Principal Program Manager

Principal AI Program ManagerAt UnitedHealthcare, we're simplifying the health care experience, creating healthier communities and removing barriers to quality care. The work you do here impacts the lives of millions of people for the better. Come build the health care system of tomorrow, making it more responsive, affordable and optimized. Ready to make a difference? Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together.The Principal AI Program Manager will lead the identification, governance, development, implementation, and scaling of Artificial Intelligence solutions across the Appeals organization. This role serves as the bridge between business operations, clinical leadership, technology teams, legal, compliance, privacy, security, and enterprise governance to ensure the responsible deployment of AI capabilities that improve quality, efficiency, consistency, and user experience.The ideal candidate will possess deep expertise in AI agents, workflow automation, generative AI, and healthcare operations, with a proven ability to translate business challenges into AI-enabled solutions. This individual will drive the full lifecycle of AI initiatives, from opportunity assessment and business case development through governance approval, implementation, adoption, and ongoing optimization.You'll enjoy the flexibility to work remotely from anywhere within the U.S. as you take on some tough challenges.Primary Responsibilities:AI Strategy and InnovationEstablish and maintain the Appeals AI roadmap and portfolio of initiativesIdentify opportunities to improve quality, efficiency, consistency, turnaround times, and user experience through AI and automationEvaluate emerging AI technologies, agent frameworks, and automation platforms for applicability within Appeals operationsLead pilot programs, proofs of concept, and innovation initiativesDevelop business cases, return-on-investment analyses, and implementation strategies for AI projectsAI Agent Development and OptimizationDesign, build, test, and deploy AI agents supporting Appeals and Grievance workflowsCollaborate with technology teams to develop custom AI agents, connectors, retrieval solutions, and workflow automationsEstablish evaluation methodologies and accuracy testing frameworksContinuously refine prompts, workflows, training data, retrieval strategies, and agent configurations to improve performanceDevelop monitoring and feedback loops to ensure sustained accuracy and reliabilityGovernance, Risk, and Regulatory OversightServe as the primary owner of AI governance activities within AppealsDevelop documentation and presentations required for Artificial Intelligence Review Board (AIRB) and governance committee approvalsPartner with Legal, Compliance, Privacy, Information Security, and Risk Management teams to ensure responsible implementationEnsure AI solutions adhere to corporate policies, healthcare regulations, and responsible AI standardsMaintain audit-ready documentation supporting validation, transparency, monitoring, and risk mitigation activitiesCross-Functional LeadershipAct as the primary AI subject matter expert for Appeals OperationsPartner with operational leaders, medical directors, nurses, analysts, product teams, architects, engineers, and vendorsTranslate business requirements into technical specifications and implementation plansCoordinate efforts across multiple business units and enterprise technology organizationsFacilitate stakeholder alignment and executive communicationChange Management and AdoptionDevelop AI adoption strategies and organizational change management plansCreate training materials, educational resources, and best practices for usersPromote responsible and effective use of AI-enabled solutionsBuild organizational trust through transparent evaluation and measurable outcomesSupport production deployments and enterprise scaling effortsMeasurement and Continuous ImprovementDefine key performance indicators and success metrics for AI initiativesMeasure impacts on quality, accuracy, productivity, consistency, cost, and user satisfactionDeliver executive reporting and outcome analysesIdentify opportunities for continuous improvement and expansion of AI capabilitiesYou'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 Healthcare Administration, Nursing, Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, Data Science, or related fieldExperience leading complex cross-functional programs involving technology and operational transformationExperience with generative AI, AI agents, automation platforms, workflow orchestration, or intelligent document processingSolid understanding of responsible AI principles, governance frameworks, and risk managementDemonstrated excellent communication, stakeholder management, and executive presentation skillsDemonstrated ability to lead initiatives from strategy through implementation and adoptionPreferred Qualifications:Project or product management certificationHealthcare experience, particularly within Appeals, Utilization Management, Clinical Operations, Claims, Revenue Cycle, or Regulatory OperationsExperience with Microsoft Copilot Studio, Azure AI, Power Automate, Microsoft Graph, custom connectors, retrieval-augmented generation, and agentic AI frameworksExperience presenting initiatives to governance boards and obtaining regulatory, compliance, or risk approvalsExperience with document processing, OCR, knowledge management, search technologies, and workflow automationFamiliarity with healthcare data privacy, security, and regulatory requirementsPay 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). 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 make the health system work better for everyone. 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.