Vice President, Trend Analytics Modernization & Innovation

United Health 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, United Healthcare 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 Trend Analytics Modernization & Innovation is a critical leadership role within United Health Group's corporate Risk & Analytics function. This position is responsible for assessing, framing and driving innovation and modernization within and across the trend forecasting and historical reporting functions. The role leads a programmatic, framework-driven and AI-forward modernization agenda spanning data, analytics, technology and core processes across the central UHG Trend Analytics team and its segment partners.

This high-impact position partners closely with actuarial, data, AI and technology leaders, working through partnership and education, to design and deliver a multi-year strategic modernization program. The role is instrumental in shaping the company's approach to trend forecasting and reporting, and risk management, with a focus on improving predictive capabilities and delivery speed, while driving operational efficiency and re-investment of released capacity.

The Vice President is accountable for improving the breadth of predictive signals, quality, scalability and efficiency of trend forecasting and historical reporting by assessing current‑state processes, data flows, tools and operating models, and defining a clear, adoptable future state. Modernization solutions are expected to scale beyond the central trend team and be implementable by business actuarial teams to improve enterprise‑wide productivity and quality.

This role does not own actuarial models or assumptions; instead, it focuses on how trend work gets done end-to-end-from data ingestion through insight-based outputs
-and on modernizing those systems and processes to support reliable, high-quality enterprise decision-making  role will influence actuarial workforce and talent development planning to amplify the impact of the UHG Risk & Analytics function.

You'll enjoy the flexibility to work remotely
* from anywhere within the U.S. as you take on some tough challenges.

Hybrid in MN/DC:
This position follows a hybrid schedule with four in-office days per week.

Primary Responsibilities:

* Assess and optimize end‑to‑end data, technology and analytic processes supporting trend forecasting and historical reporting, including manual effort, rework, handoffs, tooling, data pipelines and sources of variability across segments, populations and teams

* Define a clear AI-forward innovation and modernization roadmap that balances:
Near‑term productivity gains;
Medium‑term quality, consistency and automation improvements;
Long‑term scalability and sustainability

* Translate modernization opportunities into concrete business cases (capacity released, cycle time reduced, risk reduced, quality improved)

* Lead a multi‑year modernization program that integrates enabling technologies, including AI where appropriate, to improve efficiency, quality and scalability of actuarial and analytic workflows

* Partner with UHC and Optum Health Trend forecasting TFM leads and HCTA leaders to ensure modernization efforts are adoptable, scalable and embedded into forecasting and reporting workflows

* Drive consistency in methods, definitions and outputs while preserving business decision authority

* Expand the breadth of data sources used as a part of the analytic process to strengthen trend forecasting and monitoring capabilities

* Build strong partnerships across actuarial, finance, business and technology functions to align on priorities, manage tradeoffs (e.g., speed vs. rigor; standardization vs. flexibility) and drive sustained adoption of modernized tools and processes

* Communicate progress and outcomes clearly to senior leadership, including:
Wha…