Chief of Staff to the Chief Operating Officer, Care Delivery Operations - Optum Health - Remote

Requisition Number: 2374274
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 Health is seeking a strategic, disciplined, and highly polished leader to serve as Chief of Staff to the Chief Operating Officer of Care Delivery Operations. This individual will operate as the trusted right hand to the COO, ensuring strategy is sound, execution is precise, the leadership team is held accountable, and the organization consistently presents at the highest standard in every forum.
This is a role for a leader who operates with equal fluency in strategy and execution. The Chief of Staff will anticipate what lies ahead, connect dots across complex and matrixed workstreams, and predict downstream implications of decisions long before they surface. They will plan several steps ahead, exercise the judgment to know when to advance, pause, or pivot, and bring the credibility to influence senior leaders accordingly. Above all, this leader will safeguard the precision, polish, and integrity of the COO's office in every deliverable, every meeting, and every external engagement.
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:

• Strategic Thought Partnership to the COO
  • Serve as a trusted advisor and force multiplier to the COO, anticipating needs, surfacing risks, and identifying opportunities before they emerge
  • Translate the COO's vision into structured, actionable priorities while pressure-testing assumptions and sharpening the team's thinking
  • Assess downstream implications of decisions, initiatives, and external dynamics, and proactively shape plans to address them
• Executive Communications & Presence
  • Ensure the COO and the Care Delivery Operations team consistently present at the highest standard in every forum whether written, verbal, internal, and/or external
  • Develop executive-level communications, narratives, and presentations that are clear, compelling, and refined for C-suite, Board, and enterprise audiences
  • Safeguard the integrity of the COO's voice across all messaging, ensuring every deliverable reflects the precision and intent of the office
• Accountability & Delivery Oversight
  • Hold the leadership team accountable for delivering the right work, at the right quality, within the right timeframes
  • Drive a disciplined operating rhythm such as governance forums, executive reporting, QBRs, and performance reviews that surfaces what matters and drives action
  • Exercise the judgment to determine when work needs to advance, pause, pivot, or be reframed, and influence senior leaders to act accordingly
• Cross-Enterprise Orchestration
  • Serve as the single point of contact for Care Delivery Organizations (CDOs) across matrixed shared services (e.g., Security, Real Estate, Marketing, Procurement, HR), ensuring CDO interests are represented and CDO COOs remain informed of cross-enterprise changes
  • Drive alignment across enterprise partners on national priorities, building a prioritized and methodical engagement model with Care Delivery Organizations
  • Cultivate and sustain senior-level and C-suite partnerships internally and externally to advance shared priorities
• Portfolio, Project & Initiative Leadership
  • Lead and oversee large, complex, enterprise-critical initiatives from inception through completion, with a sharp focus on outcomes over activity
  • Manage executive requests and deliverables with speed, precision, and discretion
  • Establish reporting systems and data flows that provide the COO and team with real-time clarity on performance, risks, and progress
• People & Talent Strategy
  • Partner with People Business Partners, Talent Acquisition, and enterprise People leaders to attract, develop, and retain top talent
  • Champion employee engagement, development, and internal communications that reinforce a high-performance culture

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:

• 8+ years of progressive experience in strategy, executive operations, or Chief of Staff roles supporting senior executives
• Track record of holding cross-functional teams accountable to deliverables, timelines, and quality standards in highly matrixed environments
• Exceptional attention to detail paired with the ability to connect insights across complex, ambiguous workstreams
• Sound judgment to determine when to advance, pause, or pivot, and the credibility to influence senior leaders
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to elevate the executive presence of the leader and team
• Demonstrated success translating executive vision into structured execution while maintaining strategic perspective
• Proven ability to develop and deliver C-suite-ready communications, presentations, and narratives
• Proven ability to manage highly confidential and sensitive information with discretion and professionalism

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supporting a COO, CEO, or senior C-suite executive in a complex enterprise environment
• Familiarity with UnitedHealth Group or comparable healthcare enterprise businesses
• Deep operations background is not required; strategic acumen, executive judgment, and disciplined execution
• Proven to be highly influential, strategic thinker who is comfortable challenging siloed thinking and driving change at all levels
• Proven solid change management orientation and a proven self-starter mindset

*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 $159,300 - $273,200 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.
Diversity creates a healthier atmosphere: UnitedHealth Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.
UnitedHealth Group is a drug - free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.