Planning and Strategy Consultant, Enterprise Strategy

UnitedHealth Group•Washington, DC

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. Here, you will find a culture guided by inclusion, talented peers, comprehensive benefits and career development opportunities. Come make an impact on the communities we serve as you help us advance health optimization on a global scale. Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together. This role is best suited for someone who can independently drive analysis, synthesis, and communication, while supporting leadership-directed strategic work and gaining exposure to senior leaders and enterprise-level materials. The Planning & Strategy Consultant is a thoughtful, analytically solid professional who thrives in a dynamic environment and operates effectively across a broad range of topics, stakeholders, and business areas across UnitedHealth Group, including Optum, UnitedHealthcare, and enterprise functions. This individual brings intellectual curiosity, sound judgment, and solid attention to detail to a portfolio of high-priority work. Success requires discretion with sensitive information, solid follow-through, and the ability to manage time-sensitive work. This role supports the development of executive-ready narratives and materials, including briefing documents, one-pagers, research summaries, and polished presentations. The individual in this role will be expected to independently conduct research, synthesize information, develop clear conclusions, and communicate findings through written documents, visual materials, and presentations. This role also supports leadership-directed workstreams tied to enterprise-level materials and broader strategic commentary. The role may involve ad hoc projects in a consulting-style staffing model, with assignments varying in scope and duration. The ideal candidate is comfortable with ambiguity, can manage multiple projects at once, and takes initiative to move work forward. This position offers exposure to senior leaders and a wide range of business segments and health care topics, while building the capabilities needed for broader strategic leadership over time. You will be energized by: Conducting research and analysis on health care topics, business issues, and strategic questions, then translating findings into clear insights and recommendations Developing executive-ready materials, including briefing documents, research reports, presentations, and visual summaries Bringing structure and clarity to ambiguous situations through thoughtful synthesis and independent judgment Managing multiple projects at once, including ad hoc assignments that may range from short-term analyses to longer consulting-style engagements Supporting leadership-directed initiatives by coordinating inputs, aligning stakeholders, and helping move workstreams forward Continuous learning about the health care system and identifying opportunities to improve how it works for patients, consumers, and stakeholders Working across a broad range of business segments and functions across UnitedHealth Group, including Optum, UnitedHealthcare, and enterprise teams, while building relationships and perspective across the organization

Requirements

Undergraduate degree in business, public policy, economics, health care administration, or a related analytical discipline
3+ years of experience in health care, consulting, strategy, research, communications, or a similarly fast-paced analytical environment
Demonstrated experience conducting research, analyzing complex information, and developing thoughtful, well-supported conclusions
Proficiency in PowerPoint and Excel
Comfort working in ambiguous environments and bringing structure to open-ended questions
Demonstrated solid written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to create polished documents, presentations, and executive-ready materials
Demonstrated solid attention to detail and commitment to producing high-quality work
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and work effectively across several projects at once
Demonstrated solid collaboration and stakeholder coordination skills
Proven self-starter with initiative, curiosity, and a solutions-oriented mindset

Nice To Haves

Health care or management consulting experience
Experience preparing materials for senior leaders or executive audiences
Experience using tools such as Figma or Power BI to create clear and compelling visualizations and analyses
Experience working across cross-functional teams in a complex organization
Interest in health care systems, industry trends, and opportunities for improvement
Based in Minneapolis preferred; Washington, D.C. also considered

Responsibilities

Conduct research, analysis, and synthesis on a wide range of health care, business, and strategic topics
Develop executive-quality deliverables, including briefing materials, research reports, slide presentations, and other written communications for internal and external audiences
Translate complex or incomplete information into clear themes, implications, and conclusions
Support enterprise-level and cross-functional materials by coordinating stakeholder inputs and advancing work in alignment with leadership direction
Contribute to a portfolio of project-based work in a consulting-style model, with assignments varying in scope, duration, and subject matter
Manage multiple concurrent workstreams and adapt quickly as priorities shift
Communicate findings clearly and effectively through written documents, visuals, and presentations
Ensure high standards of quality, accuracy, and attention to detail across all deliverables
Build trusted working relationships across teams and functions to support collaboration and timely execution