Remote Research Development Jobs in Minneapolis, MN

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.  

Optum Financial is a high-growth area within Optum and is one of UnitedHealth Group's growth pillars. In support of this growth, Optum Financial is expanding its Strategy & Business Development team. This role sits within a fast-moving business unit of a Fortune 10 company and requires a unique blend of strategic rigor, operational execution, and external market leadership.

Optum Financial is looking for talented leaders to drive enterprise-critical strategy initiatives, the development of strategies in new product and capability areas, and create and scale partnerships to drive growth. This talented individual will enable more rigorous evaluation of new products, partnerships, and investment opportunities, ensuring strategic and financial discipline is followed in recommendations of capital deployment.

The ideal candidate will have experience in in-house strategy, business development, consulting, or corporate development with strong knowledge of fintech and healthcare payments industries. This position will report to the current VP in developing strategy and driving inorganic growth across Optum Financial.

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.

Primary Responsibilities:

Enterprise Strategy Leadership

• Leads strategy engagements across Optum Financial, including the development of industry landscapes, long-term strategy, GTM strategy, inorganic growth strategy, and competitive intelligence
• Frame and decompose ambiguous problems into structured analyses and actionable workstreams  (e.g. research plans, testing of assumptions and hypotheses, financial analysis and market assessments, competitive benchmarking) and execute against each
• Deliver clear, executive-ready recommendations for senior stakeholders 
• Rapidly develop deep expertise in business unit strategy, growth priorities, and competitive positioning 
• Serve as a strategic advisor, shaping direction and identifying new growth vectors
• Manage senior stakeholder expectations in a fast-moving matrixed organization

Partnership/M&A Sourcing 

• Proactively identify and prioritize M&A partnership opportunities aligned with strategic growth areas 
• Build and maintain a robust pipeline of potential partners and M&A targets across product, distribution, capabilities, and innovation 
• Develop partnership and M&A theses, including strategic rationale, value creation opportunities, and risk assessment 
• Actively engage the market to source opportunities-leveraging networks, industry events, and outbound outreach 
• Lead early-stage discussions, opportunity and partner qualification

You'll be rewarded and recognized for your performance in an environment that will challenge you and give you clear direction on what it takes to succeed in your role as well as provide development for other roles you may be interested in.

Required Qualifications:

• Undergraduate degree in business or related field
• 8 years experience in business development, consulting, corporate development, or investment banking
• 8 years experience working with senior level leaders
• 8 years of executive communication and story-telling, Excel modeling 
• 8 years of experience/expertise in fintech and/or healthcare
• Demonstrated experience building and leading complex financial models and investment analyses 
• Experience evaluating partnership structures, deal economics, or M&A opportunities
• Ability to work independently and drive projects to completion
• Ability to work across multiple teams and supporting functions
• Excellent communication and presentation skills

Preferred Qualifications:

• MBA

*All employees working remotely will be required to adhere to UnitedHealth Group's Telecommuter Policy.

Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to local labor markets, education, work experience, certifications, etc. In addition to your salary, we offer benefits such as, a comprehensive benefits package, incentive and recognition programs, equity stock purchase and 401k contribution (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements). No matter where or when you begin a career with us, you'll find a far-reaching choice of benefits and incentives. The salary for this role will range from $134,600 - $230,800 annually based on full-time employment. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.

Application Deadline: This will be posted for a minimum of 2 business days or until a sufficient candidate pool has been collected. Job posting may come down early due to volume of applicants.

At UnitedHealth Group, our mission is to help people live healthier lives and make the health system work better for everyone. We believe everyone-of every race, gender, sexuality, age, location and income-deserves the opportunity to live their healthiest life. Today, however, there are still far too many barriers to good health which are disproportionately experienced by people of color, historically marginalized groups and those with lower incomes. We are committed to mitigating our impact on the environment and enabling and delivering equitable care that addresses health disparities and improves health outcomes - an enterprise priority reflected in our mission.

UnitedHealth Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer under applicable law and qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations.

UnitedHealth Group is a drug - free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.