Chief Operations Officer, COO - South Carolina - Colonial Healthcare, a part of Optum

For those who want to invent the future of health care, here's your opportunity. We're going beyond basic care to health programs integrated across the entire continuum of care. Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together.

At Optum, we are transforming healthcare nationally while providing physician-led care locally and truly impacting the future of healthcare wholly. Experience the fulfillment of advancing health in the communities we serve with the excitement of contributing to new ideas and initiatives that could help improve care for millions of patients across the country. Our goal is to align purpose with opportunity for a mutual fit.  We are driven by our north star, value-based care, and embed that within the culture of all our care-delivery organizations through a Quadruple Aim of providing Affordability in healthcare; Quality metrics, measures, and outcomes; Satisfaction of our patients through the care and experience they are offered; and the Well-Being of our own Clinicians.

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) serves as the senior operations leader for Colonial Healthcare, a part of Optum responsible for directing and coordinating all operational activities for the organization to drive operational excellence, innovation, patient experience, and quality measures by aligning strategies with organizational goals, streamlining processes, fostering compliance, leading and managing key talent and ensuring compliance therein.  The COO will lead and mentor a management team to deliver measurable, cost-effective results that will make achieving organizational goals possible.  The COO ensures that the organization has proper operational controls, administrative and reporting procedures, and people systems in place to support the business now and in the future.  Focused on efficiency and outcomes, the COO delivers impactful solutions that balance financial performance with exceptional care delivery for sustainable growth.

Leadership Expectations

• Act as a true enterprise operator, balancing near-term execution with long-term scalability

• Provide visible, steady leadership through complexity, ambiguity, and change, while effectively influencing teams and stakeholders

• Influence across matrixed organizations without relying solely on direct authority

• Develop strong successor talent and leadership depth across operational team(s)

• Be an engaged leader who collaborates well with their team of regional leaders

• Drive proactive performance while ensuring consistent, data-driven reporting

Primary Responsibilities:

• Provide day-to-day strategic and operational leadership across South Carolina clinic operations, translating enterprise and market strategy into clear priorities, disciplined execution plans, and measurable outcomes for clinic teams, administrative leaders, and regional partners
• Lead the business through a strong dyad partnership with physician and clinical leaders, aligning operational, clinical, and administrative priorities to advance patient access, care experience, quality, affordability, clinician well-being, and overall business performance
• Own operational performance management for clinics, including daily operating rhythms, key performance indicators, access and capacity, staffing effectiveness, patient experience, quality measures, compliance, productivity, and timely resolution of barriers impacting clinic performance
• Drive financial performance and disciplined stewardship of the business, including P&L accountability, budget development, expense management, SG&A oversight, revenue optimization, value-based care performance, fee-for-service operations, and action planning to meet financial and operational targets
• Advance growth and market development by partnering across clinical, operational, finance, payer, and enterprise teams to identify opportunities for clinic expansion, service line optimization, provider and patient growth, referral performance, and improved market competitiveness
• Build, lead, and develop a strong, high-performing clinic operations and administrative leadership team by setting clear expectations, strengthening accountability, coaching talent, supporting succession planning, and ensuring leaders have the tools and direction needed to deliver consistent results
• Champion a positive, inclusive, and team-focused culture that supports engagement, retention, leadership development, transparent communication, and shared ownership of outcomes across clinic, administrative, clinical, and regional teams
• Partner across matrixed enterprise functions to remove barriers, standardize best practices, support change management, strengthen operational processes, and ensure clinics have the infrastructure, reporting, and resources required to perform reliably and grow sustainably

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:

• 7+ years of experience with increasing management responsibility (within clinic operations)
• 2+ years of hands-on experience with P&L / budget and making business decisions based upon financial reports
• Experience with medical cost management, HEDIS quality metrics
• Experience with creating / implementing policies for efficient operational processes
• Experience in both managed care and fee-for-service based models
• Proficient computer skills, including working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, email systems, and web-based programs
• Proven solid ability to analyze operations working with senior leadership on operational efficiencies
• Proven ability to work collaboratively with a wide variety of health care professionals and staff, both in and outside of the local care delivery organization
• Proven ability to travel to all clinics in South Carolina

Preferred Qualifications:

• 5+ years of clinical experience
• 5+ years of operational leadership experience
• Experience managing remote staff, preferably leadership level
• Proven change leadership and transformation experience
• Familiarity with AI systems and utilization within healthcare and leadership
• Proven exceptional executive communication skills

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 $159,300 - $273,200 annually based on full-time employment. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.

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.

OptumCare is 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.

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