Principal Data Analyst - Performance & Financial Analytics

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 diversity and inclusion, talented peers, comprehensive benefits and career development opportunities. Come make an impact on the communities we serve as you help us advance health equity on a global scale. Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together.

About the role:

The Principal Data Analyst - Performance & Financial Analytics will own the enterprise performance framework and financial analytics capability supporting the Optum Health Performance Management function. This role is responsible for connecting operational performance metrics to financial outcomes, developing KPI frameworks, tracking value realization initiatives, and providing actionable insights that support strategic decision-making across Risk, Quality, Affordability, and operational performance domains.

Careers with Optum offer flexible work arrangements and individuals who live and work in the Republic of Ireland will have the opportunity to split their monthly work hours between our Dublin or Letterkenny office and telecommuting from a home-based office in a hybrid work model.

Primary Responsibilities:

Design and maintain the enterprise KPI hierarchy across risk, quality, affordability, and operational performance domains

Build and maintain performance measurement frameworks aligned to organizational objectives and strategic outcomes

Develop and maintain performance analytics that connect operational metrics to financial variance and business outcomes

Build and maintain financial attribution methodologies and performance measurement frameworks

Track business performance against key value realization and strategic performance objectives

Develop and maintain operational and financial performance tracking models

Analyze trends, performance drivers, and root causes across multiple business domains

Produce executive-level insights, reporting, and recommendations to support business decision-making

Produce quantified impact assessments and value realization reporting

Partner with Finance and business stakeholders to validate methodologies, metrics, and financial assumptions

Develop reporting requirements and dashboard specifications in partnership with BI teams

Present analytical findings to senior leadership audiences and translate technical results into business implications

Translate affordability, risk, and quality performance into meaningful financial impact narratives

Contribute to strategic planning efforts through performance analysis and financial insight generation

You will 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 providing development for other roles you may be interested in.

Required Qualifications:

Proven extensive experience in business analytics, financial analytics, performance management, or related disciplines

Demonstrated solid understanding of KPI development, performance measurement frameworks, and business performance reporting

Proven experience designing and maintaining financial models and attribution frameworks

Proven ability to connect operational performance metrics to financial and business outcomes

Demonstrated advanced analytical and quantitative problem-solving skills

Proven experience working with large and complex datasets

Demonstrated solid stakeholder engagement and executive communication skills

Proven experience presenting analytical findings to senior leadership

Demonstrated proficiency in SQL, Excel, Power BI, Tableau, or similar analytics platforms

Preferred Qualifications:

Proven experience in healthcare analytics

Proven experience supporting Finance, FP&A, Value-Based Care, Population Health, Risk Adjustment, or Quality organizations

Demonstrated understanding of healthcare financial performance drivers and value realization methodologies

Proven experience with healthcare P&L mechanics and value-based care economics

Proven experience developing financial models and attribution methodologies

Proven experience designing enterprise KPI frameworks

Proven experience building executive reporting and business performance management solutions

Please note you must currently be eligible to work and remain indefinitely without any restrictions in the country to which you are making an application. Proof will be required to support your application.

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.

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