Program Operations Lead

UnitedHealth Group•Irvine, CA

3d•$91,700 - $163,700•Remote

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, and data they need to feel their best. Here, you will find a culture guided by diversity and inclusion, talented peers, comprehensive benefits, and career development opportunities. Come make an impact on the communities we serve as you help us advance health equity on a global scale. Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together. As a Program Operations Lead (internally classified as an Agile Practitioner 2), you will lead the operational execution, delivery tracking, and milestone coordination of complex technology programs. In this fully remote role, you will act as a driving force behind program delivery, collaborating across software engineering teams to align capacity, coordinate multi-team dependencies, and manage release schedules. You will proactively identify and mitigate program-level delivery risks, establish operational metrics, and communicate comprehensive status updates to senior leadership. By utilizing enterprise-approved technology and automation tools, you will optimize team operational efficiency and drive continuous improvement across our program delivery lifecycles. You will enjoy the flexibility to telecommute from anywhere within the U.S. as you take on some tough challenges.

Requirements

3+ years of experience coordinating the operational delivery, execution tracking, or milestone management of technical programs or software development initiatives
3+ years of experience managing multi-team dependencies, tracking release schedules, or facilitating cross-functional alignment
2+ years of experience compiling, analyzing, and communicating delivery metrics, program status, or progress updates to leadership
2+ years of experience utilizing enterprise delivery tracking platforms (e.g., Jira, Rally, or similar) to manage backlogs and generate operational reports

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Business Administration, or a related field
Active Agile or Scrum certification (e.g., PMI-ACP, CSM, PSM, or SAFe certification)
Experience coordinating programs in a fully remote or globally distributed technology environment
Experience utilizing approved AI, automation, or productivity tools to automate status reporting, analyze delivery trends, or summarize operational data
Outstanding communication, facilitation, and problem-solving skills with a strong delivery-focused mindset

Responsibilities

Orchestrate and lead the operational execution and delivery tracking of complex, multi-team technology programs to ensure milestones are met on time
Coordinate cross-functional program dependencies, team capacity, and release schedules across multiple software engineering teams
Proactively identify, monitor, and mitigate program-level delivery risks, operational bottlenecks, and resource constraints
Define, track, and report key delivery metrics and operational performance indicators to measure progress and predict future capacity
Communicate comprehensive program status, milestone progress, and delivery updates to technical leaders and executive stakeholders
Facilitate large-scale planning sessions, alignment meetings, and retrospective workshops to ensure shared goals and operational alignment
Partner with product management and technical leads to manage scope, refine program backlogs, and prioritize delivery pipelines
Leverage enterprise-approved AI and automation tools to streamline operational workflows, automate status tracking, and drive continuous improvement in reporting efficiency
Evaluate emerging trends in delivery frameworks, operational metrics, and collaboration platforms to inform solution design and drive strategic innovation