As the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for Optum Serve, you will serve as a strategic technology executive leading the technology roadmap, engineering, IT operations, and platform capabilities that support our federal government clients. Optum Serve is dedicated to helping federal agencies - including the Department of War (DoW), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) - deliver world-class healthcare, administrative services, and advanced technology programs.
In this role, you will lead a high-performing technology organization, navigating complex federal regulatory landscapes, contractual constraints, and stringent security frameworks. You will drive innovation, AI products, leverage cloud solutions, and advanced emerging tools, and ensure operational excellence across mission-critical healthcare systems that serve millions of military members, veterans, and citizens.
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:- Manage and orchestrate the entire IT ecosystem that supports the Optum Serve business including driving overarching technology strategy, AI product delivery, and delivery execution for the Optum Serve business, ensuring alignment with federal healthcare goals and enterprise objectives
- Serve as a senior customer facing technology executive advisor, engaging senior federal customers and internal executives on complex, high impact technology challenges
- Provide thought leadership on federal healthcare technology trends, emerging capabilities, and regulatory considerations
- Lead transformation of the Optum Serve technology operating model, continuously improving governance, value delivery, capability ownership, accountability structures, and organizational effectiveness
- Partner with Growth and Strategy leaders to identify emerging market opportunities, shape future capabilities, and ensure technology investment strategies support long-term growth objectives
- Serve as a strategic advisor on how technology, data, AI, and digital capabilities can create competitive differentiation in federal healthcare markets
- Partner with business executives to establish transparent prioritization frameworks that align technology capacity with Optum Serve's highest-value strategic, operational, contractual, and customer commitments
- Establish and mature technology capability management processes, including build, buy, partner, and reuse strategies that maximize enterprise assets while accelerating delivery
- Provide enterprise wide technical and strategic advisory leadership influencing growth, modernization, and digital transformation initiatives
- Shape and validate customer aligned technology strategies and solution approaches for capture, proposal, and pre-sales efforts
- Identify growth opportunities through market intelligence, customer engagement, and strategic advisory insight
- Translate ambiguous and novel customer requirements into scalable, compliant solution architectures leveraging existing enterprise platforms
- Lead executive briefings, industry day engagements, and solution demonstrations as the senior technical authority
- Advise on integration, interoperability, data architecture, and security approaches across platforms and partners
- Navigate and manage strict federal regulatory requirements, contractual obligations and security frameworks (including FISMA, FedRAMP, FAR/DFARS compliance, HIPAA, and NIST guidelines)
- Lead the integration of advanced emerging technologies and enterprise AI tools, setting strategic technology goals, and aligning talent development with key digital competencies to accelerate modernization
- Champion the ethical and compliant use of technology and advanced analytics, embedding transparency, fairness, and strict data governance across the solution development lifecycle
- Strategically leverage AI, data, and cloud capabilities to solve complex operational problems, unlock new program efficiencies, and deliver robust mission value to federal agencies
- Manage enterprise risk and security postures in coordination with the Chief Information Security Officer, ensuring consistent renewal of federal Authorities to Operate (ATOs) and the protection of sensitive data (CUI)
- Oversee multi-million-dollar technology budgets, direct contract negotiations, and optimize vendor partnerships to achieve strong SLAs and financial stewardship
- Build, mentor, and inspire a world-class technology organization, promoting a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and customer-centric delivery
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:- 15+ years of progressive technology leadership experience, including 5+ years of executive-level IT management
- 8+ years of experience leading technology delivery, IT operations, or systems engineering specifically within federal government contracting environments (e.g., DoW, VA, HHS)
- 8+ years experience advising executive stakeholders and customers on technology strategy, architecture, and modernization
- 5+ years of experience managing compliance and contract governance constraints, including FAR/DFARS, FISMA, FedRAMP, NIST standards, and HIPAA
- 5+ years of direct financial responsibility overseeing large-scale technology portfolios with annual budgets exceeding $20M
- 5+ years of experience leading and scaling multi-disciplinary, diverse technical organizations of 100+ personnel
- In-depth knowledge of federal health IT systems (preferably with DoW and/or VA systems)
- Outstanding executive presence and communication skills, with a track record of building trusted relationships with senior federal agency leaders and contracting officers
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Business Administration, or a related field, or 4+ years of equivalent senior technology leadership experience in lieu of a degree
Preferred Qualifications:- Active Federal Security Clearance (e.g., Secret, Top Secret, or Public Trust) or eligibility to obtain one
- Proven experience driving the adoption of modern hybrid cloud architectures (e.g., AWS GovCloud, Azure Government) and DevSecOps processes within a federal framework
- Demonstrated success in utilizing predictive analytics, machine learning, and advanced AI technologies to deliver innovative healthcare solutions for government customers
- Master's degree or MBA in a relevant technology or business discipline
*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 $200,400 to $343,500 annually based on full-time employment. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.
