Optum Financial is seeking a Senior Innovation and Strategy Director to lead strategy development and product build for innovation products supporting the S3 Directed Spend payment network. This leader will identify market opportunities, shape long-term innovation strategy, and drive the creation of new concepts, technologies, and products that meet emerging customer and partner needs. The ideal candidate combines deep expertise in product development, engineering, and business development, with the ability to take ideas from inception through functional proof of concept and into scalable execution.
This role will serve as an industry thought leader and practice subject matter expert, advancing leading-edge strategies across healthcare fintech, consumer payments, and directed spend innovation. The Senior Innovation and Strategy Director will influence senior management decisions, develop plans that shape the long-term success of the business, and direct cross-functional teams in the design, validation, and launch of transformative capabilities for Optum Financial's payment ecosystem.
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:- Lead the strategy, incubation, and product development of innovation offerings for the S3 Directed Spend payment network, from concept definition through proof of concept, pilot, and commercialization
- Develop solutions that transform the industry by identifying unmet customer needs, market shifts, and emerging technologies that can unlock new growth opportunities
- Serve as a practice SME and industry thought leader, bringing a solid external perspective on trends, competition, partnerships, and disruptive innovation in payments, healthcare, and AI-enabled product development
- Demonstrate expertise in leading-edge theories, techniques, and technologies, including AI-assisted development tools and models such as Codex and Claude, to accelerate ideation, prototyping, and product execution
- Lead the development of new concepts, technologies, and products to meet emerging customer requirements and position Optum Financial at the forefront of consumer directed spend innovation
- Partner closely with engineering, architecture, product, operations, legal, compliance, and go-to-market teams to translate strategy into executable product roadmaps and functional solutions
- Identify and solve complex problems that impact the management and direction of the business, balancing customer value, operational feasibility, regulatory requirements, and commercial viability
- Develop long-range plans that impact the sustained success of the business, including innovation roadmaps, investment priorities, partnership strategies, and scaled adoption plans
- Influence senior management decisions that impact business direction through clear strategic recommendations, data-driven business cases, and compelling executive communication
- Drive segment-wide and enterprise-wide impact by shaping innovation priorities and enabling collaboration across multiple teams, functions, and business leaders
- Direct cross-functional and, where appropriate, industry-facing teams to validate new opportunities, build strategic partnerships, and deliver high-impact innovation outcomes
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:- Experience leading broad, matrixed teams and driving outcomes across product, engineering, design, operations, commercial, and external partner organizations
- Proven experience in innovation strategy, product development, engineering collaboration, and business development, with a track record of taking ideas from inception to functional proof of concept and scaled delivery
- Deep experience building and launching technology-enabled products, preferably in payments, fintech, healthcare technology, consumer financial platforms, or regulated industries
- Hands-on familiarity with AI-assisted product development and engineering workflows, including experience using models and tools such as Codex and Claude
- Solid understanding of product strategy, software development lifecycles, systems thinking, and cross-functional execution in complex enterprise environments
- Demonstrated ability to evaluate market opportunities, define strategic direction, and create business cases that influence executive stakeholders and investment decisions
- Demonstrated exceptional communication, collaboration, and executive influence skills, with the ability to align diverse stakeholders around a shared innovation vision
Leadership Profile- The ideal candidate is a strategic builder who thrives at the intersection of vision, technology, and execution. They are comfortable operating in ambiguity, energized by emerging technologies, and motivated by the opportunity to create transformational products that shape the future of consumer directed spend. They bring enterprise perspective, external market credibility, and the ability to rally senior leaders and cross-functional teams around a bold innovation agenda
*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.
