VP, Strategy & Product Operations

UnitedHealth Group•Eden Prairie, MN

2d•$200,400 - $343,500•Hybrid

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. The Strategy & Product Operations Lead is a dual‑purpose role: (1) Strategy & Product (S&P) Operations leader and (2) senior leader enablement partner. The role partners closely with the SVP, Strategy & Product to define, document, and continuously improve what the organization does (prioritization), why it does it (value prop), how success is measured, and how performance is tracked and managed ongoing. This position extends leadership capacity by bringing structure, clarity, and operating discipline to a complex, highly matrixed environment. The role does not own a product portfolio; instead, it enables product leaders and functional partners by strengthening governance, operating rhythms, measurement, and follow‑through. Context: Strategy & Product Organization Strategy & Product defines Optum Rx’s strategic direction, shapes long range and annual business plans, and develops and manages a portfolio of market facing products enabling our PBM, Pharma, Pharmacies and emerging business models. Work spans planning (LRP/ABP), product governance and processes, portfolio and performance management, and cross‑functional alignment—requiring solid coordination with Finance, Growth, Clinical, Operations, Technology, Legal, and Enterprise teams.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in operations, strategy, product enablement/product operations, consulting, program management, or related roles
Solid financial acumen; ability to translate strategy into measurable outcomes and decision-ready tradeoffs (including comfort with business cases and investment framing)
Demonstrated ability to define operating models, build operating rhythms, and drive cross‑functional execution in complex, matrixed environments
Solid written and verbal communication skills; experience preparing executive‑level materials
Proven ability to manage ambiguity, prioritize effectively, and drive follow‑through through influence
Bachelor’s degree (B.A./B.S.)

Nice To Haves

Experience in healthcare, PBM, pharmacy, or pharma
Familiarity with product governance, portfolio performance management, and strategic planning cycles (e.g. LRP/ABP)
Background partnering closely with senior leaders or leadership teams
MBA or advanced degree

Responsibilities

Own the ongoing definition and documentation of S&P’s operating model: core workstreams, decision rights, interfaces with partners, and “ways of working” across Strategy, Product, and enabling functions
Identify gaps, overlaps, and friction points; propose and implement improvements that simplify execution and increase clarity in a matrixed environment
Establish and maintain a practical measurement system for S&P work (e.g., scorecards, KPIs, success measures), including how results are reviewed, escalated, and acted on
Partner with Finance and leaders to track progress against major commitments and to make performance visible through clear reporting and routines. Additionally, Partner with Finance to run the capital intake, review, and decision support process (e.g., intake/triage, business case readiness, prioritization framing, and routing to the right forums)
Support and strengthen governance forums and decision processes that sit across products/capabilities, including prioritization, investment evaluation, and product portfolio performance discussions (forum design, inputs, decision framing, follow‑through)
Act as an escalation and enablement point for work prioritization that cannot be solved within a single team, ensuring decisions are documented, communicated, and executed
Design and run leadership operating rhythms for the Strategy & Product LT (staff meetings, priority reviews, planning touchpoints), ensuring forums are decision‑oriented and outcome‑focused
Drive action tracking, decision logs, and follow‑through to ensure momentum and accountability across distributed owners
Serve as a central integrator across Strategy, Product, and enabling partners (Finance, Growth, Clinical, Operations, Technology, Legal, People) to align dependencies, timing, and deliverables for high‑visibility initiatives
Proactively identify execution risks and misalignments; bring structured options and recommendations to leadership for resolution
Enable standardized processes and tools that elevate execution and decision‑making across teams (templates, operating artifacts, governance inputs), in alignment with enterprise product discipline expectations
Support clarity and consistency of product information, taxonomy, and systems‑of‑record expectations where applicable, partnering with the appropriate owners to improve reliability and usability of product data for planning and governance
Synthesize complex information into concise, executive‑ready materials (updates, decision memos, narratives) that frame trade‑offs and recommended paths forward