Sr. Consultant (Payer Operations) Optum Advisory - Remote

UnitedHealth Group•Eden Prairie, MN

12h•$91,700 - $163,700•Remote

About The Position

The Sr. Consultant (Payer Operations) Optum Advisory - Remote works within an Optum Advisory delivery team and serves a key role in contributing to engagement work products, project execution, and business management activities. This role structures and conducts analysis, creates client-ready content for assigned workstreams, and contributes to problem solving across the full scope of each project. Success in this role requires healthcare payer operations experience, strong analytical and financial problem-solving skills, and the ability to independently manage assigned workstreams while supporting junior team members. The role will lead client communications related to assigned workstreams, proactively identify risks and issues, and make sound recommendations to improve project delivery and client outcomes. Role emphasis: Independent workstream delivery, analytics, client-ready deliverables, team problem solving, knowledge management, and emerging consulting leadership. You’ll enjoy the flexibility to work remotely from anywhere within the U.S. as you take on some tough challenges. For all hires in the Minneapolis or Washington, D.C. area, you will be required to work in the office a minimum of four days per week.

Requirements

3+ years of relevant healthcare work experience, including healthcare insurance, healthcare operations, or healthcare management consulting
3+ years of experience across multiple lines of healthcare payer business, including Commercial, Medicare, Medicaid, ACA, and Family/Individual coverage, among others
3+ years of experience with payer operations in one or more areas such as claims operations, payment integrity, provider operations, member/provider services, operational controls, reporting, or financial performance
3+ years of experience in data analysis and financial analysis
3+ years of experience with Program and operational coordination including tracking, presentation, reporting, timeline management, and follow-through
Ability to travel up to 50%
All employees working remotely will be required to adhere to UnitedHealth Group’s Telecommuter Policy
Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.

Nice To Haves

2+ years of external client-facing experience at a consulting firm, including Big 3, Big 4, Big 6, boutique, or comparable advisory experience
Payment Integrity experience, including audit, recovery, prevention, payment accuracy, claims editing, vendor operations, or operational optimization initiatives
Experience applying process improvement or implementation methodologies such as Lean, Six Sigma, Agile, or similar approaches
Experience mentoring, coaching, or assisting junior-level staff
Demonstrated ability to structure analytical reasoning and solution-focused problem solving
Ability to participate in and contribute to cross-functional teams
Ability to work in complex, highly matrixed, fast-paced environments
Solid interpersonal and relationship-management skills, including demonstrated customer or client-facing experience
Solid written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to develop clear, client-ready presentations and work products

Responsibilities

Structure the approach and analysis for assigned workstreams largely independently, with guidance from the Project Manager or engagement leadership as needed.
Develop and deliver client-ready work products, including analyses, process documentation, current-state and future-state materials, issue summaries, recommendations, and presentation content.
Lead client communications related to assigned workstreams and, at times, support communications for work performed by more junior team members.
Establish timelines for assigned workstream activities and assist junior team members with timelines, deliverables, and follow-through in accordance with overall project requirements.
Serve as a major contributor to team problem solving across the full project scope, including structuring and facilitating problem-solving sessions with support from the Project Manager.
Proactively anticipate challenges, dependencies, and risks within assigned areas and make practical adjustments or recommendations to address issues.
May serve as project lead for smaller, more templated engagements or work in familiar payer operations terrain.
Communicate effectively and accurately in writing and verbally with clients, prospects, team members, and practice leaders.
Apply payer operations knowledge across domains such as claims operations, payment integrity, provider operations, member and provider services, appeals and grievances, compliance, operational reporting, and performance management.
Conduct data analysis and financial analysis to identify issues, root causes, business impacts, and practical solution options.
Translate analysis, stakeholder input, and project findings into clear insights and actionable recommendations.
Build credibility as a knowledgeable contributor on payer operations topics and maintain a foundational understanding of healthcare industry dynamics.
Maintain awareness of Optum data sets, tools, research, assets, and methods used by the practice to support client delivery.
Lead or participate in practice development projects, including business process improvement, knowledge management, reusable assets, and internal capability building.
Support junior team members by helping them structure work, understand expectations, improve deliverable quality, and meet project timelines.
Contribute to a collaborative, team-oriented work environment that encourages high-quality delivery, learning, and practical solutions.
Participate in internal initiatives that strengthen client delivery, improve consistency, and advance the maturity of payer operations offerings