Senior Business Analyst Consultant - Remote

Optum is dedicated to simplifying the health care experience and improving community health. As a Senior Business Analyst Consultant, you will lead strategic analytics initiatives, collaborating with clients and internal teams to enhance data strategies and deliver valuable insights for health plan improvements.

Responsibilities:

• Own and evolve the analytics strategy for assigned client segment(s), aligning analytic priorities to business objectives, value realization, and client experience
• Lead advanced analytic assessments (e.g., cost and utilization drivers, population health, provider/network performance, trend drivers) and translate findings into clear, prioritized recommendations
• Leverage existing (and potentially disparate) data marts to build analytically ready datasets-aligning definitions, reconciling outcomes, and engineering features that connect clinical, operational, and financial signals to product outcomes
• Develop and validate data science approaches (e.g., segmentation, propensity models, anomaly detection, forecasting) to identify members, providers, and scenarios most likely to benefit from targeted interventions and to improve financial performance
• Quantify financial impact and product value (e.g., ROI, PMPM savings, trend impact, avoidable utilization) using appropriate measurement methods (cohorts, matched comparisons, quasi-experimental designs), and define success metrics to track performance over time
• Partner with product, operations, and clinical teams to operationalize insights and models (requirements, scoring logic, governance, monitoring), ensuring solutions are measurable, scalable, and aligned to financial and member outcomes
• Deliver executive-level client presentations (virtual and in-person), facilitating discussions with senior leaders and influencing decision-making through compelling insights and data storytelling
• Define analytic approaches and standards (definitions, methodologies, assumptions, documentation) to improve consistency, repeatability, and auditability of analyses across engagements
• Partner cross-functionally to identify and drive solutions (clinical programs, network strategies, operational improvements), aligning analytics to implementation planning and measurement
• Serve as a subject-matter expert on healthcare cost, quality, and emerging trends; proactively bring external insights and internal benchmarks to client strategy conversations
• Lead complex request intake and prioritization, clarifying intent, negotiating scope and timelines, and ensuring delivery of high-impact, actionable outputs
• Coach and mentor analysts and consultants, providing technical guidance, quality review, and professional development support; contribute to hiring and onboarding as needed

Requirements:

• 8+ years of progressive experience in analytics, business intelligence, consulting, or a related function, including ownership of complex analytic workstreams and stakeholder management
• 5+ years in a client-facing or executive stakeholder role (sales/account management, TPA, consulting, or similar), with demonstrated ability to influence senior decision-makers
• Demonstrated experience defining analytic approaches/standards and mentoring others through quality review, coaching, and knowledge transfer
• Advanced proficiency in Excel and analytic tooling; demonstrated experience working with large datasets, writing and validating complex calculations, and ensuring data integrity
• Proven expert-level capability developing executive-ready deliverables (narratives, decks, dashboards) and presenting insights to director-level and above audiences
• Proven solid healthcare cost and quality acumen, including ability to identify emerging trends and translate them into analytic hypotheses and client recommendations
• Willing and able to travel up to 25% nationally
• Master's degree in business, finance, statistics, data science, public health, health administration, nursing, or a related field
• Medical Coding Certification (through AAPC or AHIMA) and/or experience partnering with coding, clinical documentation, or payment integrity teams
• Experience with healthcare claims and clinical/quality measurement concepts (e.g., HEDIS, STAR ratings, risk adjustment) and/or payer/provider performance analytics
• Experience working with enterprise data marts/warehouses and integrating disparate sources (e.g., claims, eligibility, provider, clinical, utilization management, customer/operations) to produce standardized, reusable analytic datasets
• Experience evaluating program/product impact with strong measurement discipline (e.g., cohort design) and translating results into financial narratives for leadership
• Advanced analytics and data visualization skills (e.g., SQL, Python/R, Power BI/Tableau) and experience operationalizing repeatable reporting/insight products