Vice President Business Development - M&A and Partnerships, Optum Financial

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.

Optum Financial aims to transform how care is financed and paid for. We are committed to making healthcare more affordable for consumers, while also reducing the administrative burden for providers and payers. Our goal is to create a frictionless experience that fosters accessibility, affordability, and efficiency across the healthcare landscape. Optum Financial is part of UnitedHealth Group, a Fortune 4 company serving 145 million individuals globally.

We are seeking an experienced and results-driven Vice President (VP) in Business Development (M&A) to lead deal sourcing, relationship management, and pipeline development, with a specialized focus on FinTech and Healthcare focused FinTech’s. The VP will be responsible for identifying strategic acquisition opportunities, building and maintaining strong relationships with private equity (PE) firms, investment banks, venture capital (VC) funds, and other financial institutions, and leading smaller deals independently from origination to closing. The VP will ensure critical win-win relationships are grown and sustained over the long-term in an operationally effective and coordinated manner in alignment with Optum Financials long range plan.

Primary Responsibilities:

Deal Sourcing & Pipeline Development:

• Identify and source high-potential M&A opportunities within the FinTech and Healthcare FinTech sectors
• Develop and manage a robust deal pipeline, ensuring a steady flow of opportunities aligned with corporate strategy
• Build strong relationships with investment banks, PE firms, VC funds, and other deal-sourcing partners to actively generate deal flow
• Lead and contribute to industry research and market analysis to identify emerging trends, key players, and attractive acquisition targets

Relationship Management & Partnerships:

• Establish strategic partnerships with financial sponsors, advisors, and industry experts to create long-term M&A opportunities
• Serve as the point of contact for external stakeholders, representing the company in deal-related discussions and industry events
• Collaborate with internal teams, including strategy, finance, Corp Dev, and legal, to evaluate and execute potential transactions

Deal Execution & Negotiation:

• Independently lead and support small to mid-sized transactions, including structuring, valuation, due diligence, and negotiations
• Support senior leadership in larger transactions by conducting financial modeling, due diligence, and deal structuring
• Work with legal, tax, and regulatory teams to ensure smooth deal execution and post-merger integration planning
• Prepare and present investment recommendations and deal updates to executive leadership

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 provide development for other roles you may be interested in.

Required Qualifications:

• 10 years of strategic business development, corporate development, corporate strategy, or senior level consulting experience with 3 years of experience in driving transactions (including M&A or non-M&A transactions)
• Deep experience collaborating and navigating large organizations and cross-functional teams on multi-year engagements
• Proven experience and expertise in the healthcare market, especially provider and/or payer, and fintech
• Demonstrated history of productive relationships with C-Suite and senior-level client executives
• A deep understanding of financial and business models, market trends, and consumer behaviors, enabling the creation of industry-leading solutions

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced degree (e.g., MBA)
• Experience in driving non-M&A transactions (e.g., JVs, MSA agreements, etc.)
• Understanding of Fintech & healthcare landscape to include financial acumen, product, operations, technology operation, and data
• Advanced communication and negotiating ability in the context of complex fortune 100 organizations
• Advanced aptitude for conflict resolution and problem-solving
• Deep understanding of and experience with UnitedHealth Group’s enterprise, business units, and capabilities

The salary range for this role is $150,200 to $288,500 annually based on full-time employment. Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to local labor markets, education, work experience, certifications, etc. UnitedHealth Group complies with all minimum wage laws as applicable. 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.

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.

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.

Salary : $150,200 - $288,500