Lead Technical Product Manager - AI Strategy & Health Plan Tech - Remote Kansas

Optum is a global health care technology organization that develops solutions using data analytics, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity to improve the health system. The Lead Technical Product Manager will advance AI, automation, and enterprise technology capabilities for the Kansas Health Plan, partnering with business, regulatory, state, and IT stakeholders to deliver measurable improvements. The role also provides strategic technology leadership, supports compliance and health plan operations, and champions responsible AI adoption.

Responsibilities:

• Identify and advance practical AI, automation, analytics, and digital enablement opportunities that improve efficiency, compliance readiness, member and provider experience, and workforce productivity
• Partner with health plan and business leaders to prioritize high-value use cases and translate them into actionable roadmaps, solution concepts, or delivery plans
• Champion responsible AI adoption through appropriate use cases, stakeholder alignment, training and enablement support, data protection, compliance awareness, change readiness, and measurable outcomes
• Connect enterprise technology capabilities and innovation efforts to local Medicaid and Medicare market needs, ensuring solutions are practical, scalable, and aligned to strategic priorities
• Serve as a strategic technology partner to Kansas Health Plan leadership, Community & State leaders, shared services, and IT delivery partners
• Translate business, regulatory, operational, and state partner needs into clear technology direction, priorities, and recommended courses of action
• Influence technology decisions with enterprise partners, health plan leaders, and state and federal regulators to advance scalable solutions, remove barriers, and deliver measurable value for stakeholders
• Provide thought leadership on emerging technology trends and their applicability to Medicaid and Medicare operations, regulatory execution, growth, and health plan performance
• Serve as the primary technology voice for the Kansas Health Plan, coordinating priorities, risks, dependencies, decisions, and escalations across local leadership and enterprise technology partners
• Provide concise, executive-ready updates on technology priorities, risks, decisions, and progress to ensure leadership visibility and alignment
• Help shape and prioritize health plan technology demand, ensuring requests are clearly defined, routed through appropriate intake channels, and aligned to enterprise priorities and market objectives
• Maintain an ownership mindset for follow-through by tracking commitments, clarifying owners, and ensuring open items move toward resolution
• Build trusted relationships with state and federal partners, health plan leaders, IT teams, shared services, vendors, and business stakeholders
• Represent UnitedHealthcare in state and federal regulatory meetings with a balanced understanding of business priorities, technology capabilities, and compliance obligations
• Communicate complex technology topics in clear, practical, executive-ready language for technical and non-technical audiences
• Foster collaboration so technology solutions are understood, supported, and effectively adopted
• Provide subject matter expertise on health plan capabilities such as claims, member, clinical, provider, X12 transactions, eligibility, reporting, quality, and compliance processes
• Support regulatory and growth initiatives by translating requirements into technology needs and practical implementation approaches
• Influence state requirements, timelines, and solution design through recommendations, clarifying questions, and constructive feedback
• Collaborate with other managed care organizations, where appropriate, to support common processes, realistic timelines, and effective state deliverables
• Ensure IT applications, operations, data exchanges, and technology platforms support health plan needs and state contractual requirements
• Support compliance with required data exchanges, including 834, 837, 820, provider files, and other state-required transactions
• Partner with leaders to assess funding, timing, resources, risks, dependencies, and operational impacts, while advocating for technology investments and enablements that align with enterprise priorities, responsible use of capital improvement funding, and measurable stakeholder value
• Review and challenge estimates, plans, and delivery approaches to help drive efficient, scalable, and sustainable solutions

Requirements:

• • Undergraduate degree or 5+ years of professional IT experience
• • 7+ years of experience delivering technology-enabled business improvements that enhance operational performance, efficiency, compliance readiness, or stakeholder experience
• • 5+ years of experience influencing senior stakeholders and leading through a large, matrixed enterprise environment
• • 5+ years of professional IT, technology leadership, digital transformation, product, or equivalent related experience
• • 3+ years of experience developing technology strategies, roadmaps, business cases, solution recommendations, or implementation plans
• • 3+ years of Medicaid, Medicare, managed care, health plan, or healthcare operations experience
• • 2+ years of experience designing, deploying, or scaling AI-powered solutions, intelligent workflows, analytics products, or productivity tools
• • 2+ years of experience with responsible AI considerations, including privacy, security, compliance, governance, change management, and adoption readiness
• • Driver's License and access to a reliable transportation
• • Advanced degree in computer science, data science, engineering, healthcare administration, business administration, or a related field
• • 3+ years of experience applying AI or automation to Medicaid, Medicare, managed care, regulatory, clinical, claims, provider, member, or quality processes
• • Demonstrated experience turning ambiguous business problems into clear use cases, roadmaps, or product strategies
• • Experience supporting RFPs, growth initiatives, regulatory implementations, audit readiness, state deliverables, or state partner technology commitments
• • Solid understanding of Medicaid and/or Medicare operations, state and federal regulatory requirements, managed care models, and health plan performance drivers
• • Proven solid communication, problem-solving, relationship-building, and executive presence skills