Vice President, Strategy and Operations
Yesterday• Eden Prairie, MN
UnitedHealth Group is a health care and well-being company that's dedicated to improving the health outcomes of millions around the world. We are comprised of two distinct and complementary businesses, UnitedHealthcare and Optum, working to build a better health system for all. Here, your contributions matter as they will help transform health care for years to come. Make an impact with a team that shares your passion for helping others. Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together.
The Vice President of Strategy and Operations is an innovative senior leader responsible for shaping, operationalizing, and accelerating the People Team strategy, with a significant focus on leading the People Team Reinvention. This role integrates strategic insight, operating rigor, and transformation leadership to drive the organization's most critical people priorities and enable scaled, high-impact execution.
Reporting to the SVP, Strategy, Talent & Innovation (ST&I), this leader will partner closely with peers across the People Team and with cross-functional enterprise leaders to translate strategy into action, ensure disciplined execution, and deliver meaningful transformation outcomes-while orchestrating a unified, enterprise-first approach.
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The Vice President leads a team of project, process, and operational professionals and indirectly guides and aligns a network of workstream leads responsible for People Team Reinvention initiatives. This executive ensures integration and alignment of enterprise-wide talent, culture, workforce, and HR operational priorities, enabling the People Team to deliver consistent, scaled, high-impact capabilities that support business growth, foster a culture of innovation and performance excellence, and elevate employee and leader experiences.
Hybrid in MN: This position follows a hybrid schedule with four in-office days per week.
Primary Responsibilities:
Strategic Leadership & Enterprise Alignment
- Shape, operationalize, and accelerate the People Team strategic agenda in alignment with enterprise priorities
- Partner with the CPO and People Leadership Team to define long-term strategic direction, performance goals, and transformation outcomes
- Understand the business and functional aligned People Team priorities and annual business plans to help drive strategic clarity and alignment across key priorities for the People Team and across the Strategy, Talent, and Innovation team
Transformation & Reinvention Leadership
- Lead the multi-year People Team Reinvention, ensuring strong stakeholder engagement and alignment, disciplined execution, strong governance, and measurable business value
- Orchestrate cross-functional transformation initiatives that ensure enhance enterprise capability, operating model effectiveness, AI and technology innovation and workforce experience
- Champion a culture of innovation, simplification, and continuous improvement
- Ensure strong change management and communication plans are established and operationalized
Project and Portfolio Management
- Lead a PMO team aligned to deliver key enterprise priorities for the People Team
- Ensure business cases and/or project charters are completed with clear outcomes, milestones and KPIs
- Establish simple yet clear frameworks that translate strategy into actionable plans supported by robust metrics and performance management
- Actively sequence and prioritize, including making tradeoff decisions, to protect and effectuate the right outcomes
- Ensure clear roles, responsibilities and governance to ensure projects are delivered on-time and with high quality outcomes and results
Operational Excellence & Planning
- Oversee strategic planning, operating rhythms, business planning cycles, and executive reporting including MBRs and Board materials
- Strengthen Strategy, Talent and Innovation team operational rigor through portfolio governance, resource alignment, and operational standardization
- Provide HR operations support for the Strategy, Talent & Innovation organization
Executive Advisory & Enterprise Collaboration
- Serve as a trusted advisor to the SVP, Strategy, Talent and Innovation leader, CPOs and People Leadership Team and extended leadership team bringing insights, foresight, and strategic recommendations
- Build strong relationships across business segments to drive enterprise-first execution of people strategies
- Lead the People Team functional transformation and Reinvention efforts and provide regular workstream and SteerCo updates aligned to established operating rhythms
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:
- Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree (MBA, MHRIR, MS Strategy, etc.) strongly preferred
- 15+ years of progressive experience in Human Resources
- 7+ years of senior-level experience as a strategic Human Resources business partner with prior experience leading organization design/operating model work
- 3+ years' experience leading a Human Resources Center of Expertise (e.g., Talent Acquisition, HR Operations, Total Rewards, etc.)
- Demonstrated success leading enterprise-level transformation efforts within a large, complex organization
- Proven experience overseeing strategy development, portfolio governance, program management, and operating model transformation
- Executive-level communication skills with experience preparing materials for Board- and C-suite-level audiences
- Solid analytic, financial, and problem-solving skills with the ability to translate data into decisions
- Demonstrated ability to lead and inspire high-performing teams
- Superior analytical thinking, structured problem solving, and communication skills
- Demonstrated ability to influence at senior levels and lead through ambiguity
Preferred Qualifications:
- Previous experience leading HR Operations or shared services capabilities
- Background working in highly matrixed environments, ideally within healthcare, technology, or Fortune 100 enterprises
- Deep understanding of modern HR operating models, digital HR capabilities, and emerging talent trends
- Proven track record influencing at the executive level and driving enterprise alignment
Leadership Attributes:
- Enterprise thinker who navigates seamlessly across functions and businesses
- Strategic, future-oriented leader who anticipates trends and operationalizes with rigor
- Builder of cohesive, empowered teams that deliver measurable outcomes
- Highly credible executive presence with the ability to simplify complexity and inspire confidence
Leadership Competencies:
- Strategic and systems thinker
- Enterprise collaborator with strong relationship orientation
- Agile, adaptive, and change-ready
- Highly analytical and data-driven
- Effective storyteller and communicator
- Inclusive and empowering leader
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.
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.
Client-provided location(s): Eden Prairie, MN
Job ID: UHG-2343719
Employment Type: FULL_TIME
Posted: 2026-02-13T20:02:02
Perks and Benefits
Health and Wellness
- HSA
- On-Site Gym
- HSA With Employer Contribution
- Health Insurance
- Dental Insurance
- Vision Insurance
- Life Insurance
- Short-Term Disability
- Long-Term Disability
- FSA
Parental Benefits
- Non-Birth Parent or Paternity Leave
- Birth Parent or Maternity Leave
Work Flexibility
- Remote Work Opportunities
Office Life and Perks
- Commuter Benefits Program
Vacation and Time Off
- Leave of Absence
- Personal/Sick Days
- Paid Holidays
- Paid Vacation
Financial and Retirement
- Relocation Assistance
- Performance Bonus
- Stock Purchase Program
- 401(K) With Company Matching
- 401(K)
Professional Development
- Promote From Within
- Shadowing Opportunities
- Access to Online Courses
- Tuition Reimbursement
Diversity and Inclusion
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program
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