Senior Director, UI/UX Product - 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 UHG, we operate on a simple premise: "Focus on the customer and all else will follow." User Experience Researchers (UXRs) make this possible. We care deeply about the people who use our products and the lives we impact. The UX team plays an integral part in gathering insights about the needs, attitudes, emotions, and behaviors of people who use our products to inspire and inform design.

As a User Experience Researcher (UXR), you help a cross-functional team of product managers and engineers understand user needs. You work with stakeholders across functions and levels and impact at all stages of product development. You play a critical role in creating useful, usable, and delightful products. You explore user behaviors and motivations by conducting primary research such as field studies, interviews, diary studies, participatory workshops, ethnography, surveys, usability testing, and logs analysis. Your primary focus will be to create elegant and customer-focused designs that provide superior customer experience working in close collaboration with product, engineering, and design teams across different business segments across UHG. You will get the opportunity to own comprehensive end-to-end experiences, work across different services and infrastructure.

The ideal candidate will thrive in a work environment that requires strong independent problem-solving skills, self-direction, and innovative thinking coupled with an aptitude and affinity for team collaboration and open communication. This individual is both highly analytical as well as highly creative, and consistently demonstrates superb design, writing and presentation skills. This individual foster collaboration both inside and outside the team, evangelizes and promotes UX within the company, and can juggle several high-level projects while delivering A-level work on all of them. This individual is confidently able to justify design decisions based on a thorough understanding of contemporary user-centered design methodologies.

Optum Labs accelerates healthcare organizations' ability to digitally transform their business with the best infrastructure, platform, and AI-enabled solutions. We deliver enterprise-grade solutions that leverage UHG's domain knowledge and cutting-edge technology. We impact member lives in every state across the US and internationally and tackle some of the most critical business problems in healthcare.

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

Primary Responsibilities:

• Conduct independent research on multiple aspects of products and experiences. Collect and analyze user behavior through lab studies, field visits, ethnography, surveys, benchmark studies, server logs and online experiments (A/B testing)
• Work with Designers, Product Managers, Engineers and other UXRs to prioritize research opportunities in a fast-paced, rapidly changing environment
• Produce high-quality solutions through flow diagrams, graphic designs, storyboards and site maps. Develop conceptual diagrams, wireframes, detailed visual mockups and prototypes
• The ability to provide detailed specifications and/or optimized HTML and CSS prototypes for our Developers and Engineers to work from
• Provide guidance on the implementation of UX research techniques and testing activities to assess user behavior
• Understand product specifications and user psychology and predict what might work for customers
• Develop and provide thought leadership in the user experience across devices
• Leverage available insights like market analysis, customer feedback, site metrics, and usability findings
• Advocate for the customer and user-centered design in a corporate environment
• The ability to manage ambiguity, work autonomously, and multi-task in an agile environment
• A clean sense of design aesthetics, and a natural propensity towards simplification over complication
• Communicate high-level design strategies and detailed interaction behaviors
• Provide mentorship for designers and interns

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 Human-Computer Interaction, Cognitive Science, Statistics, Psychology or related field
• 5+ years of experience in an applied research setting
• 5+ years of experience with research design utilizing various methods (e.g., usability studies, contextual inquiry, surveys, etc.).
• 5+ years of experience with designing end-user, web-based applications
• 5+ years of experience in Information Architecture and Interaction Design Fluency and establishing best practices across products
• Experience turning around high-fidelity wireframes and mockups in an iterative environment
• Experience providing detailed specifications and/or optimized HTML and CSS prototypes for our Developers and Engineers to work from
• Experience working with engineering teams and building dynamic designs that are technical feasible
• Experience presenting to various stakeholder on design prototypes and user research analysis
• A portfolio demonstrating past work experience and relevant, user-centered design (provide the link to your portfolio or attach it to you application submission)
• 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

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree or PhD in Human-Computer Interaction, Cognitive Science, Statistics, Psychology or related field
• 7+ years of experience conducting UX research on products, managing projects, and working in a large, matrixed organization
• AI experience including working with voice platforms for example Alexa, Google Home, Siri, Cortana, etc.
• Experience creating style guides, pattern libraries, and other design solutions that drive design across large organizations
• Experience in driving and educating UX best practices with the larger team
• Excellent communication, presentation, interpersonal and analytical skills; the ability to communicate complex, interactive design concepts clearly and persuasively across different audiences and varying levels of the organization
• Demonstrated success in building buy-in for an innovative, bold, strategic vision
• The ability to manage ambiguity, work autonomously, and multi-task in an agile environment
• Understanding of the strengths and shortcomings of different research methods, including when and how to apply them during the product development process
• Results oriented leader; ability to juggle multiple priorities and effectively deliver in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
• Ability to prototype in Framer, Origami, InVision, Axure, HTML/CSS or JavaScript, etc.
• Ability to track, document and base UX decisions backed by both qualitative and quantitative data

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.

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.

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)

Colorado, Connecticut or Nevada Residents Only: The salary range for Colorado residents is $134,200 to $257,700. The salary range for Connecticut / Nevada residents is $134,200 to $257,700. Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, certifications, etc. In addition to your salary, UnitedHealth Group offers 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 UnitedHealth Group, you'll find a far-reaching choice of benefits and incentives.

*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.