Product Owner - Commercial Consumer Payments- Optum Financial - Remote

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 inclusion, talented peers, comprehensive benefits and career development opportunities. Come make an impact on the communities we serve as you help us advance health optimization on a global scale. Join us in making healthcare work better for everyone through people-led, responsible AI while Caring. Connecting. Growing together.

Optum Financial is a healthcare fintech leader focused on transforming how healthcare is financed and paid for. We deliver innovative payment, benefits, and financial solutions that help consumers, providers, employers, and health plans navigate the healthcare system more efficiently. Through modern technology, industry-leading financial products, and a commitment to improving affordability and access, Optum Financial is helping build a simpler, more connected healthcare experience for millions of people

The Product Owner is accountable for translating product strategy, customer and business needs, and roadmap priorities into clear, prioritized, and executable work for a dedicated Scrum Team. Working closely with the Product Manager, the Product Owner owns and continuously refines the backlog, defines features, user stories, and acceptance criteria, and makes timely product decisions that enable successful delivery.

This role serves as the primary product voice within the Scrum Team and partners with Engineering, UX, QA, Architecture, Operations, and other stakeholders throughout discovery, development, testing, release, and post-release validation. The Product Owner uses product knowledge, customer insight, data, and approved AI-enabled tools to improve product artifacts, accelerate delivery, and ensure the team delivers meaningful customer and business outcomes.

You'll enjoy the flexibility to work remotely * from anywhere within the U.S. as you take on some tough challenges. For all hires in the Minneapolis or Washington, D.C. area, you will be required to work in the office a minimum of four days per week.

Primary Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary bridge between business requirements and Agile development teams, translating product strategy and customer needs into clear features, user stories, business rules, and acceptance criteria
• Support engineering teams throughout the entire software development lifecycle, clarifying evolving requirements, resolving ambiguities, and answering technical and operational questions during execution
• Analyze data using hands-on SQL querying and product metrics to uncover actionable insights, inform product decisions, validate system behaviors, and optimize backlog prioritization
• Own, manage, and continuously refine the Scrum Team backlog in alignment with product strategy, roadmap priorities, business goals, and technical dependencies
• Partner closely with Product Managers, Engineering, UX, QA, Architecture, and Operations to evaluate technical feasibility, clarify integration points, and ensure seamless delivery
• Set priorities for Scrum Team planning activities and actively participate in or lead Agile ceremonies, including sprint planning, backlog refinement, and sprint reviews
• Review and accept completed work on behalf of Product, confirming delivered capabilities meet agreed acceptance criteria, business intent, and quality standards
• Use enterprise-approved AI tools to streamline workflows, automate repetitive tasks, supplement product discovery, refine documentation, and accelerate delivery
• Identify business and customer needs that may benefit from intelligent automation or data-driven capabilities, collaborating with cross-functional teams to evaluate value and implementation feasibility
• Evaluate emerging trends to inform solution design, backlog management, and strategic innovation

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

• 3+ years of experience as a Product Owner, Product Manager, or Business Analyst supporting software, platform, or technology development teams
• 3+ years of experience working in Agile/Scrum environments, including backlog management, user story creation, acceptance criteria definition, and iterative delivery
• Domain experience in FinTech, healthcare payments, payment processing, ACH transactions, digital card payments, or HSA/FSA products and processing
• Demonstrated hands-on experience using SQL to query databases, analyze data, and leverage data insights to inform product decisions and backlog prioritization
• Demonstrated track record of supporting cross-functional software engineering teams throughout the full software development lifecycle
• Proven solid technical aptitude with the ability to understand system architecture, data flows, and software integration points
• Proven solid written and verbal communication skills, with a proven ability to translate complex business requirements into clear technical user stories and stakeholder updates

Preferred Qualifications

• Product Owner, Scrum, Agile, SAFe, or related certification
• Experience supporting customer-facing, payment, benefits, healthcare, financial services, or other complex technology products
• Experience working in scaled Agile environments or with multiple interconnected Scrum Teams, shared platforms, and cross-team dependencies
• Experience partnering with Product Managers on roadmap execution, release planning, product discovery, customer feedback analysis, or feature prioritization
• Experience using AI-enabled tools in product delivery or contributing to AI-enabled products, automation, or decision-support capabilities
• Familiarity with tools such as Azure DevOps, Jira, Confluence, Miro, product analytics platforms, or other Agile planning and collaboration tools

Success Measures

• Clear and well-prioritized Scrum Team backlog that reflects product strategy, business value, customer needs, and technical readiness
• Improved sprint planning quality, backlog refinement discipline, story readiness, and delivery predictability
• Stronger alignment between Product Management strategy and Scrum Team execution
• Reduced ambiguity, rework, blockers, and delivery delays through clear requirements, timely decisions, and active Scrum Team engagement
• Positive feedback from Product Managers, Engineering, Scrum Masters, QA, UX, and business stakeholders on product clarity, execution support, and delivery partnership

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a hands-on Product Owner who is highly effective at turning strategy into execution. The candidate is comfortable being deeply embedded with a Scrum Team, understands how technology products are built, and can translate product direction into clear stories, priorities, acceptance criteria, and delivery decisions. This person brings strong Agile discipline, sound product judgment, technical curiosity, responsible use of AI-enabled tools, and the ability to collaborate closely with Product Managers and Product Leadership while keeping the Scrum Team focused on the highest-value work. The candidate is proactive, organized, decisive, and trusted by both product and technology partners to help deliver meaningful product outcomes.

• All employees working remotely will be required to adhere to UnitedHealth Group's Telecommuter Policy

Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to local labor markets, education, work experience, certifications, etc. In addition to your salary, we offer 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 us, you'll find a far-reaching choice of benefits and incentives. The salary for this role will range from $91,700 - $163,700 annually based on full-time employment. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.

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 help make the health system work better for everyone. Together, we are shaping the future of healthcare by harnessing technology and innovation to make care simpler to navigate, more affordable and more connected for the people we serve. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels welcomed, valued, heard and respected, empowering people to bring their authentic selves to work and strengthening our collective impact through diverse talents, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.

__UnitedHealth Group and its affiliated brands are an Equal Employment Opportunity employer under applicable law and qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations.

_UnitedHealth Group and its affiliated brands are a drug-free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.