Senior Clinical Program Director of Diagnostic Imaging - Remote

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The Senior Clinical Program Director of Diagnostic Imaging is responsible for leading the design, development, and continuous enhancement of modern, technology-enabled diagnostic imaging medical management programs. The Senior Director manages a small team of program managers and collaborates with clinical, operations, analytics, and technology teams to improve immediate approvals, reducing unnecessary and duplicative imaging, minimizing avoidable denials and appeals, and strengthening decision consistency through data-driven and evidence-based approaches. They will also partner on programs that include imaging for value-based care strategies to improve affordability, health outcomes, and member and provider experience. The Senior Director reports to the National Medical Director of Specialty Content and Care Pathways at UnitedHealthcare Clinical Services. The ideal candidate combines clinical expertise, strategic thinking, an innovative mindset, and program development skills to create impactful solutions for members and providers.

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:

• Clinical Program Ideation and Design:
  • In partnership with the National Medical Director of Specialty Content and Care Pathways, design of large-scale diagnostic imaging medical management and site of care programs using evidence-based guidelines, clinical data, and authorization insights that drive meaningful affordability, quality, and experience outcomes across diverse populations and lines of business
  • Support the development of automation-first and technology-enabled prior authorization workflows to improve real-time approvals to improve provider engagement and member experience
  • In collaboration with data and technology teams, design innovative new clinical program initiatives that incorporate technology-enabled care pathways and bundled authorizations aligned with clinical guidelines and cost-effectiveness
  • Provide clinical support to the design and implementation of technology-enabled initiatives that reduce unnecessary prior authorization denials and appeals by addressing root causes such as insufficient clinical information, documentation gaps, and inconsistent ordering patterns
  • Work with providers, markets, and internal teams to develop standardized documentation expectations and education resources that improve firstpass approval rates and reduce administrative burden
  • Incorporate evidencebased medical policies, clinical guidelines, and a broad spectrum of actionable insights - including claims data, clinical outcomes data, utilization trends, quality metrics, memberreported outcomes, digital engagement signals, market intelligence, provider performance patterns, and operational throughput data - gathered across markets, providers, and enterprise data sources
  • Develop business cases, operational models, and financial impact assessments to evaluate program feasibility and scalability
  • Foster stakeholder alignment and cross-functional collaboration to ensure programs are designed to support national scalability, operational sustainability, and continual innovation
• Data-driven strategy:
  • Analyze claims utilization and variation, clinical, and quality data to identify opportunities for clinical program development and improvement
  • Analyze appeal trends, overturn rates, peer-to-peer outcomes, and clinical documentation to develop targeted interventions, provider feedback loops, and continuous improvement plans
  • Collaborate with analytics teams to develop Key Performance Indicators and to build dashboards tracking program performance
• Stakeholder Collaboration
  • Seek input from network, market, and clinical teams to develop program models and performance frameworks
  • Build relationships with imaging provider groups/facilities, and specialty societies to align program goals with clinical practice
  • Build and maintain solid relationships with executive leadership across internal teams to ensure effective support and feedback loops and that deliverables are met
  • Collaborate with Regulatory and Compliance Teams to ensure program compliance with state and federal regulatory requirements
• Communication and Presentation Skills
  • Speak clearly on complex problems across a wide range of audiences
  • Prepare decks and executive summaries for regular updates regarding the clinical program development and performance for Joint Operating Committees, Team Leadership and Executive Sessions
• Program Implementation
  • Use problem solving skills and make decisions to support program design and feasibility prior to transition to the Clinical Services Implementation team
  • Actively participate in clinical, business and operational meetings; ensure business partners, stakeholders and senior management are provided relevant and timely information on the clinical program design and scope for the approval process
  • Provide support to the Clinical Services Implementation team and project managers responsible for moving the program initiative through the clinical implementation lifecycle end-to-end
  • Actively participate in multidisciplinary teams to achieve program deliverables; Foster and promote collaborative relationships with matrix partners/stakeholders; Establish trust and credibility at all levels of the organization
  • Work independently and as a team member
• Program oversight and Continuous Improvement
  • Monitor clinical program performance and Key Performance Indicators and iterate based on feedback and data
  • Ensure program compliance with state and federal regulatory requirements; collaborate with Regulatory and Compliance Teams to develop and implement new regulatory and compliance requirements
  • Solve unique and complex problems with broad impact on the business; translate highly complex concepts in ways that can be understood by a variety of audiences, including senior management

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:

• 5+ years in a leadership or management role in healthcare
• 7+ years of healthcare operational experience with operational accountability
• Experience with demonstrated ability to design, scale, or operationalize clinical programs across multiple markets or lines of business
• Clinical Expertise
  • Deep clinical understanding of diagnostic imaging, evidence-based medical policies and clinical guidelines
  • Demonstrated ability to apply clinical insights to program design and outcome measurement
• Regulatory Knowledge
  • Familiarity with health plan regulatory and accreditation requirements
• Technical Skills
  • Proficiency with MS-Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Data & Analytics Proficiency
  • Proven skilled in analyzing claims, clinical, and quality data to drive new clinical insights and identify opportunities for program development and inform program design
  • Demonstrated ability to work with healthcare analytics teams to model performance expectations and measure clinical and financial impact
• Strategic & Leadership Skills
  • Demonstrated experience setting clear goals, providing regular feedback, and conducting performance evaluations to support career growth and talent retention
  • Proven strategic thinking with proven ability to communicate a vision and drive results
  • Proven ability to lead, coach, and develop small teams of program managers or clinical professionals, fostering a supportive, highperformance culture
  • Proven skilled in guiding teams through ambiguity, change, and complex problemsolving while maintaining clarity, engagement, and accountability
  • Proven solid commitment to collaboration - encouraging crossfunctional communication, resolving conflicts constructively, and building trust within and across teams
  • Proven self-starter, initiates work independently
• Communication and Presentation
  • Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and efficiently (both verbal and written) at multiple levels of large, complex organizations
  • Proven solid negotiation skills: the ability to gain acceptance from others of a plan or idea and achieve a mutually beneficial outcome

*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 $159,300 to $273,200 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.