Remote Senior Director of Epidemiology

Optum Insight is improving the flow of health data and information to create a more connected system. We remove friction and drive alignment between care providers and payers, and ultimately consumers. Our deep expertise in the industry and innovative technology empower us to help organizations reduce costs while improving risk management, quality and revenue growth. Ready to help us deliver results that improve lives?

Join us in making healthcare work better for everyone through people-led, responsible AI while Caring. Connecting. Growing together.

Optum Life Sciences is seeking a Senior Director, Epidemiology to lead its Epidemiology function and advance scientific excellence, real-world evidence generation, and client impact across pharmaceutical, biotechnology, government, and healthcare sectors. This leader will serve as a trusted scientific advisor, guide complex epidemiologic research programs, develop high-performing teams, and support business growth through scientific credibility and strategic client partnerships.

The successful candidate will combine deep epidemiology expertise, client-facing scientific leadership, and proven people leadership experience within a complex, multi-level organization. The Senior Director will lead an Epidemiology organization consisting of approximately 6-8 direct reports and 75-80 employees overall, fostering scientific excellence, leadership development, and organizational growth.
This leader will oversee epidemiology, pharmacoepidemiology, real-world evidence, safety research, post-authorization research, post-market research, and non-interventional research initiatives. The role will balance external scientific and client engagement with internal team leadership, study oversight, quality review, issue resolution, and organizational management.

The Senior Director will also leverage and encourage responsible use of enterprise-approved AI, analytics, and automation capabilities to enhance the efficiency, scalability, and quality of epidemiology workflows while maintaining appropriate scientific oversight, transparency, validation, and governance. AI will support scientific excellence and operational effectiveness rather than serve as the primary selection criterion for the role.

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:

• Scientific Leadership
  • Provide strategic leadership across epidemiology, pharmacoepidemiology, real-world evidence, safety research, post-authorization research, post-market research, and non-interventional research initiatives
  • Ensure scientific rigor and quality throughout study design, protocol development, analysis, interpretation, and client deliverables
  • Provide senior scientific oversight for teams executing epidemiology studies and client engagements
  • Review scientific outputs, address quality concerns, resolve escalations, and ensure study execution meets scientific and client expectations
  • Serve as a scientific authority on the use of claims, electronic health record, registry, and other real-world healthcare data sources
  • Guide assessment of treatment outcomes, safety, and benefit-risk considerations using epidemiologic methods and real-world evidence
  • Advance evidence-generation methodologies and epidemiologic best practices
  • Strengthen external visibility through publications, presentations, conference participation, professional societies, and broader industry engagement
• Client Leadership
  • Serve as a senior scientific advisor to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, government, and healthcare clients
  • Represent Optum Life Sciences as the Epidemiology subject-matter expert in discussions with current and prospective clients
  • Shape evidence-generation strategies and address complex scientific, regulatory, client, and business challenges
  • Build trusted relationships with scientific, executive, and client stakeholders
  • Support proposal development, client expansion, and business-growth opportunities through scientific expertise and credibility
  • Partner with sales and business-development colleagues while serving as the scientific expert rather than the primary salesperson
  • Support resolution of high-priority client issues and ensure delivery of scientifically credible solutions
• People Leadership
  • Lead and develop epidemiologists, scientific leaders, and people…