Project Manager I (Commercially/Federally Funded Projects) Remote

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.  

The mission of Optum Epidemiology is to promote health by providing research that equals or exceeds that of the best academic institutions, and to develop tools that enable widespread use of health-care data to improve health.  At Optum, our Epidemiology team conducts customized Epidemiologic research studies. We contract with clients to conduct custom studies, including observational safety studies to fulfill post-marketing regulatory commitments, comparative effectiveness research, and descriptive epidemiology/natural history of disease studies. We commonly utilize existing administrative claims or Electronic Health Records databases as the source of our study populations, supplemented by secondary sources (e.g., medical records and surveys). Our client services often include the development of a protocol, execution of analytic tasks and interpretation of results that culminate in delivery of a high-quality report to our clients and/or regulatory agencies.

The Project Manager I operationally leads the planning, coordination, and execution of commercially-funded Epidemiology projects and provides support on federally-funded projects under the direction of a lead Project Manager. This role is responsible for tracking project progress, managing inter-dependencies and risks, maintaining audit-ready documentation, and supporting communication across internal and external stakeholders. The Project Manager I helps ensure that projects are completed on time, within budget, and in line with project goals, contracts, and regulatory requirements. 

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

Primary Responsibilities:

Manage Epidemiology projects Manage Epidemiology projects and key deliverables including:

• Lead day-to-day operational management for assigned Epidemiology projects, assure adherence to SOPs, contractual requirements, and applicable federal regulations
• Oversee detailed timelines, budgets, and resource allocations to ensure successful and compliant completion of milestones and deliverables
• Serve as the primary coordinator for study sponsors, internal study teams, and external parties (e.g., IRBs, vendors, clinicians) on commercially funded projects; support coordination with federal agencies and project stakeholders on federally funded projects
• Manage project plans, timelines, financials (revenue, invoices, budget) scope, quality, and compliance, with additional attention to federal reporting requirements and audit readiness
• Identify all required approvals (internal and external) and facilitate study approval submissions in collaboration with project team
• Provide timely and accurate status reporting of milestones, risks, and finances to key stakeholders
• Coordinate data collection and management activities, including oversight of subcontractor contracts, finances, performance management and compliance with applicable federal requirements
• Prepare federally mandated reports, including risk management plans, transition plans, communication plans, project management plans, staffing plans, monthly progress reports, subcontractor plans, data management plans, quality management plans, RASCI charts, in collaboration with the appropriate team members
• Maintain comprehensive project documentation in accordance with both internal SOPs and federal recordkeeping requirements; lead/support internal and external audits as needed
• Contribute to the development of resources and guidelines for the Epidemiology department
• Support operational development of proposal text, budgets, contract amendments, new IDIQ/task orders, and requests for information
• Initiate and facilitate contracting activities with client, third party vendors and consultants in collaboration with Legal and Business Development, and Grant Administration Office

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:

• Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences
• 5+ years in a client-facing, project management role for all phases of project cycle – from project initiation to close-out and transition to operations on large and complex projects 
• 2+ years of experience with contracting and operational business development of proposals and budgets
• 2+ years of experience managing relationships with cross functional teams and external partners, subcontractors, and vendors
• Familiarity with regulatory/federally-funded research and commercially-funded research, data management of administrative claims/electronic health records
• Proficient in MS Excel, Powerpoint, Word and Outlook

Preferred Qualifications:

• MPH, MBA, MS, MA, other degree, or equivalent training and experience in related field
• Experienced in supporting cross-functional teams of 5-75+ members and collaborating with external sponsors, coordinating centers, and other research partners
• Risk management and mitigation experience
• Negotiation and conflict resolution experience
• Proficient with Microsoft Project, Visio
• Proven strategic and proactive problem solver with excellent planning, coordination, and organizational skills required to ensure execution of project goals

*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 $89,900 to $160,600 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.