Associate Director, Optum Behavioral Health, Capital Management - Remote

Overview

This role leads end-to-end capital portfolio activities for Behavioral Health (OBH) Capital Management, shaping portfolio strategy, owning business case development and validation, and driving benefit realization in partnership with business, finance, and technology leaders. The position provides consultation and decision support to ensure investments are prioritized, governed, and measured against committed value.

Success includes establishing portfolio strategies that advance business priorities, aligning leaders to expectations, and strengthening the discipline and transparency of capital decision-making.

Responsibilities

Capital Portfolio Strategy & Planning

• Establish and drive OBH capital portfolio strategy, managing opportunities through the full lifecycle: intake, governance approval, implementation, closure, and value realization
• Support enterprise planning, investment prioritization, and resource allocation with fact-based financial insights and reallocation recommendations
• Strengthen capital discipline by improving evaluation standards, documentation, governance, and decision-support tools that increase the speed and quality of business decisions

Business Case (CBA) Development & Validation

• Own the end-to-end CBA lifecycle, ensuring submissions are data-driven, auditable, and aligned to enterprise CBA standards and funding principles
• Build financial models, scenario analyses, and opportunity economics (benefit potential, cost structure, capital requirements, risk, and returns), translating ambiguous inputs into clear assumptions and recommendations for senior leaders
• Partner with capability leaders, finance, and technology program owners to review benefit methodologies, validate assumptions, and drive consistency in benefit modeling

Benefit Realization & Performance Tracking

• Serve as the central coordination point for benefit realization across workstreams, operational teams, and finance partners
• Track realized vs. planned benefits and performance of approved investments against business case assumptions, escalating risks and recommending corrective actions, with reporting that ties out to operational and financial information

Governance, Executive Reporting & Partnership

• Support monthly and quarterly governance forums with benefit outlooks, risk updates, and value realization dashboards, and present executive-ready materials communicating opportunity size, risks, and recommended actions
• Build trusted relationships with OBH business leaders and lead cross-functional workstreams in a matrixed environment, partnering closely with Whole Health Solutions and business capital management and planning teams

Required Qualifications

• 6+ years of progressive experience in financial analysis, strategic finance, FP&A, consulting, or capital/portfolio management
• 3+ years of experience leading portfolio, program, or project governance
• Experience building complex financial models and business cases, including benefit quantification and ROI analysis
• Experience tracking investment or benefit performance against approved business case assumptions
• Experience presenting to and influencing senior or executive stakeholders in a matrixed environment
• Advanced proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in financial services, healthcare, or another regulated industry
• Experience with capital allocation frameworks, enterprise CBA standards, or investment governance processes
• Experience supporting product and technology organizations in an agile environment
• Proven ability to synthesize ambiguous inputs into clear financial frameworks and strategic recommendations
• Proven solid analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities with high attention to detail
• All employees working remotely will be required to adhere to UnitedHealth Group's Telecommuter Policy

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary range: $112,700 - $193,200 annually (based on full-time employment)
• Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to local labor markets, education, work experience, certifications, etc.
• Comprehensive benefits package
• Incentive and recognition programs
• Equity stock purchase and 401k contribution (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements)

Location

• Remote work flexibility from anywhere within the U.S.
• For hires in the Minneapolis or Washington, D.C. area: required to work in the office a minimum of four days per week.