optimization
Lead and develop a high-performing team
Coach team members to operate with ownership, accountability, and solid executive presence
Foster a culture of problem-solving, collaboration, and continuous learning
Serve as a trusted partner to executive leadership
Translate complex operational challenges into clear options and recommendations
Support strategic decisions with data-driven insights and structured thinking