Senior Researcher – Remote Full Time NEW

Optum is a global organization that delivers care, aided by technology to help millions of people live healthier lives. The work you do with our team will directly improve health outcomes by connecting people with the care, pharmacy benefits, data and resources they need to feel their best. Here, you will find a culture guided by inclusion, talented peers, comprehensive benefits and career development opportunities. Come make an impact on the communities we serve as you help us advance health optimization on a global scale. Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together.

Optum Consumer Experience and Digital Product focuses on delivering exceptional digital experiences and building capabilities that enhance consumer satisfaction, engagement and loyalty across various digital touchpoints. Our team is dedicated to leveraging technology, data and design to create seamless, intuitive and accessible experiences that meet consumer needs and preferences. We strive to drive innovation, continuous improvement and excellence in consumer experiences.

We’re looking for a curious and thoughtful senior researcher to join our Optum Financial Services (OFS) design team. A highly collaborative and passionate group, we create easy-to understand online experiences that help improve people’s lives. Our team leverages an iterative user-centered design process to solve some of the health care system’s most complex problems. As a senior researcher, you will forge strong relationships with cross-functional team members to understand user needs, influence product strategy and deliver exceptional user experiences.

As a senior user experience researcher, you will lead our efforts in understanding behaviors, needs, attitudes and preferences to inform our digital products and services. You will design and execute research studies, analyze data, and deliver actionable insights to drive user-centric design decisions. This role offers a unique opportunity to actively contribute in shaping the user experience. This role has ownership of small to medium projects where the researcher can guide strategy, influence product decisions and drive innovation by gathering a deep understanding of needs and behaviors.

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

• Research strategy: Develop and execute a comprehensive user research strategy aligned with business goals and product objectives. Participate in research operations as required
• Research methods: Expected to conduct a variety of research methods to gather insights. At a minimum you must have a deep understanding of persona development, journey mapping, usability evaluations, interviews, heuristic evaluations, card sorts and survey design
• Study design: Design and conduct qualitative and quantitative research studies, including but not limited to user interviews, surveys, usability tests, and ethnographic research
• Study recruitment: Collaborate with project teams to define participant criteria and partner with recruiting agencies to source and select study participants aligned with research objectives
• Data analysis: Analyze research data using various methods (e.g., thematic analysis, quantitative analysis) to uncover insights and trends that inform product decisions
• Insights delivery: Synthesize research findings into clear and actionable insights, and effectively communicate them to cross-functional teams and stakeholders
• Cross-functional collaboration: Collaborate closely with product managers, designers, engineers, and other stakeholders to ensure research findings are integrated into product development processes
• Continuous improvement: Stay abreast of industry trends, competitive intelligence, best practices, and emerging technologies in user experience research, and drive continuous improvement in research methodologies and practices
• Research operations: Participate in research operations as required

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

• 6+ years of experience in user experience research, with a strong track record (work examples) of designing and executing research studies that have informed successful product designs and leading small to mid-sized project from start to finish
• Experience working in agile development environments and collaborating closely with cross-functional teams in a fast-paced dynamic environment
• Proficiency in research tools and software, such as survey platforms, usability testing tools, and data analysis software
• Proven expertise in qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, including user interviews, surveys, usability testing, and data analysis
• Proven solid analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to synthesize complex data and distill it into actionable insights and recommendations that drive impact for the business

Preferred Qualifications

• Leadership experience, including mentoring less-experienced researchers and leading research initiatives
• Experience working with financial products
• Proven excellent communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to effectively communicate research findings and recommendations to diverse audiences.
• Proven solid interpersonal skills, focused on building and fostering relationships with peers and partners
• 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 $91,700 to $163,700 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.

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.