Research Scientist - Telecommute

UnitedHealth Group is a company that's on the rise. We're expanding in multiple directions, across borders and, most of all, in the way we think. Here, innovation isn't about another gadget, it's about transforming the health care industry. Ready to make a difference? Make yourself at home with us and start doing your life's best work.(sm)

Optum Labs is the research and development arm of UnitedHealth Group. We're a diverse team of curious thinkers and experts in big data, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and scientific and clinical research searching for new ways to help people live healthier lives. We partner with world leaders in health care delivery, research, and technology to create disruptive solutions that serve patients, caregivers, providers, and commercial and government payers.

More equitable, effective, and affordable health care - that's our goal. We aren't just trying to improve the care an individual receives. We're building a future where the health care system works better for everyone.

At Optum Labs, we want to improve people s health and their lives. A big part of that is understanding why they make the choices that they do and helping them to create habits and routines consistent with their goals. There s a lot at stake literally, the well-being of our millions of members.

In this inter-disciplinary role covering engagement and behavior (EBX), you ll support research, experiments, and analyses to understand and influence human behavior, with an aim to create products / services that people will engage with and benefit from. Projects could include things like using wearable sensors to make glycemic control easier; designing a service to help people take their medications effectively; or piloting a program to get home-bound people the social support they need.

Though Optum Labs has unrivaled resources in traditional healthcare areas (e.g., claims, pharmacy, and EMR data; access to patients and to a broad and diverse provider network) you will be expected to help us push the boundary of what is possible outside the healthcare comfort zone, tapping into

• new data sources: {e.g., social media data, wearable data, consumer data, qualitative interviews, anthropological observation}
• new interaction paradigms: {e.g., peer communities both virtual and in-person; communicating through digital channels in response to real-time events}
• new environments: {e.g., the home, the office, and the other 99% of time when a person isn t in front of a healthcare provider}
  

Engagement and behavior are big topics, so there s room to realize these goals in a variety of ways we ll expect you to contribute your own vision about how we get to where we re going. The role is also highly collaborative, so we ll also expect a demonstrated history of communicating well with a diverse set of audiences for a multiplicity of needs: in person, in meetings and presentations, and (especially) in writing of all sorts; this means publishing and presenting your results and also serving as a representative of Optum Labs to the enterprise, the broader scientific community, the media, and the public.

One last note: the world is changing, the workplace is changing, and in response our team is continuously trying to figure out how best to work together. Enthusiasm for (and not just grudging acceptance of) this experimentation is important. You should also want to actively help shape a multi-disciplinary research culture that is kind, fun, intense, eclectic, and intellectually curious. If you do, you can help us advance the field of behavioral science and create products that will make a substantial real-world impact on people s lives.

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

Primary Responsibilities

• Work with PIs to run experiments and perform human subjects research on behavior- and engagement-related topics, with all attendant duties, across research lifecycle design, protocol writing, interacting with IRB board, coordinating with study support staff, data collection, and analysis
• Work with internal stakeholders of programs / services (e.g., product teams, doctors and other clinical staff, clinical leaders) to understand engagement and behavior-related performance; suggest strategies that could improve these metrics, or research that could inform such strategy
• Help craft EBX summaries of historical internal work, pilot design, and EBX best practices; socialize these recommendations through writeups and presentations
• Review current academic research pertinent to human behavior and create summaries, research extracts, and other artifacts in service of internal collaboration, and to inform executives and business leaders about important developments in relevant fields
• Disseminate results of these work strands through publication and presentations (internal and external), and other forms of advocacy; help design communications strategy to better pursue these goals
• Collect and analyze interview, social media, network, survey, and structured datasets using statistical and qualitative methodologies
• Interface with other UHG teams to build relationships and assess their engagement paint points
• Contribute to a strong team culture; help deploy interaction paradigms that work effectively in a diverse and distributed (local / remote) team and company environment
  

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

• PhD degree
• 5+ years of practical experience applying this knowledge to behavior-related ends using human-subjects experiments and supporting research
• Experience using a variety of analytical methods, qualitative / quantitative / computational; and experience working with a diverse data set, including healthcare-related data, textual data from online forums, surveys, consumer data, social media data, etc.
• Experience working directly with populations of interest, gathering data, conducting interviews, etc. Field or service experience especially appreciated
• Excellent writing skills and a track record of writing and publishing across different fields of study
• Top-notch communication skills, with emphasis on building work collaborations as well as writing and presenting; experience in working with and in front of a variety of audiences
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Background in quantitative and qualitative approaches
• Knowledge of chronic diseases
• Familiarity with patient-centered research
• Full COVID-19 vaccination is an essential job function of this role. Candidates located in states that mandate COVID-19 booster doses must also comply with those state requirements. UnitedHealth Group will adhere to all federal, state and local regulations as well as all client requirements and will obtain necessary proof of vaccination, and boosters when applicable, prior to employment to ensure compliance. Candidates must be able to perform all essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodation
  

To protect the health and safety of our workforce, patients and communities we serve, UnitedHealth Group and its affiliate companies require all employees to disclose COVID-19 vaccination status prior to beginning employment. In addition, some roles and locations require full COVID-19 vaccination, including boosters, as an essential job function. UnitedHealth Group adheres to all federal, state and local COVID-19 vaccination regulations as well as all client COVID-19 vaccination requirements and will obtain the necessary information from candidates prior to employment to ensure compliance. Candidates must be able to perform all essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodation. Failure to meet the vaccination requirement may result in rescission of an employment offer or termination of employment.

We Lead with Diversity, Inclusion and Compassion

At Optum Labs, we are dedicated to building teams where every individual is recognized for their unique experience and contributions. Our Leadership Principles underscore our commitment to inclusion, encouraging us to walk in each other s shoes and open doors for our peers.

UnitedHealth Group supports local, regional, and national organizations that share these values through joint initiatives, event and program participation, volunteerism and giving. Through our Connected Communities, employees can connect with others who have similar or different life experiences and backgrounds. These groups are led by peers, supported by Human Capital, and championed by leaders.

We Invest in Talent

Managers at every level are committed to their roles as talent stewards who help guide and nurture professional development. We want our employees to reach their highest level of potential just as they help us reach ours.

At Optum Labs, employees are our first customers. That s why we offer virtual work environments to provide work/life flexibility via telecommuting. While it can be a struggle to be a telecommuter, it can also provide enormous benefits for your personal and professional life.

Careers at UnitedHealth Group. We have modest goals: Improve the lives of others. Change the landscape of health care forever. Leave the world a better place than we found it. Such aspirations tend to attract a certain type of person. Crazy talented. Compassionate. Driven. To these select few, we offer the global reach, resources and can-do culture of a Fortune 5 company. We provide an environment where you're empowered to be your best. We encourage you to take risks. And we offer a world of rewards and benefits for performance. We believe the most important is the opportunity to do your life's best work.(sm)

• All Telecommuters will be required to adhere to UnitedHealth Group s Telecommuter Policy.
  

Diversity creates a healthier atmosphere: UnitedHealth Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

UnitedHealth Group is a drug - free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.