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Job Analysis:
The Data Analyst 2 role at Optum centers on leveraging data analytics to directly impact clinical quality performance, particularly within Medicare Stars and HEDIS measures—critical benchmarks for healthcare quality and reimbursement. Fundamentally, this role exists to transform complex healthcare data into actionable insights that facilitate closing clinical quality gaps and improving population health outcomes. Beyond routine data manipulation, the role requires a nuanced understanding of healthcare quality metrics and the regulatory landscape they inhabit, demanding a candidate who can not only analyze large datasets using SQL, Snowflake, and visualization tools (Power BI, Tableau) but also communicate effectively across internal teams and external stakeholders. The candidate is expected to act as a conduit between technical and business domains, ensuring reporting solutions align with real-world clinical and operational needs. The challenges include decoding evolving quality specifications, reconciling data discrepancies, and proactively identifying performance improvement opportunities in a highly regulated and complex environment. Success in this role means delivering precise, timely analytics that support strategic decisions toward achieving or maintaining 4+ Star ratings, and continuously evolving reporting methods. Autonomy is balanced with collaboration, as the analyst must navigate cross-functional dependencies while applying sound judgment to prioritize reporting enhancements and troubleshoot issues, often under tight timelines tied to yearly projects and business roadmaps.
Company Analysis:
Optum, as part of UnitedHealth Group, operates at the intersection of technology and healthcare, serving millions with a mission to optimize health outcomes on a global scale. Positioned as a market leader with expansive resources and infrastructural support, the company offers a blend of stability alongside dynamic growth within the healthcare analytics space. The work culture emphasizes inclusion, innovation, and career development, which suggests an environment valuing continuous learning, empathy, and collaboration. For someone in this data analyst role, this culture means working with talented peers who understand healthcare complexities and a leadership that supports advancement and recognizes high performance. The remote, nationwide nature of the role implies a flexible and trust-based work environment, but one that also demands strong self-motivation and clear communication. Strategically, the analyst role is embedded within a team focused on quality performance analytics—a critical function that aligns directly with Optum’s broader objective to improve care quality and efficiency. The role’s impact reaches beyond mere data crunching to shaping clinical quality insights that affect reimbursement and care strategies, thus tying into the company’s mission to reduce disparities and improve healthcare outcomes equitably. Candidates should expect high visibility with cross-functional stakeholders and opportunities to influence both operational efficiencies and patient-level outcomes.